Page 77 of Loving a Warrior

“Yep, still here, and here to stay. I’m feeling much better.”

“Good. Did they hammer you during the board?”

“Not really. This one master chief said he needed a damn good reason not to bounce me for performance reasons and demanded to hear my excuses. I said there were no excuses, but if they gave me one more chance, I’d come in under the limit and I’d never let them down again. Guess it worked.”

“Told you they liked you.”

Shane’s chuckle this time sounded almost bashful. “Bernson said some really nice shit, too, so I guess they do.”

“Well, don’t get a big head about it.”

“With you around? Not a chance.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep you in line, don’t worry.”

“Hey, Soup.” Shane paused. “Thanks for sticking by me. Seriously. I was scared shitless, man. Didn’t know how much I wanted this until it looked like it’d be taken away.”

“Anytime. And hey.”

“What?”

“I’m really glad you called me,” he said softly. “I give you a lot of crap, but I also hope you know I—” His throat closed up and he cleared it nervously.

Shane gave a quiet laugh. “You like me?”

“I admit nothing.” He didn’t have to, did he? It was written all over him.

“Oh, I made a reservation for us in Vegas today.”

“Yeah?” Matt swallowed against the mix of anticipation and grief swirling through him. I’m just not ready for this to end.

He shoved the thought away, striving to keep his voice even as they discussed dates and agreed upon a meeting time.

“Should I rent us a car?” Matt asked.

“Nah. I wasn’t gonna stay the entire week with my family, so I’ll fly back to San Diego and drive up to Vegas. Then we can drive home together.”

Their plans made, they reluctantly said their goodbyes. Matt lay there on the rock for a minute, thinking how stupid he was, teetering on the verge of falling for someone he could never be with.

The week in Vegas had to get this out of their systems. It had to.

Chapter Nineteen

Shane tossed his bags down and turned in a slow circle. Wow.

The hotel website hadn’t lied about the “elegant luxury” of their suites. This one was beautifully decorated in neutral tones, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving an amazing view of the bustling Strip. The king-sized bed, decadently fluffy and covered by a thick down comforter, looked sinfully inviting. Shane flushed hot at the sight of it, picturing Matt tangled up in the sheets, drowsy and sated, his dark eyes slumberous as he gazed up at him.

Not long now.

Shane texted Matt the room number before spending a few minutes unpacking, his body humming with anticipation. It was only mid-morning and Matt’s plane should land within the hour. Plenty of time for them to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Strip, have an early dinner and then—

Swallowing hard, Shane unzipped his toiletry kit and fished out the lube and condoms he’d stashed there. Five whole nights alone with Matt. Five glorious nights with no teammates, no instructors, no training evolutions anywhere in sight. They’d have nothing but privacy, time…and a big, soft bed.

Shane tucked the items away in the nightstand before collapsing down on a nearby leather sofa. He’d hit the road before dawn to make the five-hour drive from San Diego, and that was after spending all of the previous day on a plane from Florida with Alexis and Libby. He’d just close his eyes for a few minutes while he waited for Matt to text…

A persistent, irritated knocking woke him abruptly. Shane forced his eyes open, for an instant completely disoriented. Was he late for training? He sat bolt upright and almost fell off the narrow couch, awareness returning in a rush. Hotel. Matt on his way. No, Matt was here!

Shane surged to his feet and stumbled toward the door, yelping when he banged his shin on a metal coffee table. Biting off a curse, he fumbled with the dead bolt and finally yanked the door open only to be greeted by Matt’s stormy face.