Troy snorted. “Doesn’t sound like you’re too sure of that.”
“It was still a rookie mistake. He shouldn’t have had his finger on the trigger unless he was prepared to use it,” Sean said, summoning his retort with confidence.
Troy looked up, raising a brow. “No offense, but he looks like he’s been through the wringer a little more than you have today. Maybe he just fucked up?”
“He can’t afford to fuck up, not if he’s going to be on the team. What if that had been a real bullet?”
Troy leaned over, picking up a tablet and bringing something up on the screen. “Let’s see, Aidan Harris, Sergeant, and Intel, interesting. Came back from overseas a couple of weeks ago, was back at his base in California for all of a day and a half, and was then immediately brought over here.”
Sean hadn’t known the exact timeline, but he shrugged. “Yeah, and?”
“And if you’ve been uh, testing him, do you really think he’s at his best? Fresh from the field, thrown into one time zone, and then ripped over into another. Then he goes and gets dragged around here.”
“I haven’t been dragging him.”
Troy clicked his tongue, setting the tablet aside. “Look, whatever is between you two, you’re going to have to figure it out. I’m guessing General Winter is the one who assigned him to your team, and he’s not going to be happy if you two prove him wrong in whatever faith he has in you.”
“I’m having a hard time seeing any ‘faith’ from him putting that on my team,” Sean said, with a nod of his head in the direction of Aidan and Dean.
“Well, maybe you need to stop being stubborn and think about it,” Troy said.
Dean’s head poked between the curtains. “Hey, having any luck?”
Troy shrugged. “Hard to tell, he’s a bit uh, covered.”
“Anything vital?”
“Nothing that can’t wait.”
Dean nodded, turning his attention to Aidan. “You two are absolutely filthy, and it’s impossible to check over you both while you’re covered head to toe in mud. So do us a favor, there’s a shower room at the back of the building. There’s not much in the way of stalls, so I’m going to remind you to behave.”
Sean blinked. “Behave?”
“Yeah, there’s not much to keep you separated. And you both need to be cleaned off,” Dean explained.
“Oh,” Sean said, realizing he was being told he and Aidan were essentially going to bathe together.
“So remember your promise about behaving yourselves.”
Sean curled his lip but nodded. “I’ll behave.”
“Good, he said the same. Now limp your way down to the showers and get yourself clean so we can make sure there’s nothing serious.”
Troy chuckled, getting out of Sean’s way. “And don’t think Dean won’t follow through on his threat either.”
Sean had no doubt that the doc would do just that, and wasn’t going to tempt fate either. Heaving himself up off the table, he winced as he landed on his ankle, which was still tender from having rolled it. Limping his way down the hallway, he kept going until he found a door where he could hear the sound of running water. Thinking Aidan must have already got in the shower, Sean bent down to begin undressing.
Getting his boots off took the longest, followed by his pants and underwear. The rest came off with only a small wince on his part as he heaped them along the wall and stepped into the next room. It wasn’t a big room, and it was built like a smaller version of the communal showers in the barracks. Unlike the barracks, though, there were little half-walls separating each showerhead, giving a measure of privacy that was relatively unknown in the military.
Aidan had claimed a corner stall, the water running down over his body as he washed himself off. Sean jerked his attention away from the man, refusing to acknowledge his presence in an attempt to keep his word to Dean. Making his way to the nearest showerhead, he fiddled with the water until it began to flow right, and at a temperature he could stand.
Bars of soap were provided, and a small bottle of shampoo, so Sean set to washing himself as thoroughly as he could. His side still ached constantly, making it hard to bend over and wash his lower body. The rest was far easier, so long as he didn’t have to bend his arms too far one way. But as the water went from a muddy brown to clear, running down the drain, he found his body relaxing under the hot flow.
From the other side of the room came a deep, low groan. The sound shivered from Sean’s ears and down his spine before curling in his gut. He had never heard such pleasure come from Aidan, and his eyes snapped open to see what was happening.
His heart pounded as he took in the sight of Aidan standing beneath the stream of water. Aidan had managed to clean himself off entirely from the looks of it and was simply standing under the shower, his head bowed forward and letting the water pound against his toned shoulders.
With the way Aidan was standing, Sean couldn’t see everything, as the half-wall dividing the stalls kept the front of his lower body hidden. But Sean could watch as the small rivers of water ran over Aidan’s shoulders, down his muscular back, and over the curve of his ass.
When Aidan began to move, Sean jerked his attention back to his own shower, clamping his eyes shut. He could hear Aidan turning the water of his shower off and stepping across the room with soft slaps of his feet against the wet tiled floor. Sean’s heart pounded as he waited to hear the footsteps retreat as Aidan left the room, giving Sean a measure of peace.
