Creek shrugged as he finally reached me and dropped his crutches, sinking into the sand. “How long have we got before we get drenched?”
Shielding my eyes, I glanced at the water, then at the tide line along the rocks. “Hours, probably. I didn’t check the schedule.”
He rumbled a chest-deep hum as he curled one arm around his leg, his booted heel digging into the sand. “It’s nice here.”
“Yeah,” I said. I had no idea what to say, so eventually, I sat back down. “I used to come here all the time.”
“I can see why. I really wish I’d been to the city more before…” He trailed off, then knocked his knuckles against the side of his stump. “This place isn’t the most friendly for guys like us.”
I laughed. “No. It’s not. My buddy’s favorite bar is a rooftop thing, and they don’t have an elevator.”
Creek winced. “You still go?”
I turned my gaze up to the sky, unable to look him in the face. If I stared at his lips, I’d remember what they felt like, and that wasn’t something I wanted to do. “What are you doing here?” I asked him instead of answering his question.
He blew out a slow puff of air, and in my periphery, I saw his broad shoulders lift and fall with a shrug. “Felt like shit, the way we left things. I wanted to apologize.”
I swallowed heavily. I had no idea if him being sorry for kissing me was worse than doing it at all. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” he said. “That impulsive shit—that’s not the kind of man I am.”
I felt a smile creep over my lips as I turned to look at him. “It seems to me like you could use a little impulsive from time to time.”
The corners of his mouth twitched like he was fighting off a grin. “Before my discharge, impulsivity would get a man killed.”
“I get that,” I said. “I mean…I don’t get that. Not the same way, but…”
“Relax,” he said with a small chuckle. “I know what you’re trying to say. And, uh…I’m well aware I do need to lighten up a bit. Not just about this,” he said, brushing his hand over his leg. “But I’m not gonna survive out here as a civilian if I keep treating everyone like they’re my subordinates. Or hating them for doing what I can’t.”
Something about the way he said that hit me unexpectedly, and I felt warmth rush through my limbs. Fuck. I could not fall for him harder. I could not. “If you ever want to get a little wild, you know I’m the man to come to.”
“Yeah,” he said, a little breathless this time. “But, Heath, I reallyamsorry for kissing you without asking first. That wasn’t fair of me—what I did. That’s not me at all.”
“I know,” I said. Ah, misery, my old friend. At least he was willing to admit it was a rash choice and he was secure in his sexuality. “And I accept your apology. PT is a weird place, you know? It gets in there and messes with your head.”
Creek nodded, but he didn’t say anything after that. Normally, his silence would have been oppressive, but it felt oddly comforting. Safe in ways I didn’t expect to be with him.
I would have given anything for more—for a chance with him—but I could accept this too.
“How did you find me, by the way?” I finally asked.
He really smiled this time. “Kent is surprisingly easy to crack. It’s no wonder he went into the caregiving field. The military would eat him alive.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered.
Creek’s smile widened. “You, on the other hand, would have done amazing.”
I scoffed, then pushed myself back up to stand and offered him a hand up. “Whatever you say, man. But now’s your chance to show me that Army stamina. Because we gotta get you back up that hill before the tide touches the rocks.”
“I’m going to hate myself for this, aren’t I?” he asked, staring dubiously at the trail.
I nodded, then clapped him on the shoulder before bending over to grab my crutches. “More than anything in the world.”
He blinked, then squared his shoulders. “Alright, Point Break, let’s do this.”
I grinned. “After you, Sergeant Grumpy. Show me what you’re workin’ with.”
If I was suffering, I knew Creek had to be flat on his back—though that was an image I was starting to get a little too familiar with. My alone time in the shower usually starred one of my favorite porn stars, but the second I’d squeezed my eyes shut and gripped my dick that morning, a different set of eyes appeared,followed by broad shoulders, a cut jaw, and a mouth always set in a sneer.
