Page 146 of Oblivion

Dante gingerly rubbed his eye. “Unfortunately, yes. Want some coffee?”

“Nah, I’m just checking all is okay. I heard shouting before.”

Jackson’s caring eyes found mine, and I nodded to confirm that everything was, indeed, okay. I stepped up to Dante’s side, and welcomed his hand immediately smoothing across my lower back.

“It’s taken care of.”

Jackson’s assessing gaze cut back and forth between us. “Good to hear you got it settled already. Hey, my flight leaves soon. Penny, are you coming with me, or staying?”

“Staying,” Dante cut in, and the arm around my waist tightened. “She’s stayin’ with me.”

Jackson smiled and nodded. “I’ll be back on Friday to pick you both up on the way back to San Diego.”

“Thanks, man, I appreciate that. And thank you for being there yesterday. It meant a lot.”

A pained expression cut across Jackson’s handsome face. “Been there, brother. Hardest fucking day ever to bury the ones you love the most.”

“Yeah,” Dante mumbled.

The heartache in Jackson’s eyes compelled me forward. I hugged him hard and uttered my gratitude. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here.

When I arrived at Cole Security on Friday morning, I immediately knew something terrible had happened. I still couldn’t shake the echoes of disbelief after hearing the news of Forrest’s death. Jackson must have known Dante and I were closer than friends, and offered me a flight to Fort Campbell with him. And now, trepidation over heading to Georgia with a group of mourning Army guys had me just as terrified.

Jackson made to leave. “I’ll call Thursday to confirm the departure time for Friday.”

“Thanks, Muff.”

I waved goodbye, then awkwardly hugged my torso as Dante shut the door behind Jackson’s departure.

“How long do we have?” I asked.

Dante flicked his wrist and squinted at his watch. “Just shy of an hour before the boys will be here.”

He climbed back into bed with a heavy sigh.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

One eye cracked open and locked on me. “Sleeping.”

“We’ve got a seven-hour car trip ahead of us. You can sleep all you want later.”

“Why?” he grumbled, re-closing his eye.

“Thought it might be nice having some company in the shower. There’s a spot on my back I couldn’t reach last night.”

That amber eye cracked open again and remained unblinking. “That’s a bad idea.”

“It’s not about sex, Dante. I’ve just really missed you.”

His entire body deflated on an exhale. “I’ve missed you too, babe.”

I left him unmoving in the bed and headed to the bathroom. When the shower had heated, I stripped off and stepped under the relaxing spray.

Barely a minute later, the bathroom door slid open, and Dante’s naked form appeared like a modern day Adonis stepping from the pages of ancient Greek mythology. He hovered at the shower entrance with an uncertain expression.

“Coming in?” I asked, rinsing out my hair.

“Penny.”

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