Though small and portly, Valz was fast. Or very scared. He went through the obstacle course of lounge chairs and tables like a steeplechaser. Will was gaining on him, though, until he slipped in a puddle. He knew an instant of chagrined surprise before his foot shot out from under him and he plunged headfirst into the pool, his skull grazing the cement lip of the edge. His last thought was the hope that they weren’t draining the damn thing…
Chapter Seven
“Will?”
A hand was patting his cheek. Annoying.
“Will?”
He twitched his eyebrows in irritation. His head was pounding sickeningly, like someone was kicking an oil drum next to him. He was wet and cold and starting to shiver…
“Come on, Marine. Talk to me.”
And if that fucking voice and fucking hand slapping his cheek did not go away, Will was going to punch someone. His eyes snapped open.
David Bradley was leaning over him, his handsome face grim and worried. In fact, his face was quite close to Will’s, his mouth a couple of inches away, his breath warm on Will’s chilled skin.
Seeing that Will was conscious, he drew back in relief. “How do you feel?”
Now that he thought about it…not good. In fact…
A wave of nausea rose inside him. Salty saliva filled his mouth; his stomach lurched. He rolled onto his side, away from Bradley, and was sick on the pavement.
“Great,” he got out.
“I see that.” Bradley’s big hand was on his shoulder, squeezing in support.
“I’m okay,” Will assured him hoarsely. “That’s just reaction.” He pushed up from the mess.
Bradley grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. “More like concussion.”
“Nah. Where’s our guy?”
He was upright now, weaving a little in the mild evening breeze. Bradley steadied him and chuckled. “He ran straight into the arms of a pair of sheriff’s deputies here to collect a deadbeat dad.”
Will laughed shakily, put a hand to his throbbing head.
“Let’s get you back to the base,” Bradley said with quick concern. “They’ve got it under control here. It’ll do Valz good to wait a little before we question him.”
* * * * *
The base medic pronounced mild concussion, recommended a couple of days of bed rest, and sent them on their way. When they got back to Bradley’s office, Will accepted a change of clothes and declined the offer of a bunk.
“I’m serious. You can stay at my place,” Bradley said. “You should not try driving tonight. I’ve got plenty of room. I’d like to have you.”
No kidding. And Will would like to have Bradley too. But that was not going to happen. Will might be suffering from mild concussion, but he’d have to have major brain damage to go along with that idea. He tried to imagine breaking it to Taylor he was having a slumber party at David Bradley’s house. Not going to happen.
Bad enough that he wasn’t going to be able to drive back home tonight. He wanted to, but he knew better. He was just groggy and exhausted enough to make that unwise.
“I appreciate it,” he said, “but I think I probably better get a hotel room.”
“Now I’m insulted,” Bradley said, and he did look pretty formidable. Definitely not a guy to jerk around. “I sort of thought, regardless of the rest of it, we were friends.”
“We are friends,” Will said.
“But what?”
“There is the rest of it. I’m not going to pretend I don’t still want you. But I’ve got someone now.”
“So you said.” Bradley was watching him closely, speculatively. “Is it this partner of yours?”
Will hesitated. He felt he owed Bradley this honesty. “Yes.”
“I wondered. I knew you were close. When he was shot, it was pretty clear your world narrowed down to him.”
What could Will say? It was the truth.
“I’ve never been partnered with anyone, so I wasn’t sure if it was like that for everyone. I had a feeling it might be unique to the two of you.” Bradley asked tentatively, “Does he feel the same?”
Will nodded. He had a sudden sense of how very lucky he was. He could see it on Bradley’s face.
“Well, hell.” Bradley grimaced. “I guess I made a mistake backing off when I did. I was kind of hoping you’d see the light. Unfortunately it turned out to be a different light.”
“I’m sorry,” Will said. “It…caught me by surprise too.”
“I believe that. I thought we had something pretty special ourselves.”
Will didn’t want to hear this; what was the point? “We had something good,” he acknowledged.
Bradley was still eyeing him in that steadfast, measuring way. “And you don’t have any doubts about this partner of yours? I thought he was kind of a wild card?”
“I don’t have any doubts about him.” End of discussion.
Bradley nodded, mostly to himself. His eyes met Will’s, and there was a wicked gleam in the brown depths. “Okay if I kiss you good-bye?”
Will laughed uneasily. His heart started thumping. It was ridiculous and stagy, but easier to get it over with than make a fuss. “Sure.”
Bradley put his arms around him, and Will thought what a crazy thing it was that for all Bradley’s greater size and obvious strength, it was only when Taylor held him in that bony, fierce grip that Will felt helpless. Then Bradley’s mouth was on his, and Will stopped thinking, because he’d forgotten how good this was. And Bradley was applying his considerable talents to this moment.
Dazedly, Will was aware of a surge of sexual hunger, of fierce physical desire, his body responding to the expert pressure of the hot mouth on his own. It was startling because it wasn’t like he was doing without these days, and it was alarming because it would be very easy to give
