Page 13 of Protect and Serve

Heat sluiced through her at his question, at his tone. “What?”

“That’s what you told Dustin.”

Oh. Right. She forced a smile. “Yeah, well, there might be a guy I’m seeing.”

“Really? What’s his name?”

She stared at him. His name? Um… “Mark.”

“Hmm. Nice name. And what does Mark do for a living?”

Hell, she didn’t know. “Why do you ask?”

He met her gaze and something simmered between them. “Because I’m curious.”

Mark, Mark, Mark. What would a guy named Mark do for a living? “He’s a space pilot.”

Charlie’s eyes opened wide. “Wow. A space pilot.”

“Mmm hmm. In space.” She waggled a hand in the vague direction of the Crab Nebula.

“Pretty interesting work.”

“If you can get it. It’s kind of an elite thing.”

“I can imagine.”

Dustin brought his beer and Charlie took a sip.

“I suppose he spends a lot of time away.”

Claire nodded like a bobblehead doll. “Oodles.”

“And a girl like you…”

She narrowed her eyes. “A girl like me?”

“Gets lonely.”

“Hey now,” Dustin said. Apparently he’d never left. Claire hadn’t noticed because she’d been swimming in an ocean of cerulean.

“I beg your pardon?” Charlie said, pinning Dustin with an intimidating look.

Dustin’s lips worked. “Are you hitting on Claire?”

“Of course not.” His expression was a little too innocent. “She has a boyfriend.”

There was no call for Dustin to glower at her like that. As though she’d betrayed him. They’d broken up years ago.

She nodded. “He’s from out of town.”

“He’d have to be,” Dustin muttered. “Or I’d know him. Where did you meet him?”

Oh holy crap. What was this? The Spanish Boyfriend Inquisition? And these guys weren’t even her brothers. She huffed a sigh and even worked up a tear. “I don’t want to talk about him,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “I miss him so much.”

“Aw. Look at that,” Charlie said to Dustin. “You made her cry.”

“I didn’t mean to make her cry. I was just asking—”