Command and Control (2 page)

“I’ll apologize when I return,” he said quietly and then lifted his shot glass, gesturing again to Evan for another.

From the corner of his eye, Trevor could see his brother watching him with a frown.

“Everyone’s still up at the house, Trev. Nobody’s left yet. They sent me looking for you since you’re not answering your phone.”

“Turned it off. I’m not good company right now.” He nodded his thanks to Evan as the man refilled his shot of whiskey.

“Yeah? Well, you haven’t been good company for a while now, bro. Think it’s fair to keep letting them down?”

He let everyone down. His family. Megan. His soldiers… Trevor’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile as he lifted the glass and downed the contents.

“I don’t know what the fuck is fair anymore, Tyson,” he finally muttered.

Tyson ate the peanut and sighed. “Talk to us, Trevor. We want to help you.”

Trevor stood and pulled his wallet from the back of his jeans. He tugged a twenty out and tossed it on the bar counter.

“I’m beyond help. Tell the parents I’m sorry and I’ll be back later.”

Turning on his heel, he strode from the bar, stepping out into the end-of-summer sunshine that had his eyes blinking to adjust.

The town was small enough that nearly all the businesses were strewn around Main Street. His gaze moved down a few shops to Kate’s Cakes, searching the curb next to it, even knowing the red convertible left over a half hour ago.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

Trevor hadn’t heard his brother approach again, but then Tyson had always had a quiet way about him.

“You had every right to.” He paused and then glanced at Tyson. “I saw Megan this morning.”

Understanding dawned in his brother’s blue eyes and he gave a sage nod.

“How’d that go?”

“Not well.” Trevor rubbed a hand over the back of his closely shaved head. “She’s seeing someone I guess.”

“That’s the word going round.”

The weight in his gut doubled and Trevor’s jaw flexed. He didn’t want to think of Megan with anyone else, especially some prick named Henry.

“Don’t think it’s very serious though, Trev,” Tyson said quietly. “In fact, I’m wagering she still has feelings for you. Get your shit together, bro, and try and get her back.”

Get her back? How many times had he thought about the idea? Told himself to swallow his god damn pride and admit he was a fuck-up. But the truth of it was, as much as he wanted her back, he knew he didn’t deserve her. Megan deserved to be put on a pedestal and damn near worshipped. The woman was smart as hell, sexy, determined…any man who’d ever had her would be an idiot to have let her go. So that put him at the top of the idiot list. He’d not only had her, but he’d been months away from making her his wife. And still, he’d let her slip right through his fingers.

“It’s too late for us,” Trevor said tonelessly. “I messed it all up.”

“Why not try? You have a week and a half, Trevor. Ten days to try and make things right before your leave is up and Uncle Sam gets you back. If you can return to Fort Lewis and not regret not trying to fight for Megan, then by all means, walk away.”

Walk away.
His stomach knotted and he bit back a sigh. He’d already let Megan do that a year ago when he’d pretty much pushed her into calling off the engagement.

It should have been him and Megan getting married right now; instead it was his little brother and the woman he’d proposed to after knowing her only a couple of weeks. A twinge of jealousy slid through him at the undeniable love and happiness Tyson and Ellie shared.

But not everyone was guaranteed happiness in life. It certainly wasn’t in
his
destiny. It should’ve been enough that he was alive. There were a lot of people who weren’t as blessed…

“Think about what I said, and let me drive you back to our parents’ place, Trev,” Tyson offered, pulling his keys from his jean pocket. “We need you. And whether you want to admit it or not, you need us.”

Trevor glanced away, looking out at the Pacific Ocean peeking between the buildings at the end of the road. He rubbed his shoulder unconsciously. Part of him wanted to just walk away and be alone, but then another part of him—smaller, yet determined—knew he’d already been alone far too long.

With a short nod, Trevor followed his little brother back to his car.

Megan refilled her coffee cup with hands that weren’t quite steady and cursed Trevor Wyatt for the fifth time that morning.

It was his fault she’d tossed and turned all night, so it was his fault there were dark circles under her eyes and her head felt like it was full of cotton. Fortunately a little cover-up helped the eyes, and the two pots of coffee were almost keeping her awake.

