Trey: Red, Hot & Blue, Book 1 (10 page)

Chapter Ten

Carly wiped down the bar. She was so happy to be home and back to her life again, she didn’t even care she was tired or that her feet radiated pain every time her sneakers rubbed the blisters on her heels.

Nope. Everything was fine. Good. Back to normal. She’d only grabbed a few hours of restless sleep on the plane, but she’d had to take the shift tonight since no one else was scheduled. That was okay, though. She was back in her own bar where she was the boss and didn’t have to follow anyone else’s rules, and she’d already taken the pill Matt had slipped her.

Things were back to normal. Her usual, boring and predictable life looked pretty damn good after the past few days…until she looked up to see Jack walk through the door.

She held her breath and waited, but Trey was not behind him.

Carly tried to deny the fact her heart had just stopped beating as she forced a smile. “Hi, Jack.”

“Hey, darlin’.” Jack’s glance swept the nearly empty bar as he perched his butt on a bar stool directly in front of her. “Slow day?”

Slow didn’t come close to describing it.

“Yeah, but that’s fine. I’m a little jetlagged.” Knowing she couldn’t tell anyone the truth about her absence, Carly kept her voice low.

She’d told her relief bartender she’d packed a bag and gone out of town to help an old college girlfriend who had an emergency. Since she lived in an apartment above the bar, there’d been no way to avoid someone noticing she was gone.

Pursing his lips, Jack nodded. “I’m kind of glad it’s slow. Not for your business of course, but it will give us a chance to talk.”

Talk? Carly didn’t know if she was ready for this discussion right now. Swallowing hard, she steeled her nerves. “Talk about what?”

“About that maybe you gave me the other night. I’m hoping you’ve decided to turn that maybe into a yes.” His slow, sweet smile was enough to melt any woman’s heart. Any woman who wasn’t fighting it as hard as she was.

“I don’t date military guys, Jack. You know that.”

Maybe she should have that credo made into a sign and hang it behind the bar. If nothing else, it would serve to remind her what happened when she gave in to temptation. How she’d seduced Trey in the darkness only to have him act like it was all a job the next day proved she obviously needed reminding.

“I know that, darlin’, but you forgot about your rule with me the other night. I may have been drunk, but I remember our kiss perfectly and it was really nice. Wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t deny it. It had been nice. Just like Jack was nice and sweet, and kind and funny.

He was just the kind of guy Carly should like, and she did like him in spite of her saying no to all his invitations. She held firm on her rule with Jack, who was so obviously interested in her. Meanwhile, she’d let herself get attached to Trey, who had no interest in her at all.

Even so, the thought of Trey took her breath away and made her heart begin to pound. She’d watched the door for him to come in all day. She craved him like an alcoholic craves a drink. Why? Because he didn’t want her back.

Typical. All of her quoting her rules to any man who asked her out was obviously just crap because she’d gone and let herself get attached to the wrong man yet again.

Damn it. She was going to have to get over Trey because she had meant nothing to him but a part of a mission.

“Darlin’?” Jack touched her hand lightly and brought her attention to the present.

“Sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”

Jack raised his brow. “I see that. You’re not the only one.”

Assuming he was talking about himself being worried about his brother, she lowered her voice. “How is your brother?”

He smiled. “He’s pretty banged up, but he’s alive. You can’t ask for more than that. He’s still in the hospital in Germany, but they should be transporting him home before too long. Thanks for asking.”

She grabbed two beers out of the cooler and popped the tops. She slid one to Jack and kept the other for herself. She needed it after what she’d been through lately. “On me. Here’s to his complete recovery.”

Jack raised his bottle in a toast and then sipped the beer. He played a bit with a bead of sweat running down the glass as he raised his gaze to her. “What’s with the military-men rule, darlin’? Who hurt you?”

Carly looked at him with surprise. This guy was either really perceptive or she was an open book. She had a feeling it was the latter. “Just some asshole.”

He tilted his head. “Some asshole ruined it for all the rest of us? Where is he? I’d like to show him what I think about that.”

She smiled. She hadn’t had someone want to beat anyone up for her in a long time. “Sorry. He’s clear across the country now with his wife and kid.” Maybe kids plural by now for all she knew.

“Well, if you ask me, it’s a damn shame to throw out the whole pie just because the crust got a little burnt.”

Carly laughed. It had been a long time since anyone had made her laugh either.

Jack smiled. “You should laugh more. I like it.”

Contemplating her current situation, Carly took another sip of her beer and let the cold foam slide down her tightened throat. She didn’t date military men, yet here she was, pining over one anyway. Maybe it was a stupid rule. A doctor or a lawyer or a garbage man could hurt her too. Maybe if she hadn’t been living like a nun the last few years, she wouldn’t have been so affected by Trey after just one night in bed with him.

“Okay.”

Jack raised one sandy brow. “Okay what, darlin’?”

“I’ll go out with you.” She had to laugh again because Jack couldn’t have looked more surprised if she had gotten up on the bar and done a striptease. She quickly pushed the thought of her recent striptease out of her mind.

