Page 42 of Sensual Nights

Jace shook his head. "Are you kidding me? Take the days you need to heal."

He grinned. "I'm the doctor, Jace. I'm alright. How about I call you in the morning, and we'll chat about it?"

Jace drummed his hands on the window ledge of Mason's truck. "Sounds like a plan. Any word from your military contact?"

"Not yet. He said later today. I'll touch base with him in the morning if I don't hear from him. But he's prompt so he'll call today."

Jace nodded. "Sounds good. Talk to you tomorrow."

Mason nodded and waited for Jace to step away from his truck. He slowly pulled from the lot and drove to his new place.

23

Carley pulled into the parking area at the Barracks. There were three cars in the lot, all parked in the front row, but none of the cars looked like Layton Terry's.

She parked at the far end of the front row of the lot. It was actually closest to Mason's patio doors since he had the last unit on the first floor. Those units had the nice patio doors to the side yard. Once it was finished, at least.

She opened her door and stepped from her vehicle. She leaned back in to retrieve her purse and her folder with the Offer and Addendum form she'd need to write this offer. Layton said he'd be making an offer, so she wanted to be prepared and not have to run back to her vehicle. She stepped back and stood up to close her door when something was placed over her head. It took a few moments for her to realize what happened. Then panic set in. Dropping the papers in her hand, she grabbed at the cloth bag or pillowcase or whatever it was over her head. An arm wrapped around her waist, and she started kicking and screaming. A sharp poke near her neck scared her further. She began to feel woozy and her thoughts were jumbled. Her arms and legs felt as if they were made of lead, then there was nothing.

24

Mason drove up Main Street as darkness fell. It was funny how as soon as the sun began to set, darkness fell within minutes.

He pulled into the lot and saw Carley's SUV at the end of the first row, nearest his patio door. A grin spread on his face, and he marveled how in one moment he'd be afraid of disappointing her or feeling less than the man she deserved, to being so happy to just see her car in his lot. He shook his head. Weird.

His phone rang, and he looked at the readout. Ethan Dougherty.

Tapping the button on his phone, he sat in his truck and greeted his friend. "Hey, Ethan. Thanks for calling back."

"You're welcome, Mason. So, a couple of things. I'm sending Mitch DeMario to Blossom Springs to retrieve the thumb drive. Do you remember him?"

"I do. Is he still in the Marines?"

"Negative. He is in the security business, but he maintains clearances, and we hire him to do certain jobs for us."

"Okay. When should I expect him?"

"I believe he'll be there tomorrow. I've given him your number and he'll touch base with you on his ETA."

"Great. I'll wait to hear from him."

Ethan was quiet for a moment then his voice changed. "Is everything okay with you, Mason?"

Mason leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. "Yeah." He let out a deep breath. "PTSD got me. I struggled to perform surgery, so I quit. I kicked around a bit and remembered my brother, Burke, had come down here and had a great time, so I decided to check it out myself. I found a bartending gig in a beachfront bar. Great boss. Nice co-workers and pouring drinks doesn’t give me panic attacks. Actually, I just bought a condo here which is a converted barracks."

"No kidding?"

"Weird. Right?"

"Different. But at least they're being used. The military has far too much waste in old buildings."

"Yeah. If you find yourself in need of sunshine and friendship, come on down and have a look. It would be great to see you."

Ethan chuckled. "That sounds like a plan. I'm getting married later this year. Maybe Christmas in Florida is on the books."

"I like it."

"Thanks for contacting me about the thumb drive. It was great talking to you."

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