“He’s not like that.” He’d never been volatile with her. Even when he’d tossed and turned in bed that first night in Vegas, he hadn’t been aggressive. He thought he was a mess, but the truth was, he was dealing with what he’d been through a lot better than she ever could.

“You don’t know that, Jenn. You’re here and he’s there and all you see is what he wants you to see.”

Was he for real right now? She counted to five, then leaned in and spoke carefully. “I’m quite capable of judging his character on my own, thank you very much. I’m not, however, appreciative of your insinuation that he’s hiding something from me. He’s not, Reed. Not all guys are assholes.”

She wanted to tell him exactly how honest Brody had been. How they’d had this intimate connection from the start and how it already felt like she knew Brody better than some of the friends she’d had for years. But those were private things. They belonged to her and Brody.

“I’ve never seen you like this before.” Reed smiled and she scoffed, grabbing her bag from the seat beside her. Done. She was so done with this.

“You mean me having a spine when it comes to you? Yeah, it’s a new development.” She stood and grabbed the bill, stopping before she walked away. “Maybe I wasn’t clear at Josh’s, but you really do need to back off. Brody isn’t the monster you want him to be and, even if by some chance, he isn’t the man I think he is, I’d much rather find out on my own—not from you.”

“I’m won’t stop watching out for you,” he said calmly, despite her warning. “Maybe I am wrong—stranger things have happened—but I’d rather be wrong than let you get hurt again.”

Out of obligation or sincere concern? She couldn’t tell, and she wasn’t sure it mattered.

“Her name is Mia, by the way. And we’re not together. Yet.”

“What?” Jenny reared back, caught off guard. His timing was all kinds of awful these days.

Reed chuckled and stood, too, sudden vulnerability in his moments-ago so confident face. “Believe it or not, I want the real deal just as badly as you do. For both of our sakes, I hope we find it.”

She nodded. “I already have.”

Chapter Fifteen

“I miss you.” In the privacy of the stock room, Jenny sighed in her phone, half-heartedly mixing a boring natural blonde for sixty-something Lorna Miller. “It’s only been a week since I saw you and it already sucks.”

“I know, sugar. I hate it, too. But it’s what we’ve gotta do right now.” In the distance, she heard other male voices, more than a little raucous as they arrived at the training center for drill weekend.

“Good thing you’re busy for the next couple days or I’d cancel my appointments and drive across the state again.” So much for going slow. Brody consumed her mind twenty-four/seven. Wondering about when he’d text next, when they could talk, when she’d be able to smell him again...

He chuckled. “I’d already be in River Bend if it weren’t for training, believe that.”

She smiled and caught a glimpse of her pink cheeks in the mirror. When had she become this enamored woman? “So next weekend then...”

“Friday night. Like a jet, baby. No stopping ’til I’m at your door.”

Shivers raced down her spine. “Holding you to that.”

“You won’t have to try hard.” He paused and the noisy background faded away. Had he ducked into someplace private? “You thinking about me lots while we’re apart? Maybe taking care of business with the memories of what we did last weekend in mind?” he asked, his voice low and sexy.

Splat! Mrs. Miller’s bowl of color hit the floor with a thud, golden cream darting across the tile.

More chuckling. “Catch you off guard, babe? Or are you that revved just from talking to me?”

Both. “You’ve got a dirty mind, Superman.” Nasty mouth, too. Her heated, quickly dampening sex remember that part especially well.

“Always when it comes to you.” She heard a door shut on his end of the line. “Where are you right now?” he asked. “It’s awfully quiet.” Jesus, was that a zipper?

“I’m mixing hair color in the back of the salon. Where are you?” Fingers edging toward the elastic waistband of her leggings, she was pretty sure she already knew where this was going.

“Don’t worry about me. You got a door? A lock?” Definitely a zipper. He was already breathing a little harder, too.

She bit her lip, a giddy, he’s-totally-thinking-what-I’m-thinking-grin on her face. “You are so bad.” Then again, so was she. Her fingers were already in her panties.

“I’ve been fucking hard since you left. Jerking off isn’t even helping anymore. It’s like I’m in goddamn high school all over again.”

“I didn’t know how to do this in high school,” she confessed, scooting up onto the short counter after she flipped the lock on the door.

“Didn’t know how to have phone sex? I sure as hell hope not.”

She giggled. “I meant touch myself.”

“Is that what you’re doing right now? Touching that pretty pussy?” She was pretty sure the rustling sound was his pants hitting the ground. Was he wearing his training gear already or jeans? She’d pretend it was the gear. So much hotter.

Circling a fingertip around her clit, she clamped her lips together to keep from moaning aloud. Mrs. Miller would probably go into cardiac arrest if she overheard. “Yes,” she breathed, her heart already beating faster in her chest. “Tell me what you’re wearing.”

“Isn’t that my line?” he laughed, but the sound morphed into a strangled groan. “Fucking hell, this is gonna be quick. Uh, I’m in my utilities. Mostly. I’ve got my cock in hand, pretending you’re on your knees in front of me.”

Wish I was. Closing her eyes, she slid her fingers further south. Yeah, she was thinking about him, too, but her fantasy probably wasn’t all that different from reality. Just him in the locker room all alone, camo piled around his boots while he leaned against the wall with one hand, stroking himself slow and tight with the other. “God, Brody.”

“Finger yourself. I wanna hear how wet you are.”

“Very,” she whispered. “I can feel it on my thighs.”

“No, babe—I wanna hear.”

Oh, sweet Lord. “Like...?”

“Uh huh.”

He was going to make her come before she even got to the good stuff. “You’re bad, Superman.”

“All your fault.” He grunted and she indulged his fantasy, despite the burn in her cheeks. Never before had she been so willing to please...and never before had wanting to please ever turned her on so much. “Ahh, shit, that’s hot. Does it feel good?”

“So good. ” Her head spun, almost as fast as the pressure building between in her legs. “Wish you were here,” she panted, fingers feeling like they were everywhere at once, hitting all the right spots.

“Mmmmmm...” His strained hum crackled the line. “Me, too.”

She gasped as stars lit up behind her eyelids and her orgasm locked in hard. “Brodyyy...”

“That’s it, baby. Christ, I love my name on your lips.” Another strangled sound somewhere between a groan and growl preceded his quick intake and then, “Ahh, fuuuck.”

The mental image of him coming, jetting over his hand sent another wave of heat through her sex and she shuddered. It was going to be one hell of a long week, even as the sated, blissed out fog fell over her.

“You okay?” she asked quietly, discreetly adjusting her panties and her leggings, suddenly all too aware of the elderly lady she had sitting in her chair with a issue of Good Housekeeping. Had she heard? Would she say anything if she did?

He gave a gritty chuckle. “You’re a wet dream come true, babe. Can’t believe you just did that with me.”

Me either. She sighed, a goofy grin breaking through the composure she tried to gather. “Believe it,” she said, mimicking him. “I’m sure it won’t be the last time.”