He’d stopped with the beer halfway to his mouth and just gaped at her. She pushed the hand holding the beer down to the bar. “Close your mouth before a bug flies in.”

A smile spread wide across Jack’s face. “When?”

If she was going to do this, then why not make it right away? “I have to work tonight. Is tomorrow night good for you?”

“Hell yeah, tomorrow’s good and even if it wasn’t I’d make it work.” He cocked his head to the side and sobered for a second. “Not that I’m one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what made you change your mind?”

She laughed. “Believe it or not, I think it was the burnt-pie analogy.”

He smiled and raised his beer again. “I’ll remember to thank Mama for that one next time I call.”

A man who loved his mama. Jack couldn’t be more perfect…unless he were Trey.

Trey was experiencing the restlessness he always had after one op ended and another had yet to begin. Only this time it seemed worse. He’d decided to try to sweat the feeling out of him. He and Jack were currently in the middle of a long run. The only problem was it wasn’t working. Now he was both sweaty and restless.

“Hey, Jack. You want to come over to my place tonight and watch the game? Or we can go to the bar if you want.” He’d given Carly her space for a day. That should be enough. Besides, he missed the bar. That’s what he was telling himself anyway.

“Um, actually, I’m busy.”

“Busy? Doing what?” Trey frowned. Jack never gave up an opportunity to go to Carly’s.

Jack stopped running, so Trey stopped too. “She said yes.”

Feeling his eyes pop open wide, he hoped he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. “She said yes? Carly? To your date?”

Wiping the sweat from his face with the hem of his T-shirt, Jack nodded. “Yup. I almost died myself. We’re going out tonight.”

Suddenly sick to his stomach, Trey pressed a hand to his side. He must have run too hard.

Trey was having trouble wrapping his head around this. He had thought he was safe since she’d been saying no to Jack for about two years now. Trey couldn’t date her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her dating anyone else either. He supposed that sounded selfish but really, she’d been with him only two days ago. How could she say yes to a date with Jack only two days after she’d been in his bed?

What was that Jack had said about sharing his filly?

He wiped the sweat from his face, still speechless. He should be congratulating his best friend. This was exactly what Jack had wanted for a long time now. Instead, he paced in a small circle, trying to walk off the sick feeling in his stomach.

“You feeling all right?” Jack watched him with concern, while he was having trouble looking at Jack at all.

“Fine, just a cramp or something. I think I’m done for the day. I better head in.”

“I’ll walk with you. I want to get home anyhow. I’ve got to shower and pick up some flowers before I go get Carly. And I’ve got to get my bed sheets out of the dryer.”

His bed sheets
. Trey bent over, braced his hands on his knees and tried his best not to vomit right there on Jack’s running shoes.

Chapter Eleven

Jack had been the absolutely perfect date. He’d arrived exactly on time. Not too early so she wasn’t ready and not too late so she was afraid she’d been stood up. He’d brought her a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and opened every door and pulled out every chair. He’d chosen just the right restaurant too. Not so expensive she felt obligated to him in any way, but not so cheap she’d think he was stingy either.

So why now, as he walked her to the backdoor of the bar where the entrance to her apartment was, did she fear what was probably going to come next?

Jack stepped in close and raised his hand to her face. He stared deep into her eyes and smiled. “They’re green.”

His comment took her by surprise. “Yeah.”

He frowned a bit. “Hmm. Why have I never noticed that before?”

The memory of how Trey had surprised her by knowing the color of her eyes the day before they left for Kosovo hit her.

Was that really just a few days ago? It seemed more like a year. So much had happened between them. And why was she thinking about Trey?

Damn it. This date was so she could move on and forget him. Although, if that was really the case, she probably shouldn’t have picked his best friend to forget him with. She looked up at Jack. What the hell was she doing?

He lowered his head a bit. “Carly, can I kiss you?”

Her heart rate sped with nervous energy as she nodded. Jack lowered his mouth to hers and pressed his lips softly to hers. He was a good kisser, both sober and drunk.

His gentle, almost chaste kisses lulled her into a sense of security. This was fine. Pleasant actually. She could do this. She could like Jack. Though why the hell was she thinking so much? She didn’t remember being able to think at all the first time Trey had kissed her, or the second, for that matter.

Jack stepped even closer, his leg between hers now. He wrapped his big hands around her head and tangled them in her hair. As he kissed her harder, his lips parted and his tongue sought hers. She stiffened at first but forced herself to relax, allowing him to kiss her the way he wanted.

Then he broke away and leaned his forehead against hers with a short laugh. “You’re not doing such a good job, darlin’.”

“Huh?”

“Of pretending you like me. You’re trying, but you’re not really here with me, are you?”

She shook her head. “Jack—”

“Shhh. It’s all right.” He placed one finger across her lips to silence her. “I don’t blame you. If I was a woman, hell, I’d be in love with him too.”

He was talking about Trey. How did he know? She shook her head again to deny it, but then the tears started and there was nothing she could do about it. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, darlin’.” He wrapped her in his arms and rubbed her back. “Let’s go upstairs. You put on your favorite pj’s, I’ll tuck you on the couch under a nice blanket and then I’ll make you some tea. We’ll talk about you and him and what we’re gonna do about it.”

