“You do realize that keeping your distance right now is pointless, don’t you?” He set his beer on the coffee table beside her glass of wine.

“I’m trying not to think about that.” That being the fact it was now after nine o’clock and the chances of her going home tonight were slim to none. She would spend the night and they both knew it. Whether she slept on the couch or shared his bed, however, still lingered, undecided, in the back of her mind.

“Did I mention the whirlpool tub in the master bath?” He stuffed a big bite of meat into his mouth and waggled his eyebrows.

Suddenly, her body ached in places she didn’t know existed...and others she’d tried to ignore. Damn him!

“I suppose you could give me a tour after we eat.” She readied a forkful of greens and sighed when the buttery goodness hit her tongue.

His focus dropped to her mouth as she chewed, so she took another bite and let her eyes flutter shut, like she was devouring a delicacy. Mostly she just wanted him to eat his, too, but part of her also like driving him insane. Maybe this game of distraction could go both ways.

“You trying make a liar out of me, sugar?”

“What do you mean?” Batting her eyes at him, she moved onto her potatoes.

“Or maybe you’re just trying to test my nobility.” Another bite of steak. “I know you’re not trying to seduce me into eating this pile of green stuff.”

“The green stuff is good for you.”

“So are you.”

Ha! Barely containing her defensive laugh, she smiled and reached for her wine. “Who’s trying to seduce who now?”

“Hey, I don’t go around saying shit like that to just anyone, so don’t try and sweep it under the rug because it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not. I wasn’t—”

“Yes, sugar, that’s exactly what you’re doing.” He got up and plopped down on the cushion beside her, giving her literally no room to try and avoid the conversation. “Not enough guys have told you how friggin’ special you are and you don’t know how to deal with someone finally recognizing it.”

Crap. He was totally right and that made it a little hard to breathe, let alone think straight. What did a girl who couldn’t remember the last time a guy had made her feel like she had value beyond the bedroom do with a statement like that? What did it even mean?

“I’m not going to pretend I’ve always been the kind of guy who knows what needs to be said, because I’m not. Hell, I’m not any different than the assholes who’ve used and abused you before. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit and fucked with the heads of a lot of perfectly nice girls. But you’re different for me, and that makes me want to be different for you, too.”

“Brody...” God, she wanted that, but wasn’t it too soon? In fact, she’d spent more time thinking about him than actually being with him. She couldn’t get him out of her head and she wanted that to mean something, but it was entirely possible she’d built up a connection with him all because of that first amazing night and the fact that he’d come back. Then again...so had Reed.

“There are some things I need to tell you,” he continued on, the heaviness from before dinner falling over him once again. “Before we go any further with this.”

Ugh. Was this the part where reality came crashing in on her?

“Jenny, stop.” He reached his plate forward onto the coffee table, took hers, and did the same. “I see the wheels turning in that pretty head of yours and, if this is going to work, I need you to hear what I’m saying.”

She nodded and prayed he couldn’t feel her fingers tremble when he took her hands in his.

“This isn’t easy for me either. I’m scared as fuck that, any second now, you’re gonna see me for what I really am and high tail it out of here without looking back.”

“I’m not,” she whispered.

“And I hope that’s true, because having you in my life is the best damn thing that’s happened to me.” He lifted the back of her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her skin.  Goose bumps raced up her arm. “But there are things I need to say that might make you look at me differently. Things I don’t normally talk about.”

“I don’t expect you to be perfect,” she said gently. “I appreciate that you don’t expect me to be either.”

He nodded as the timer for the oven went off. “Let’s grab dessert, clean up, and take this conversation to the whirlpool.”

“Ah, but I didn’t bring a suit.”

“Like that matters? Hell, the more naked you are, the longer it’ll take you to get away. Trust me, I’ve already got this planned out.” He winked and pulled her to feet.

She smiled and let him lead her to the kitchen. Not a single bit of her protested.

Chapter Twelve

“Jesus, you could have an orgy in that thing.”

Brody laughed from the doorway of the master bath. Ahead of him, Jenny stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the deep tub. “Pretty sure whoever built this house had something similar in mind.” Right now, his own thoughts weren’t so far removed either, between him and Jenny, at least. But tonight he’d be happy to get her a little wet...in every sense of the word.

“So how are we gonna do this?” She tossed a saucy grin over her shoulder.

“Do what?” He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning into the door. Okay, so maybe he was hoping for completely naked, but if that happened, it’d have to be her call entirely.

“You’ve got some things you want to say, right?” She turned and faced him, her dark eyes heavier, more intense than they had been only moments earlier when they’d shared a quick brownie sundae and he’d given her the tour he’d promised. When he’d gone out to her car and brought in her overnight bag, an unspoken agreement that she’d stay forged between them.

“I do.” He dipped his chin, watching her intently. Her call, man. Bide your time.

“But you’re obviously dragging your feet.” Head cocked to the side, she bit her lip. Made him want to give her something else to nibble on. “Maybe I could offer some incentive.”

Yep, he liked incentives. “Keep talking.”

“You tell me your secrets and I’ll get into that tub with you.”

“Deal.”

She laughed, putting one methodical foot in front of the other until she reached him. “Don’t be so quick to agree, handsome. I wasn’t done laying out the game.”

Didn’t matter. The prospect of seeing more of her gorgeous skin was the only persuasion he needed. “Go on.”

“You have to get naked first.”

He had his fly down faster than it took her eyes to zero in on his belt. “And?” he asked, stripping his t-shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor.

“Are you playing me, Superman? I’m starting to think you don’t really have anything to say at all.”

“I’m a guy, sugar. You’ve just baited me with the ultimate reward. I may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but I’m with it enough to know a good deal when I hear one.” His jeans hit the tile next and her eyes widened as he kicked them free. Probably had something to do with his hard cock threatening to bust out of his boxer briefs. He grinned. “Ah, that’s right—I’ve got something you wanna see, too.”

“You sure know how to turn my games around on me, don’t you?” She shifted back a half step, her eyes still trained below his waist. A shiver rocked her body from head to toe and she muttered a not so secretive, “Good Lord.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, beautiful—this has always been my game.” With that, he stepped around her and cranked on the hot water.

“Mmm, if that’s what you want to think.” He felt her at his back, her soft lips pressing kisses across his shoulder blades. “I don’t think I told you before, but I like your tattoos. They’re hot. You’ve probably heard that before.”

He had. He’d even had a few women who insisted they lick every single one. Still, Jenny’s adoration stroked his ego. Being physically appealing to her was more important than it had ever been before. Especially given the evidence of war that had riddled his body.