She sighed and crossed the floor of her office to peek out the window. Main Street was just a few blocks to the right and up the hill to the left was the road that led to the Wyatts’ home.

Her pulse quickened and she bit her lower lip, shaking her head. She needed to get over this. Get used to being around Trevor again—at least for the next week. Because he was going to be very much involved with all the little details of the wedding, seeing as Tyson had made him best man and she was the maid of honor.

“Shit.” Her hands clenched around the mug in her hand and she pressed her lips tightly together to try and stop the flood of emotions threatening.

He hadn’t touched her yesterday, but when he’d stood so close, staring down at her, the need and possessiveness in his gaze had ripped her ability to breathe away.

It had been all she could do not to want to press herself up against him and wind her arms around his neck. To lift her mouth to his for the kiss her body and heart craved.

But sex with Trevor was a bad idea. Maybe if she wasn’t in love with the man and she could look at it as
just sex
it would be okay. But this wasn’t some random guy she’d dated for a few months; this was Trevor, the man she should have married.

The office phone rang, snapping her thoughts back to work. She returned to her desk and lifted the receiver.

“This is Megan Asher.”

“Meg, how are you?”

Henry.
She bit back a sigh, recognizing the man she’d been dating for almost a month now.

“Hello, Henry. I’m all right. How are you?”

“Great. Was just checking to see if we were still on for dinner tonight?”

The bell above the office door jingled as someone entered the building.

“Dinner? I—”

Her mind went blank as Trevor closed the door behind him and crossed the room in a couple easy strides, before furling his tall body into the chair in front of her desk.

“Meg? You still there?”

“I’m…yes,” she said huskily, her gaze locked with Trevor’s darker one. “Dinner.”

“So that’s a yes?” Henry asked, confusion entering his tone.

Trevor’s mouth curved into a slight smile, but there was no humor in his eyes.

“Henry, let me call you back in a few minutes.” She replaced the receiver before he could answer.

Leaning back in her chair, Megan crossed one leg over another and watched Trevor calmly. Even if her heart was racing a mile a minute, she prided herself on her control. Her ability not to react. Having the upper hand was not just a benefit for her, it was a requirement.

“Trevor,” she finally greeted cordially. “How can I help you?”

“Now there’s a loaded question, angel,” he said softly as his gaze slid over her, lingering on the silk camisole beneath her open blazer that hugged her breasts. “I’ve got a few ideas on just exactly how you could help me.”

Chapter Three

Megan’s breath hitched at his not-so-subtle implication. Her breasts swelled beneath his gaze and a liquid heat seared through her body and gathered heavy between her legs.

Keep the control, Megan. You can’t let him see how much he affects you still.

“Perhaps you could be more specific?” She arched a brow. “And if this is legal advice, you realize I have a fee.”

He laughed, the deep, sexy sound sending a wave of shivers down her back.

“I’m not here for legal advice, Megan.”

“No? Then what are you here for? Because, in case you haven’t noticed, Trevor, I’m working. And I can’t spend my time—”

“Planning dates with a guy named Henry?”

So he’d heard that? A flush worked its way up her neck, but she kept her expression impassive.

“Why are you here, Trevor?” she asked again.

“You’ll have to tell him no.”

Megan stilled. “Excuse me?”

“Henry boy. You’ll have to tell him that you can’t have dinner with him tonight.”

This time she let out a slow, throaty laugh that had his eyes darkening further.

“And why is that?” she asked.

“Because you’re having dinner with me.”

The hell she was. Megan let the smile on her face become a bit sympathetic.

“I find it best not to go to dinner with my exes,” she murmured and pushed back her chair to stand. “Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“Because there’s so many of them? Exes?” Trevor asked, standing as well and blocking her escape from where she’d been about to slip past him. “We were together for two years and before that, I remember you saying there was no one serious.”

Annoyance sparked in her belly and it pricked her to realize she probably wasn’t hiding it from her eyes now. “This is all a bit irrelevant, Trevor. I’m not having dinner with you.”

