Leo’s face took on the mien of an Abrams tank, bristling with menace. When he stomped past her, there was no ignoring the erection that bobbed heavily between his big thighs. She was staring unabashedly when the side of his heavy fist landed against the door. The resultant sound was that of a cannon shot. She jumped at the same time a yelp sounded in the cabin outside.
“Get lost, suckwad!” Leo bellowed through the wood.
Bran’s chuckle drifted into the bathroom. “Can’t blame a guy for wanting a little vicarious thrill!”
“Pervert!” Leo yelled back.
“From what I hear, it takes one to know one!” Bran’s voice was growing fainter.
Leo opened the door and stuck his head out. “Sorry about that,” he said after he’d slammed it shut again. “In case you didn’t know it, Bran is an asshat and a board-certified idiot.”
And despite beingcompletelyabashed at having gotten caught waxing Leo’s ax—yeah, she finally lightbulbed that one—she heard the undeniable affection in his voice. “But you love him in spite of it.”
He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. And, yes, he was still one hundred percent, holy-shit-would-you-get-a-load-of-that-thing aroused. But if he could ignore the giant cock in the room, so could she. Maybe.Okay, probably not.
“Right,” he said. “Like I love flat beer and tofu burgers.”
She slid him a sidelong glance. “Why do men have such a hard time admitting affection for one another?”
“It’s not so much admittin’ it as talkin’ about it,” he told her.
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “We admit it when we slap each other’s asses, talk shit about each other’s mamas, and give each other colorfully repulsive nicknames. But we’re nottalkin’about it.”
She made a rude noise that caused him to grin and start moving in her direction. Her heart took off like a startled rabbit. Instinctively, she took a step back. Instinctively because, even though he was smiling that Leo smile of his—the one that crinkled the corners of his gorgeous eyes and made his teeth flash white against his tanned face and beard—there was something decidedly predatory about his advance. In fact, she probably would have retreated another step had her butt not bumped up against the bathroom vanity. The cool stone countertop was almost as much of an assault on her senses as Leo’s looming nearness.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked. Yes,squeaked. She seemed to do that a lot around him, and she wasnotthe squeaking kind.
“I’m goin’ to kiss you,” he declared. “What happens after that is anyone’s guess.”
“Oh, I suspect I know what happens after that,” she informed him with a wry twist of her lips. “Which leads me to believe you’re trying to change the subject.”
“Am I that obvious?” He placed a hand on the bathroom counter on either side of her hips, caging her in. His body heat reached out to her, soothing her and at the same time igniting all her nerve endings like she’d doused them in gasoline and his nearness was the match. Then he leaned forward, ever so slowly, until his mouth was a hairsbreadth from hers.
Youwillnotsqueakagain!
“More like completely predictable,” she said breathlessly. He seemed to be taking up not only all the space in the bathroom, but all the air too. “All guys try to find a way to change the subject whenfeelingsare the topic of discussion.”
“Well, far be it for me to be predictable,” he said and grabbed her waist, hoisting her up on the bathroom countertop. Her ass hit the cold stone at the same time he latched on to her pulse point like he was friggin’ Bill Compton fromTrueBlood. See, she wasn’t a complete moron. She gotsomepop-culture references. Though, she’d sooner eat her own combat boots than ever admit toanyonethat she’d been a huge—we’re talkingmajor—TrueBloodfan.
She tried to wiggle away, but he sank his teeth into her throat, a caress and a threat in one. She squeaked.Damnit!“Leo! What if Bran’s outside again?”
“He won’t be,” he assured her, soothing the bite with the flat rasp of his tongue. It made her eyes cross. “He and the rest of the guys have been tryin’ to get the two of us together like this for too long for him to distract us now.”
“Trying to get us together?” she asked, running her hands up his strong arms to grip his shoulders.Holyhell, he really knew how to use his mouth. “Why?”
He kissed his way across her throat to nip at her chin. “Because they know I’ve been pining for you ever since Syria.”
Pining for her. She’d never been pined for before. A thrill of delight radiated from her center out to her limbs. If he’d told her he thought she hung the moon and stars and set the world spinning on its axis, she wouldn’t have been more charmed.
“Sothat’swhat all of those innuendos and all of those veiled looks have been about today,” she said, gasping when he nibbled on her earlobe. There was a part of her—the smart, rational part—that wondered if maybe she should stop things here to save herself from even more heartache, from even moreknowingwhat she’d be missing once he hopped on that floatplane and flew out of her life for good. But the stupid,hornypart of her was doing a fairly decent job of convincing her there was no way to re-break a heart that was already broken, so…yeah.Getyourgrooveon, Mortier!
“Sorry about that. They’re not very subtle. But they love me, so…you know.” He shrugged.
“Wow!” She pulled back, blinking up at him. His eyes were half-lidded and full of heat.
“What?”