After waiting for several minutes, he turned, looking over his shoulder with a nervousness that he hated. His eyes widened, heart thudding harder when he found Aidan standing in the doorway, towel in hand. The man’s dark blue eyes were locked on Sean, and Sean would swear the man looked just as startled.
Aidan blinked. “There’s a towel on the bench out here if you need one.”
Sean nodded, straining to keep his eyes on Aidan’s face. If they moved any further south, he would find himself unable to stop visually exploring the planes of Aidan’s body. The man had already proven himself to be in good shape and capable of keeping up with the rest of them. Undoubtedly the front of his body was as impressive and pleasing to see as the rest, but Sean really did not want to have to deal with the blood rushing to his groin again, not while Aidan was watching.
Damn, how long had it been since he’d last gotten laid if he was getting turned on by Aidan?
“Yeah, alright,” Sean grunted, tearing his eyes away from Aidan to pretend he was still working on getting himself clean.
There was another long pause, almost a full minute, until he heard the sound of Aidan stepping out of the shower area. Sean waited another minute before turning around to check, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the empty doorway.
Taking a deep, soothing breath, Sean turned his shower off as the heat of the water began to dwindle to warm. He had to admit to himself that if things were different, and Aidan wasn’t...well, Aidan, then Sean would have found the man attractive. The fact that the man was insufferable, frustrating beyond belief, and someone who Sean swore he wouldn’t miss if he never saw him again, was merely a sign that his body’s reaction to Aidan’s naked body was an indication of how long it had been since he’d had sex. That was all.
He was not attracted to Aidan.
Snatching up the towel from the bench outside the showers, he busied himself with drying off his body, repeating the vow over and over again in his head.
7
Sean
Sean sighed. “You know, as far as nights out go, this one isn’t one of our better ones.”
Ricardo snorted softly, taking a sip from his beer. “What makes you say that?”
Sean looked across the booth to where Nick lay, slumped, and half asleep. “Boy, I wonder.”
Ricardo followed his gaze. “Give him a break, you know he hasn’t been sleeping.”
Sean shook his head. “I didn’t know that. He barely talks to me anymore. I suspected, though.”
He’d also suspected Nick wouldn’t last very much longer either. After walking into the bar and having a few drinks, Nick looked like he would start dozing off at any point. The bar lights were low, and the noise of the city outside was drowned out by the thick wood and glass that made up the outer walls. Most of the people were either sitting in pairs at the bar or in booths, talking quietly. It was the sort of place Sean preferred, quiet, the low murmur of conversation mingling with the gently playing music in the background. For Nick, though, it had equated to a lullaby after an hour of the three of them sitting together.
Ricardo shrugged. “Doesn’t really talk to anyone, except Matt.”
Sean looked over at his sleeping teammate. “Has he been sleeping at his own place?”
“Yeah, Nick was talking about it the other day.”
Sean sighed. “That’s probably why he’s not sleeping well. He always slept better when he was around Matt.”
As much as the two men drove him crazy sometimes, Sean wouldn’t deny the bond between Matt and Nick. The two men really were just like brothers, and sometimes that meant relying on each other in a way that they didn’t rely on the rest of the team. Sean wasn’t sure why Nick was so insistent on sleeping on his own now. Sure, General Winter had made sure the team each had their own place in the base housing, but it seemed pointless for Nick to use his apartment if he was comfortable somewhere else.
“Between them fighting all the time, and Nick staying at his place, I’m getting a little worried,” Sean admitted.
“Do you want me to talk to them?” Ricardo asked.
Sean shook his head. “If anyone should do it, it should be me.”
“You really in the best place to be doing it?”
Sean frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ricardo winced. “C’mon Sean, don’t make me say it, you know what I mean.”
“Is this about Aidan?”
“Not just about Aidan.”
“But enough for me to call bullshit.”
Ricardo sighed. “It’s not bullshit. You two have been at each other’s throats for two weeks now, and haven’t let up in the slightest.”
“I need him to learn how to operate as part of this team, and if that means I have to teach him some respect first, then so be it,” Sean said through gritted teeth.
“Really? Because you put up with everything the rest of us do, but you’re treating him like the unwanted stepchild.”
“Are you saying he hasn’t been an absolute ass?”
“Do I think he could be a little easier on you, yeah, and I’ve told him that. But I think you could be easier on him too. I know you’re not happy about him being here…”
“And you are?”
Ricardo frowned. “I never said I was, but being here isn’t his fault. You ask me, he’s as bitter about being here as you are about it.”
“I’m not bitter!”
“Right, you’re being an asshole to him for no good reason.”
“Very good reason.”
Ricardo rolled his eyes. “Christ, trying to talk to either of you, is like trying to bang my head against a brick wall and expecting it to break. You’re both being so stubborn about this, and I don’t even know why.”
“Because he shouldn’t be here,” Sean growled, taking a deep drink of his beer.
