Faithful to a Fault (4 page)

Of course, that might have something to do with her sexual drought. She hadn’t had sex since… Well, it’d been awhile. Did four years count as “awhile”? Or had she moved past “awhile” and straight to “forever”? So maybe her lady parts were just reacting to the excess testosterone in the air and jumbling things up.

Which wasn’t the case. She liked the guy. That much was obvious. But she could put that on the back burner for now. What she really wanted to do was to give her lady parts something to think about for the long months to come. A little sexual snack to tide her over.

But what was up with him playing the emotional Hulky Hero? She was twenty-five, not fifteen, and more than well aware he wasn’t a keeper. But he seemed to think she needed another chance to think things through. To remind herself that he was leaving soon, because he was a Marine and that’s what Marines do.

Ha. If only he knew how aware she was on that front.

God, she was thinking about Trav more and more. There were times she wanted to talk to him so badly she ached. But she wasn’t even sure where he was. He might be in Japan. Or deployed. Or… No, he couldn’t be dead, could he? They’d have notified her, whoever “they” were. Right? But her name was different now. And she never left a forwarding address with anyone.

The thought was more than a little concerning. Maybe she could ask Pete or Tony if there was a way to find out. Just for reassurance. It was a thought she would keep in the back of her mind.

A mind that was currently full to the brim on figuring out how to convince Pete she was mature and worldly enough to understand that a fling was just a fling, not a prison sentence. For God knows what reason, he seemed to think she was designing wedding bands from one kiss. That she wouldn’t get it.

Well, she’d just show him. It didn’t take a genius to see how this would play out. They’d have a steamy affair, her itch would be scratched, and he’d head home. No awkward around-town meet-ups. And thanks to his own practical outlook, he wouldn’t turn into a sobbing mess when he left. Clean, easy break.

She would just make her willingness known and let him make the next move.

Starting to feel flushed, she unwrapped her scarf. Nope, still warm. She reached over and turned the dial on the heater down a notch. But the change in temp did nothing to help her hot skin or increased heart rate.

Well, hell. Of course turning down the heater didn’t help. The giggles took over and she couldn’t stop them. Rolling on her stomach, she laughed into her pillow until she couldn’t breathe any longer.

Who wouldn’t feel slightly flushed at the possibility of a hot week with a sexy Marine?

* * * * *

It was the toughest forty-eight hours of his life.

All right, not the toughest. He couldn’t quite compare waiting two days for Sarah’s answer with the perils of war.

But staying away from Sarah, when he was almost positive the next time he saw her he’d be dragging her off to have his way with her, had been a serious test of restraint.

What was it about this one woman that made him want to try so hard? Not just try to win her in his bed. But try to win her respect and admiration too. Definitely new territory he was trekking through, and it felt about as stable as an IED-riddled convoy line.

So he dragged Tony along to the bar for backup. Which in itself was pathetic, since he hadn’t needed a wingman for years. But he figured this way, if she said no, he wouldn’t be the jackass sitting alone at the bar mooning over some girl who turned him down. Not that Tony had any idea he was being used for anything other than company.

Self-preservation was a golden rule.

Buffalo’s was relatively deserted when they walked in. Of course it was already past typical dinnertime, which was the entire reason he waited until so late. The less people around to witness possible humiliation the better. They grabbed stools on the far side of the bar. A man was working and Pete wondered if he’d gotten the days wrong. Sarah was nowhere to be seen.

“What can I get ya?” the bartender asked.

“Uh, just a pint of whatever from the draft.” If he wasn’t going to see Sarah, at least he could enjoy a beer before heading back to the guesthouse. Tony ordered the same.

After the bartender left their drinks and a bowl of pretzels in front of them, Tony asked, “So are you going to ask her out?”

Pete nearly choked on his beer. Damn, very smooth. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. Obviously I mean Sarah. You stare at her like she’s a gift from God. And she tries to hide it but she wants you too.”

“Yeah?”
Eager, much?
“Yeah. Well, I thought about it. But she’s not here so this trip was a bust.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Tony drawled. He motioned with his glass toward the back of the bar.

Sarah walked through doors carrying a crate of glasses. As she walked toward the front, she called out to the man who had served their beers.

“Thanks for watching the bar for me, Benny. I’ve got it from here.”

“No prob. You’ve got two new guys at seats three and four.”

Sarah glanced their way, smiled and gave a little nod. “Hey you two. Let me put these glasses away and then I’ll come on over.”

“No rush.” Pete held up his still-full pint of beer. “We’re set for a bit.”

She blew stray hair from her face in an exasperated gesture Pete found adorable. “Actually, I have a few more bar chores to finish up so I’m not stuck here all night. Do you guys mind?”

“Go for it,” Tony encouraged. “We’ll let you know if we need a refill.”

“Okay, great. Thanks,” she said with a larger smile.

Pete felt his stomach clutch and took a sip to hide any evidence that she was getting to him. Seriously, was he in high school again? Women didn’t make him feel like this. They didn’t get to him, didn’t make him sweat with nerves or stumble over his own words and thoughts. They didn’t make him second-guess himself.

Except Sarah.

Well, there was a first time for everything. And as he watched her scoot around the bar putting glasses away, wiping down bar equipment and doing a general cleanup, he realized he might be willing to do almost anything to get her in bed for one night.

Not a good sign. Thoughts like that led to thoughts of continuing the relationship. She wasn’t going to follow him to California. That was permanent. Permanent didn’t exist. Not in his world. Not in his experience.

