Page 54 of Better Late Than Never

Why that struck me as hot, I had no idea. Only that I simultaneously hoped it happened and prayed it never did. I didn’t really care much about rank, and things like submission or subservience had never done it for me. But the thought of Alex snapping to attention and saluting me—why did that make my pulse race?

Probably because I was tired as hell and nothing really made sense.

And maybe a little because I could imagine him doing it perfectly professionally, oozing military bearing from head to toe, but with a glint in his eyes for me and me alone. Something mischievous and sly, visible only to me in the shade of his cover.

Yeah. I was an idiot.

I was also suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to reprise our weekend in Sevilla. In particular, everything that happenedafterthat trip.

All the risks I’d run through still existed. All the potential fallout was still there, waiting to come crashing down on us if we dared push our luck again.

But that intense attraction was still there too.

As much as I’d never been the reckless risk-taking type, I wanted to be this time. Not for the thrill or the rebelliousness, but for another chance to feel all the things I had when we’d been behind closed doors.

Was what why I was imagining him saluting me with a spicy little glint in his eye? Probably.

And it was just that—something I was imagining. Something I needed to forget about and move on from so I could do my job and keep my career. It was that simple.

It was also just my goddamned luck that I crossed paths with him again an hour later. He was heading out of the emergency department with one of the portable ultrasounds, and apparently we were on our way in the same direction.

Neither of us spoke. We didn’t look at each other.

But then the hallway came to an intersection. Left would take me to the elevators to go down to my department. Straight would take him to Radiology.

By all rights, I should’ve turned and he should’ve continued.

But… we both stopped.

I gnawed my lip and chanced a look at him. He did the same. Neither of us bothered with military bearing this time; there was no one else around, and if he was anything like me, he’d forgotten all about it.

When I locked eyes with him, it was suddenly hard to breathe. Maybe I was seeing things, but I swore, behind all the caution and nerves in his expression, there was that glint of hunger. As if he too wanted a rematch, but this wasn’t the time or place.

There was never a time or a place for two guys like us, but that didn’t stop me from wanting it, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t stopping him either.

Fuck it. We hadn’t been caught in Sevilla. We could do it again.

Thinking fast, I glanced around us. Then, keeping my tone casual and conversational, I said, “I’ll, um… I’m going to check out Paraíso in Madrid on Saturday night.” I smiled. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

Alex’s lips parted and his eyes widened.

I turned to go before I lost my nerve, but he called after me, “Lieutenant Commander?”

I faced him again, heart pounding.

He swallowed hard. “You said Paraíso, right?”

My mouth had gone dry, so I just nodded.

“Okay.” He flashed me a quick smile. “Have a good time.”

“I will. Thanks.”

And then I left.

And I had no idea what I hoped he’d do with the information I’d given him.

CHAPTER16

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