Through her tears she grabbed onto the one topic that wouldn’t make her cry harder. “You know how to make tea?”

Jack smiled and took the keys out of her hand. “Darlin’, I’m Southern. We invented tea, or was that the mint julep?”

Across the parking lot in his truck with the lights turned off, Trey watched Jack kiss Carly then lead her up the stairs to what he assumed was her apartment. The fact he was basically stalking them made him realize he was a sick, sick man, both mentally and now physically too. He watched the light go on first in what looked like a living room and then in her bedroom, before she closed the blinds.

He closed his eyes and banged his head against the steering wheel. What the hell was he going to do? Jack and Carly were up there together doing who knew what. Actually, that wasn’t true. Trey knew what.

They were doing what he should be doing with her right now. What they’d done together in Kosovo. What they could be doing together right now if he hadn’t acted like a stubborn ass and pretended their time together meant nothing more to him than a mission.

After a few more bangs of his forehead, he left his head resting there against the truck’s steering wheel.

Feeling miserable and exhausted, he must have dozed off in the darkness. He awoke with a start to the sound of someone knocking on his truck window. Groaning, he saw it was Jack staring at him through the glass. He was so busted. How was he going to explain this?

Trey rolled down the window with what he was sure was a very guilty look on his face. “Hi.”

Jack shook his head and laughed. “You two stubborn fools are just incredible.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You and Carly, that’s what. You’re in love with her and either too stupid to realize it or too stubborn to admit it.”

Trey sat there, chastised, and let Jack call him both stupid and stubborn. What could he say? It was true. He glanced at the clock. They’d been in her apartment for nearly two hours. What did it matter? Even if he did admit his feelings, to himself and to her, it was too late now.

Folding his arms, Jack twisted his lips into a scowl. “Well? At least admit I’m right.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. I really am happy for you two. I know you care about her and you’ll be good to her. She deserves a nice guy like you.”

Jack shook his head. “Get out of the truck.”

Obviously Jack was going to hit him again. That was all right. He deserved it. Getting out, he braced himself for the blow.

“Get up those stairs, you fool.” Holding the door open for him, Jack pointed toward the entrance to Carly’s.

Trey shook his head. “I don’t… Why?”

“Because she doesn’t want me, Einstein. She wants you. She always has.”

Trey swallowed hard and saw a ray of hope for the first time since Jack had told him about his date with Carly. “You and she… You didn’t…”

“No. Even if she hadn’t been bawling her eyes out over you, I still wasn’t going to sleep with her tonight. It’s our first date, plus it’s only two nights after she’d been with you. That’s not how I roll, Trey. You know that.”

Still in shock, he managed a nod. “I know.”

Jack continued. “Besides, when she’s kissing me, I know she’s thinking about kissing you. I’m not willing to be anyone’s second choice.”

God, Jack really was a nice guy. “But you said you were falling in love with her. You were talking about marriage.”

He shrugged. “Hey, I’m a lover. What can I say? I fell in love with every girl on the pep squad in high school too. I’ll get over her, but you better treat her right or so help me God—”

“You’ll punch me again?” Trey gingerly touched his bruised chin.

“Yeah, only this time maybe I’ll actually knock you down.” Jack laughed and then got serious again. “You deserve her more than I do, you know.”

Trey shook his head. “I doubt it. Why would you say that?”

“She told me how that day, when I didn’t know the color of her eyes, you knew. I guess I was always too busy looking at other things.”

To be perfectly honest, Trey himself had looked at those other things too.

Jack grabbed him in a hug and then shoved him toward Carly’s door. “Now hurry before she falls asleep. Poor thing’s all plum tuckered out from crying over you.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Slamming the driver’s side door, Trey realized he’d left the key in the ignition and the truck unlocked. Not caring, he ran across the parking lot.

After sprinting up the stairs two at a time, he was faced with Carly’s door. Steeling his nerves, he knocked.

“Did you forget something, Jack?” She opened the door, looking just as Jack had described her, plum tuckered out with eyes red from crying over him. And he had never been so happy to see her.

“Hi.”

Her eyes opened wider at the sight of Trey standing at her door rather than Jack. “Um, hi.”

Suddenly Trey felt like a shy schoolboy who didn’t know what to say to a girl. “Can I come in?”

Carly backed up enough for him to step through the doorway. Once inside, he couldn’t wait anymore. He just spilled it all.

“Jack says you’re in love with me. Is it true?” She looked horrified, so he rushed on. “Because I really hope it is true. Carly, I’m so in love with you it hurts to breathe.”

Her face crumbled as she started to cry and flung herself at him at the same time. Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face in her hair.

“Is this a yes?” He mentally crossed his fingers, hoping, until she nodded against his chest.

Relieved beyond all comprehension, Trey pulled far enough away to capture her mouth with his. She returned his kiss with the intensity of a drowning woman looking for oxygen.

When he finally had to stop for air, she laughed tearfully. “That’s what a kiss is supposed to feel like.”

Confused, Trey frowned. “I agree with you. Why? Was there ever any question about that?”

Carly shook her head and touched his face. “No, not really.”