Devon returned and watched Connie walk away before taking his seat. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Just going over some things.” The cabin lights dimmed, and she reclined her seat back until it was almost horizontal. Yup, business class was perky.
Devon flattened his seat and spread a blanket over his legs, kicking off his shoes once he was prone. Adjusting the pillow under his head, he sighed and closed his eyes.
Addison turned on her side, facing Devon. Although short, his eyelashes were thick, a few shades darker than his hair. He hadn’t shaved in a day or two, and thick stubble covered the lower half of his face, giving him a rugged air. This close, she could see a small mole under his right eye.
Why was she fighting her attraction? Yes, the situation sucked. Fat, hairy monkey balls sucked, but that was an excuse. A familiar excuse, if she was honest. She always found a reason not to get involved with a guy. She was deploying soon. She’d just gotten back from deployment. She was coming up on orders. Her job was crazy, and she didn’t have time. If the guy was a civilian, he didn’t understand the military life.
They were all excuses. She dated and hooked up, but never let it go anywhere serious. She’d watched her friends get their hearts broken and convinced herself she was better off single. But why?
Her pulse kicked up a notch, and her stomach rolled with that queasy, nervous feeling she got when she was about to step outside her comfort zone.
“Devon?” she whispered. “Are you asleep?”
“Not yet.” He opened his eyes and turned his head. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said—about getting to know each other.”
He rolled on his side, mirroring her position. “Okay.”
“So where do you want to start?” She needed him to make the next move.
A lazy smile played on his lips. “Have you ever been married?”
She shook her head. “No. You?”
“Briefly, for about three years,” he said.
“What happened?”
“I got orders to Joint Special Operations Command in North Carolina. She didn’t want to leave Virginia.”
Addison frowned. “Didn’t she know that was a possibility?”
“Yes, but apparently she was in denial. She was not…as invested in the relationship as I was. I wanted to make it work. She wanted to stay where she was.”
His voice didn’t hold any hint of longing or regret. More…resignation? Chagrin?
“Nobody since then?”
Devon didn’t answer right away. “Nobody serious.”
His pause made her wonder. Had there been someone he wanted to be serious with?
“What about you?” he asked. “Any serious relationships?”
“Not since college,” she said.
“That long?”
She shrugged. “The timing was never right.”
“What happened with the guy from college?” he asked.
“He was my high school boyfriend. We dated all through college. We were supposed to join the Air Force together, but he got in a car accident six weeks before Officer Training School and had to delay. He asked me to delay as well, but I went anyway. He changed his mind and sent me a Dear Jane letter instead of coming to my graduation.”
“What a dick,” he said.
