Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“I notice you didn’t answer the question.”
“Code reds were a Marine thing, but the army had something called blanket parties, and trust me, they’re not as fun as they sound. If a soldier did something wrong or pissed off a CO, you can guarantee they’d be staring down an ambush from others in their unit. But the practice was stopped before I left the military. To do something like that now would be career suicide. Like I said, the military is getting better, but like society in general, there’s a lot that could be worked on.”
“Did you … I mean, were you ever …”
Trav doesn’t answer, but he nods. It’s so subtle I almost miss it.
I might not like what he’s involved in now, and I might secretly love his flirtations while publicly despising them, but he’s a man who has been through a lot. That deserves respect.
I have no doubt being in the military back then would’ve been difficult for anyone, let alone a gay man. Just the thought of them hurting him makes me both incredibly protective and sympathetic toward Trav.
“Uh-oh,” he says.
“What?” I look at his computer screen to see what he’s talking about, but he laughs.
“You actually looked like you were feeling sorry for me there.” He mock gasps. “Is it already happening? Are you already falling for me?”
Ugh. “Why do you insist on ruining moments where I begin to think I’m wrong about you? Was that whole military spiel bullshit?”
He holds up his hands. “It’s completely true. But I’m not after your sympathy. Understanding, maybe. The realization that I’m not the worst person in the world.”
“You’re far from that,” I say despite myself. “But you have to quit it with the whole soul mates, flirting … thing.”
“But it’s so fun,” he whines. Legit, whiney high-pitched voice and everything.
“Way to be an adult.”
“Adulting is overrated.”
“You’re supposed to be older than me.”
He waves me off. “Age is just a number.”
“Clearly.”
“You should get some sleep,” Trav says.
“You think I’ll be able to sleep? Are you one of those psychos who sleeps through chaos?”
“My whole life is chaos. And apparently if you don’t sleep ever, you die. So … want me to tuck you in?”
“Fuck you.”
“I love it when you talk dirty. I prefer to call it making love, but I have to admit, asking to fuck me like that is kinda hot too.”
I groan.
“Seriously, though. Go lie down. I promise to wake you if I find anything that will help.”
I should try to get out of my head for a while. I won’t be asleep long. Only long enough to be reenergized. “Fine,” I relent.
Exhaustion claims me almost immediately, as if giving in made my body let go. I barely make it over to the bed and strip off my shirt before I fall facedown onto the pillow that smells like Trav.
“Want me to take my laptop into the living room so you can’t hear me typing?”
Before I can stop myself, I blurt, “Could you stay?”
He doesn’t even call me on it. No jokes. No teasing. Trav just smiles and says, “Of course.”
And that’s how I drift off to sleep—with his smile on my mind and his soothing voice in my ears. I don’t expect it to last, though.
But when I wake however long later, light streams in the windows, and Trav stands at the door holding a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and a mug of coffee for me.
“How long was I out?”
“You got about six hours. If you count the first two hours of you tossing and turning anyway. I finally went to sleep when you’d stopped fighting it like a toddler.” He places my breakfast on the bedside table, and that’s when I notice one of those military, one-man cots next to the bed.
“You stayed in here?”
“You asked me to stay, and I didn’t want you to wake up with me gone in case you freaked out.”
“You didn’t need to—”
“I know. But I wanted to.” His words linger in the air, and he’s looking at me without even a hint of amusement glimmering in his eyes. There’s only sympathy and support. “Eat up. I have an idea for what we can do today.”
For the first time since knowing Trav, I turn the conversation to a lighter note. I have to. For my heart’s sake. “If it’s have sex, I’m going to have to say no.”
“It’s better than sex.”
“Better than sex? Really?” What in the world could be better than sex?
“I have a new shipment of C4 to play with.”
My eyes narrow. “And where did you get this shipment of C4?”
“In a completely … mostly legal way, sir.”
“Mostly legal …”
“I promise.”
“Promising me you only kind of broke the law isn’t the same as not breaking the law. You do know that, right?”
“Are you saying you don’t want to blow shit up with me?”