Reya giggled and Teo told them to get a room.
“Fine. I’ll go see if Jill needs anything.”
“I can tell you what she needs,” Teo said, puffing up his chest.
“Keep it in your toga, brother,” Reya said with a smirk and sauntered off.
Boomer gratefully accepted and took a long swig of the rot-gut whiskey Teo had smuggled into the party. Girly cocktails were nice and all, but not their style, no matter how much Teo might want to please his woman.
When he drained the glass, the other two were staring at him. Teo, the good man that he was, didn’t ask questions, simply pulled out a flask and poured Boomer a few more fingers worth.
“Supervisor still playing fast and loose?” Dylan asked.
Boomer nodded. “Long ass week.” He’d had an abnormal amount of anxiety as the Halloween party had loomed, not that he was going to analyze it. Combine that with a “boss” who wasn’t nearly careful enough for Boomer’s liking and yeah…long assed week.
“Good news is the movie’s almost over, right?” Teo asked.
Boomer nodded again, hoping the heartburn and frustration would dissipate next week. If they stayed on schedule.
It was past time for him to relax. He was a laid-back guy and he liked things that way, which was why he was counting down the days. He enjoyed working on a special effects team, bringing movies to life. But Toby had to have gotten his job via blackmail. Or nepotism. Explosions, no matter how controlled, could go awry. And Toby was lax on the controlled part.
For now, maybe the whiskey would take off the edge. However, it took a lot to get Boomer buzzed thanks to his height and breadth. And unfortunately, he had a three-drink rule.
The only thing worse than going down memory lane was tripping down it with a hangover. Booze had been his friend in some of his darkest hours, but every soldier knew, some of your best friends were your worst enemies.
“Be right back,” he muttered and turned toward the bathroom, sidestepping yet another cozy couple. He tossed back the whiskey and then threw his empty cup into a trash can. Head turned to follow the trajectory of his cup, he careened into someone. Instinctively, his hands shot out, grabbing and steadying the unfortunate soul he'd bowled over. This wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last.
“Sorry,” came the female murmur.
Boomer zeroed in on the woman beneath his nose. Average height, her skin tight black outfit revealed killer curves and gorgeous brown skin.
“My fault.” He took half a step back, not to get away from her but, so he could take more of her in. Wide aqua eyes, the color of the waters off the coast of Key West, flicked up to meet his and he felt his world tip, tilt, and then, free fall.
Sabrina Duncan.
He'd know those eyes, that face, anywhere. Suddenly he was 18 again and crazy about his best friend. His heart knocked against his ribs, jolting him as surely as if he’d grabbed a hold of a set of jumper cables.
The girl he'd known since kindergarten, the one person he'd always been able to talk to, the sometimes shy but always funny girl-turned-woman who'd broken his heart, blinked up at him.
It didn't matter that over fifteen years had passed. Those days, weeks, months, years, his service, everything disappeared as if they'd never existed. Her aqua eyes were so unique, so vibrant with her complexion. The black lines radiating from the painted triangle at the tip of her nose gave her a youthful, cute appearance. Pointed, fuzzy black ears completed the look but the costume didn't diminish or hide her beauty. Somewhere in the last dozen years Sabrina had become a stunner. The kind of woman who took your breath away and never gave it back.
Boomer sucked in a deep breath. When had he forgotten how to breathe?
He'd never been back to Brunswick, their hometown, so he'd honestly never expected to see her again. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what in the world she was doing here.
“Either I'm more drunk than I thought, or you're very green,” she said, and her impish smile wiped away some of the shock flooding his system.
His lips twitched, and he fought to keep a placid expression. Of all the women he could have steamrolled today, she was the very last one he should smile at. And he sure as hell shouldn't have glanced at an important finger on her left hand.
Why was it bare? Surely, she was married with three kids and a few dogs.
But the more important question was, why was she staring up at him like they’d never met before?
She didn't seem to recognize him. Hell, he hadn't recognized himself either after a makeup artist friend had finished with him. Even his eye color was different for the evening and after seeing Reya’s transformation, he understood just how much a costume could change a person.
But it hadn’t changed Sabrina.
“Don't tell me,” she continued, her ringless fingers wiggling between them. “Jolly Green Giant?”
Damn if his lips didn't twitch again.
“Nope.”
“Hmm.” Her luscious mouth turned into a thoughtful frown. As her gaze raked up his left arm, across his face and then continued the lap all the way around again, his blood began to heat and parts he was usually able to ignore sat up and took a keen notice of the black-haired beauty.
“Do that again.”
“What?”
“Clench your fists.”
Boomer hadn't realized he’d done it the first time, but he obliged her. After all, she was the girl who'd let him cry on her shoulder after his grandfather had passed away and to her credit, she'd never told a soul about his waterworks.
“That's it,” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “Hulk!”
Damn she looked happy and supremely pleased with herself. And heaven help him, when had she gotten so...gorgeous?
He swallowed past the lump in his throat and forced words past dry lips.
“In the