He slowly made his way around her desk, and she took a few steps backward, her pulse quickening and her mouth going dry.

“Come on, angel, just admit it,” he said softly, advancing upon her. “The idea of dinner with Henry does nothing for you.”

“Henry happens to be a very nice man,” she said quickly, her back literally against the wall now.

Oh God, if he came any closer—and there, damn it he did! Their knees were nearly bumping now. She drew in a sharp breath, but it only filled her head with the scent of him. His shampoo and soap that was painfully familiar. The faint hint of his cologne. Megan had the urge to nuzzle his neck, to flick her tongue and see if he still tasted the same.

You’re crazy, Megan, get it together.

“Tell me about this Henry guy,” he commanded softly, his gaze sliding over her face, searching her eyes. “Does he wear starched suits and bowties?”

“Actually, he doesn’t.” They were just regular ties.

Her heart thumped wildly against her rib cage and the proximity of his body to hers had every tiny hair on the back of her neck lifting up in awareness. Why oh why didn’t she share an office with anyone? Most of her days were spent on the phone with clients, answering e-mails or doing paperwork, but very rarely did anyone come in.

She was alone with Trevor unless she forced him to leave. And right now—though her brain was screaming at her to throw him out on his cocky ass—her body was begging him to stay. To stop just looking at her and to touch her. Because she missed him so much. She missed being held in his arms and kissing him. Touching him. Talking…though the talking had ended long before the kissing had.

Every muscle in her body was coiled with tension. With need.

“I’ve always loved you like this, Megan.” He reached out and traced the lapel of her blazer. “But you know that, don’t you? All prim and proper in your trim little suits.”

“Trevor—”

“Nobody could possibly know by looking at you just what a little animal you are in bed,” he muttered thickly, his fingers gliding back up her lapel and then inward, to trace the neckline of her silk camisole. “How when you come hard you can scar up a man’s back with those claws of yours.”

His words had her biting back a throaty moan. Even as her nipples tightened and dampness gathered in her panties. She could see it in her head. Could almost feel his cock pounding into her again as the weight of his body pinned hers to the bed.

No, sex won’t fix anything.

“Remember that time when we first started dating, when I fucked you in this office?” he asked. “When I bent you over that desk right over there, lifted your skirt, pushed those tiny panties you love to wear aside and just took you?”

Her sex clenched with an ache to be filled, because she did remember. But she shook her head, trying to make him stop verbalizing such a sensual memory.

“Remember how you begged me, angel?” He smiled. “’Cause I sure do.”

“Please…”

“Does Henry make you feel like this? Does he know that kissing the small of your back makes you whimper like a bitch in heat?” His voice dropped an octave as his finger dipped under the neckline of her top to caress the swell of her breasts.

Push him away. Tell him to stop
. But she couldn’t. Didn’t want to.

“Or when he’s sucking on your tits, are you biting your tongue not to call out my name?”

“Trevor,” she pleaded huskily, arching into his touch.

“Yeah. Just like that.” And then his head descended, his mouth slanting across hers.

Megan couldn’t have resisted even if she’d wanted to. She cried out as his lips plundered her, as his tongue thrust fiercely against hers as if to remind her just who was kissing her. As if she could ever, ever forget.

Trevor gathered her close, his hands sliding up her back to jerk her hard against him. Jesus, he’d missed this. Missed her. The feel of Megan in his arms. Her breasts pressed hard against him and the throaty moans coming from the back of her throat. It’d been over a year since he’d touched her like this. An entire fucking year.

Her hands slid up the back of his neck, over his closely shaved head and triumph surged through him. He wanted to wipe out any thought of another man from her mind, shake the visual from his own head of anyone but him touching her.

Damn it, Megan was his. How had he ever been stupid enough to let her walk away? To give up on this? To give up on them?

With a growl low in his throat, he deepened the kiss, tasting her thoroughly. Unable to get enough of her, Trevor slid his hands over her hips and pulled them flush together, loving the softness of her belly against his cock.

And then it wasn’t enough. He needed to touch her everywhere. Feel the most intimate part of her that couldn’t lie about how much she wanted him.