“Normally, yes, but five days’ of manly man-smell is a little much.”
He grinned before kissing her quickly. “I can fix that for you.”
“Thanks. Dinner’ll be ready to go when you get out.” She pulled out of his arms and slipped through the bedroom door.
Denise pulled the food out of the warmer and had already set plates on the table.
“We’re eating in the dining room?” Bree asked.
“Sure. Why not?” Denise shrugged.
Bree grabbed silverware out of the drawer. “When was the last time we ate at the table?”
“A couple of Thanksgivings ago?”
“Oh, yeah. Wasn’t that the one where your date—”
“Let’s not go there again.”
A deep male chuckle came from the direction of the hall as Chris joined them. “Glad to hear I’m not the only one that has awkward holiday dinners. Is it okay if I leave my bag in the foyer?”
“Sure. Make yourself at home,” Bree said. He rejoined them and sat at the kitchen counter.
“Beer? Water? Tea?” Denise asked.
“I’ll take a beer, thanks.”
Denise took a bottle out of the fridge and popped the top, setting the bottle on the counter. “Bottle good, or do you want a glass?”
“Bottle’s good.”
“How do you and Jase know each other?” Bree asked.
“We were in the same platoon. How do you two know each other?”
She poured the rice into a large serving bowl. “Pretty much the same way. We were deployed together a couple of times.”
“Army?”
“She was.” Bree tilted her head toward Denise. “I made better life decisions and joined the Air Force.”
Denise waved a serving spoon at her. “And yet you still ended up serving with the Army.”
“Withthe Army, notinthe Army. Big difference.”
“I take it this isn’t a new argument,” Chris said.
“We’ve had it a few times.” Denise smiled and bumped Bree’s hip. Bree bumped her back.
Jase came into the kitchen, rubbing his belly. “I’m starving”
Chris ran his hand up and down his beer bottle. “Well, if you hadn’t taken the time to rub one out in the shower, we’d be eating already.”
Bree’s eyes widened. “Oh my god.”
“Jackass.” Jase tapped the back of Chris’s head as he gave him a death glare.
Denise shook her head a few times. “Not an image I needed in my head. Thankfully, I don’t have a weak stomach. Let’s eat so we can watch hot guys blow shit up.”