She stooped down to open a cabinet beneath the bar and Tony whistled low. “I gotta say, I have to envy you a little.”

“There’s nothing to envy.” Yet.

Sarah chose that moment to walk over, wiping her hands on a towel. “There. That should get me ahead of the game for closing duties.” Her eyes swept the empty bar. “Looks like you two get my undivided attention for a while. What brings you out tonight?”

“You.” He could play around, make a joke about it. But she didn’t seem the type to want jokes. The positive response to his blatant honesty after he’d walked her home told him the straightforward approach was best.

She flushed a little. “Ah.” The sound came out strangled.

Tony set his empty glass down with a thunk. “I’m gonna hit the head,” he announced pointedly, then left without another word.

“He didn’t have to go,” Sarah said, chewing on her bottom lip.

“That’s Tony. Perceptive as always. So, how’ve you been?”

She took a deep breath, as if preparing for something bad. Shit. Here comes the rejection.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said, how it wasn’t a permanent thing. I kinda realized this might be my one opportunity.”

His stomach flipped and it had nothing to do with the half-finished beer sitting next to his elbow. “One opportunity for what?”

“Um, okay. Forget I said that part.”

Pete leaned across the bar and grabbed her wrist.

“No. No I’m not going to forget anything. Opportunity for what?”

She chewed her lip some more and he wanted to scold her for doing that to something so perfect. Sarah glanced around to make sure they were still alone, then leaned in and spoke in a low voice that wouldn’t carry. “To scratch an itch. Seize the chance.”

He didn’t breathe, didn’t blink for fear of scaring her out of the moment. Luckily she took his silence as encouragement.

“I was thinking that having a hot Marine in my bed would be amazing.”

He took a deep breath and let it out to steady himself before asking, “Are you sure?”

She nodded but didn’t look at him.

“What’s going on?” Tony slid back into his vacated seat and stared at Pete’s hand covering her wrist. “Everything all right?”

Pete let go of Sarah’s wrist like it was on fire. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Sarah! New drink order coming your way!” a server called from the main dining room. She scrambled over to the ticket printer like it was a lifeline. Damn, had he scared her away with his caveman wrist-grab? He hadn’t held on tight, she could have shaken him off at any point. But fear was something he never wanted to inspire in a woman.

“What the hell happened, man?” Tony asked in a low voice.

“She made the first move.” He was still a little surprised that she had. The speech he’d prepared to ease her into the idea drifted from his mind.

Tony sipped his beer and was silent.

“Yeah. Shocked the hell out of me, too,” Pete murmured, reading his friend’s unspoken words.

“Hmm.” Tony nodded toward the bar as Sarah made her way back with an empty tray. She set the tray down but didn’t come over to them. Instead she went back to her detailed cleaning list as if they didn’t exist. “So now what?”

Pete threw down enough money for the drinks and a generous—but not obscene—tip and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off the stool.

“Now we leave.”

“I just got here! I wanted to finish that game, have another beer.”

“You can do that at the pool house,” Pete growled under his breath as he pushed his friend out the front door. “Alone.”

“What are you doing? Where are you going?”

“I’ve got some things to do.”

* * * * *

He left.

An hour ago she’d propositioned a man with a casual, mess-free fling and he’d left. And apparently that was her answer.

No.

It stung more than it should have. A man she’d just met and she would never see again shouldn’t have this much effect on her.

She finished up her closing duties and bundled up tight for the short walk home. That was the good thing about small towns. Walking was possible as long as you were willing to brave the elements. While she wasn’t married to the place—her wandering spirit still wanted to explore, to move, to see—the town and the people in it had been good to her in a serious crisis. She didn’t mind staying for a while, especially while she saved up more cash.

The cold hit her like an icy punch to the face as she left through the back door of the bar. But it wasn’t the temperature that had her sucking in her breath on a surprised gasp.

A man lounged against the exterior of the building. Before she had a chance to figure out whether the man meant her harm, he spoke.

“Finally. Thought I’d have to drag you out of there.”

Pete? She pressed the heel of her hand to her racing heart. “God, give a girl a scare.”

“Sorry. Didn’t think of that.” He eased off the wall and stepped into the weak streetlamp light.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

“Waiting for you,” he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“What for?”

Pete walked toward her. No, not walked. Stalked. A jungle cat with his eye on unsuspecting prey.

“You didn’t think I was going to just forget about you or your proposal, did you?”

“You left.” The words came out mumbled. Her lips were quickly becoming frozen in the wind. “Without saying goodbye.”

Pete leaned over and kissed her. Her lips warmed instantly. But all too soon he pulled away. “I’m sorry about that too. I had to take care of something. But I’m back. And if you’re not too tired to spend the evening in bed…”

Sarah quickly filed through her brain for an appropriate response. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a mental file cabinet labeled “Contingency plan for possible affair” so she just did the first thing that came naturally.

She nodded.

They walked in silence to her apartment, all three blocks of it. Before they took the stairs, she turned and planted her feet, forming a barrier. “What did you have to take care of?”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and gently turned her around to head up. “Supplies.”

Chapter Four

Pete quickly hustled to the space heater and turned it on high. Though she was the one to ask him for this, he still felt as if she needed some space for the moment. Though she played cool well, he could tell her nerves were getting the better of her. She was skittish, jolting slightly every time he touched her. He would need to make sure it was more nerves from anticipation than from fear.