Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“I’m not squirming,” I protested as Ezra disappeared into the bedroom, making sure to drag my eyes away from his back, away from the memory of how all those acres of bare skin felt under my hands and lips. “I spent years in locker rooms and in the field. Bodies don’t bother me.”
Liar. Ezra’s did. Bothered me on a fundamental level like a pebble in a boot on a twenty-mile hike. There was absolutely no ignoring his body, but no way could I confess that to Kate. I needed her and everyone else to assume I was indifferent to Ezra’s charms.
“Lord.” Meandering to the food table, Kate fanned herself with a croissant. “A whole platoon of ripped SEALs changing together? Maybe some mutual back soaping? There’s undoubtedly a market for that video.”
“Kate.” Carrying a pair of jeans, Ezra returned in a blue T-shirt advertising a classic soda. “Now who’s making him uncomfortable?”
“What? I didn’t say I was the target audience. Ripped and dripping with testosterone is more your speed.” Kate laughed before turning toward me. “But sorry, Duncan. I don’t even know your deal. I didn’t mean to imply anything with the SEAL-on-SEAL crack.”
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t ever fool around with a subordinate, but I wasn’t insulted.” God, I hoped she was busy enough with her food to not notice my inevitable blush. I’d never so much as flirted with an underling, and before yesterday, I would have said I’d rather lose a toe than sleep with a client. But apparently, even I wasn’t immune to temptation, and I felt like a lying hypocrite, claiming some code of honor I couldn’t follow.
“See? Duncan got my joke.” Blessedly, Kate returned to Ezra’s side, making a hurry-up gesture as he pulled on his jeans. “Buses are waiting. Find your shoes and grab some food to go. One of the drivers texted a few minutes ago that people are starting to board. Onward to Chicago.”
I opened my mouth to tell Ezra his shoes were in the closet where I’d put them after he discarded them on the way to his bath the night before, but I slammed my jaw shut before giving myself away. My spine stiffened with the near disaster, and I stood at something approaching attention as Ezra finished dressing and Kate collected some food for him.
“I’m ready.” Ezra dragged his bag into the living area, and I scooped it up, quickly adding Kate’s large laptop tote to my armload to not look like I was giving Ezra special treatment.
“I’ll get the bags.” Stopping to glance around for overlooked items, I then followed them out of the suite.
“I like you.” Kate patted my biceps before pushing the button for the elevator.
“Me too.” Ezra grinned, a little too wide for my comfort. God, he was possibly even worse at clandestine than me. He’d have half the band guessing what we were up to if he didn’t watch it, and I carefully distanced myself from him as we loaded up the buses, choosing to help the drivers with luggage and grabbing a seat in the rear lounge where several bleary-eyed band members were eating breakfast and watching some reality thing involving competing bridesmaids.
I accepted an offer of coffee but added a protein bar from my stash rather than one of the pastries the others were enjoying. The show was truly awful, but I gamely tried to follow along until Ezra plopped down next to me. There wasn’t quite enough room on the narrow built-in couch, which put him precariously close to being in my lap. Our thighs and shoulders were tightly pressed together, him grinning, me about to die from the electricity sparking everywhere we touched.
“Geez, Carl. Get better taste in TV, man.” Ezra laughed.
“No one’s paying you to watch it.” Carl waved dismissively in our direction. He looked like he’d slept in his clothes, and there was a good chance he had. “Isn’t that why all the bunks are wired? Go watch that rubbernecking accident show of yours.”
“Excellent idea.” Ezra bounced like he’d wanted exactly that response, putting me on edge even before he turned toward me. “Wanna watch an episode of ou—my show?”
“I shouldn’t,” I whispered in a low voice, praying no one else had noticed how he’d nearly said our and hating how my body had thrilled while my brain went on red alert. I couldn’t afford to be anything other than professional right now. “And you need to be more careful.”
Ezra’s gorgeous face creased with a deep frown. “We can be friends, Lieutenant.”
Fuck. I’d hurt him. I opened my mouth. Closed it. There were thousands of things I wanted to say, impossible, private things, and more than that, I ached to touch him, stroke the back of his neck or rub his knee. Make it right.
But before I could figure out a reply, Ezra huffed out a breath and hefted himself to his feet. “Whatever. I’ll watch alone.”