“I made a concession for Josie. She’s just so lonely with you overseas.”
Chad’s nostrils flared and his blue eyes narrowed dangerously. “Not funny, assmunch. First, I know Josie would never cheat on me, especially not with a twerp like you. Second, I talked to her ten minutes ago. And third, you can’t keep a straight face when you lie. But I’m still going to hit you really hard the next time I see you, so consider wearing a mouth guard.”
“Any idea when that will be?”
“Can you keep a secret?” he asked.
“Probably not.”
“Well then, I’ll just say sooner than we thought.” Chad smiled.
“How soon?”
“I’m not telling you because you’ll ruin the surprise for everyone.”
“Six weeks?” Owen said hopefully.
“I’m not telling you.”
“I can keep a secret.”
“Yeah, like the time I told you not to tell Josephine Tulane that I had a crush on her.”
“And now she wants to marry you, so that worked out horribly, didn’t it?”
Chad grinned. “I told you because you’re predictable and I knew you couldn’t keep a secret.”
Owen had always wondered if Chad had told him about his feeling for Josie so he would break the ice. Josie had been the new girl in Owen’s senior class and Chad had already graduated, so Mr. Love-at-First-Sight didn’t have the opportunity to interact with Josie much. “You suck.”
“So who’s the woman in your shower?”
“Some hot chick I picked up at a sex club.”
“You’re still going to those things?”
“Maybe I’ll stop. If Caitlyn turns out to be someone special to me.”
“For your sake, I hope she does. Sex with a woman you love is amazing.”
“Better than sex with two women who take turns blowing you?”
Chad closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and laughed. “You’ll have to tell me, little brother. I’ve never had two women take turns blowing me.”
“It pretty much rocks.”
“So are you going to get me a backstage pass to one of your shows when I come home?”
“That depends,” Owen said.
“On what?”
“Our current tour ends in September. Should I reserve a pass for you before then?” Owen hoped his brother would fall for his attempt to milk him for information.
“Yeah, you probably should.”
“A couple of months before then?”
“Probably.”
“Yes! Are you just returning on leave or—”
“Don’t you watch the news? They’re starting to pull troops out of here.”
“No, I don’t watch the news. It’s too depressing.”
“Still living in your insular world. I’d think with as much as you travel around, you’d be a more well-rounded individual.”
“Screw you.”
Chad chuckled.
“I had dinner with Mom and Dad night before last and neither of them said anything about the possibility of you coming home soon.”
“I don’t want anyone to know. I want to show up unannounced and surprise them. So you keep your big mouth shut, got it?”
“Yeah. But I am going to tell Kelly.”
Chad rolled his eyes. “That’s a given. At least he can keep a secret. Unlike you.”
The bathroom door opened and a puff of steam preceded the sexiest woman ever to wear a hotel towel.
“What are you looking at?” Chad asked. “Pick your jaw up off the floor, bro.”
Owen switched cameras to the one on the back of his phone to give Chad a glimpse of what he was looking at and then switched back.
“Well, I see why you’re not bored.” Chad laughed. “I’ve got to go. I’m over my time limit already. Promise you won’t say anything to the folks back home.”
“I promise.”
“Take care of yourself, Owen.”
“Stay safe, Sergeant Mitchell.”
Chad saluted with two fingers. The screen went dark. Damn, those calls always went fast.
Caitlyn crossed the room to sit on the arm of the sofa next to him. She propped one foot on the coffee table, and her towel shifted enough that the delights between her legs were barely concealed.
“Is your brother well?”
Owen grinned. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but they’re sending him home soon.” He really couldn’t keep a secret.
“That’s great,” she said. A smile widened across her face and her eyes lit up. “You must be excited. And relieved.”
“I won’t be completely relieved until he’s home safe in his own bed, but yeah, it’s the best news I’ve heard in months.”
“I came out here with the intention of showing you my underdeveloped gag reflex, but I know for sure I can’t top your brother’s good news, so I guess…”
She started to rise from the sofa arm, but he grabbed her and tugged her onto his lap before she could get away.
“How come you haven’t mentioned this limited gag reflex before? And please, God, is it what I think it is?”
She smiled coyly. “A lady can’t reveal all her secrets in a single night.”
“Which is why you’ll be staying with me tonight as well.”
“I will?”
“But just in case I do something to f**k this up before tonight, you’d better show me what you mean.”
“On one condition,” she said.
He was pretty sure that no matter what condition she made, he’d agree to it.
“Name it.”
“Take out the barbell in your piercing. I wouldn’t want it to get stuck in my throat.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think that’ll happen, but if you’re concerned, I’ll take it out.”
She squirmed off his lap, pushed the coffee table away from the sofa, and knelt on the floor before him. Her hands gripped his thighs just above his knees and tugged his legs apart. Then Caitlyn blessed him with the most devious smile he’d ever seen. His heart suddenly thudded a rapid beat Heat and lust flooded his groin. Oh God, he was about to have the treat of his life.
Her hands slid up his thighs to his hips and then moved to unfasten the button of his jeans. She didn’t take her eyes off his while she unbuttoned his pants and slowly lowered the zipper.
He’d gone for a workout in the hotel’s gym while she’d been sleeping that morning, so his muscles were still tight. He appreciated every crunch he’d forced himself to do when her hands slid up his belly, bumping up over the six-pack he worked so hard to maintain. His chest, shoulders, and arms were treated to the same exploratory touch of her warm, soft hands.