“But he is, and he’s a part of this team now whether you like it or not. So maybe you could get your head out of your ass, out of the clouds, or wherever the hell you have it stuck at the moment and be the team leader we all need right now,” Ricardo snapped.
Sean leaned back against the booth, wide-eyed. “W-what?”
Ricardo’s dark eyes flashed. “You’ve been angry for weeks, and not just since Aidan showed up. And I get it, I really do. None of us have been ourselves lately. This shit has been hard. But the truth is, you’ve been taking our problems out on Aidan, and everyone, including Aidan, can see that. No wonder he’s acting like a complete shithead, while you’re marching around like some tyrant!”
It was the most emotion he’d heard come out of Ricardo’s mouth in months, and Sean didn’t know how to respond to it at first.
“So either tell him to fuck off and go argue with General Winter, tell him that Aidan can’t fit in our team, or get whatever the hell is going on in your head out of the way and deal with him being here. Do whatever it takes, because you’re not doing any of us a favor by being like this,” Ricardo said, pushing himself out of the booth to stand up.
“Wait, hold on, don’t go stomping off,” Sean began, mind kicking back into gear.
“I’m leaving, and I’m taking Nick with me,” Ricardo growled.
“Don’t tell me off about Aidan of all people and then leave,” Sean said.
Ricardo turned to him. “Are you my team leader right now, or my friend?”
Sean frowned, unsure what Ricardo meant. “We’re not in the field or training, why the hell would I be your team leader?”
“Then, as your friend, I’m telling you to kiss my ass because I’m going home and taking my very drunk friend to his friend’s house,” Ricardo said, reaching out to jostle Nick gently.
Nick picked his head up, looking around at them sleepily. “What’s going on?”
“I need to go to bed, and I’m taking you to Matt’s,” Ricardo told him, guiding him out of the booth.
Nick frowned, standing unsteadily. “I’m okay. I can go home.”
“You’re going to Matt’s, and you’re sleeping at his place, and you’re not going to fucking argue with me,” Ricardo growled.
Nick allowed himself to be led out with a murmured, “Damn, okay. Yessir.”
“Damn straight,” came Ricardo’s retort before he was pushing his way out the door with Nick in tow.
Sean was left to stare at the closing door, gaping in pure shock. Did Ricardo think Sean was being unfair to Aidan? In what universe was he the bad guy in this situation? Maybe he could have been a little easier on Aidan, but the guy hadn’t exactly tried to do anything to make the situation easier for anyone. Sean wasn’t simply going to roll over and let Aidan do what he wanted just because he was the new guy.
Sean raised a hand, ordering another beer. “And a whiskey while you’re at it.”
Despite having drunk more than he had in over a year, Sean found he wasn’t nearly as drunk as he wished he could have been. In fact, he would only go so far as to call himself a little tipsy. He was certainly feeling warm, and his head was buzzing a bit in the background, but there was a distinct lack of sluggish thoughts or the sought after lack of care about his problems.
“Pretty sure this stuff is watered down,” he muttered to himself as he looked at the bottle in front of him.
“Talking to yourself while drinking? Probably not a good sign.”
The familiar voice tightened the muscles of Sean’s shoulders, and he froze, staring at the tabletop. When he finally forced himself to look up, he was met with the sight of Aidan standing a few feet away from his booth. Where Sean had opted for a simple t-shirt and jeans, Aidan had gone a little beyond that, choosing a deep purple button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and a pair of faded but form-fitting jeans.
“Oh, God. What the hell do you want?” Sean asked.
Aidan snorted. “I see your pleasant personality is still intact, that’s nice.”
“Just fuck off,” Sean grumbled.
“I’m trying to figure out if you should have more or less to drink.”
“I’m not drunk, though right now, I wish I was. More than I did thirty seconds ago anyway.”
Aidan chuckled. “Yeah, I have that effect on people, or so I’ve been told.”
Sean groaned. “What are you doing here?”
“If you mean what am I doing out, I’m trying to get laid, because I need it. If you mean why am I in here, it’s because I like bars since they have cheaper drinks than clubs.”
Sean looked around at the other patr
ons. “You’re going to get laid in here?”
“No, I’m going to pre-game and get my starter drinks cheaper in here. Then I planned to go to one of those expensive clubs, so I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg in order to get drunk.”
Sean grunted. “Smart.”
“I have my moments.”
Sean looked up. “Then why are you talking to me? Trying to get laid still?”
Aidan’s eyes glittered in amusement. “So, you do have a sense of humor.”
“Aidan,” Sean growled.
Aidan sighed. “Maybe I saw you sitting here, by yourself, drinking, and I thought, wow, that’s not a good sign. And maybe I thought I would stop and see how you were doing, in case you needed help or something.”
“This is your idea of helping someone?” Sean demanded.
Aidan squinted. “What?”
Sean rolled his eyes. “You are the most ridiculously frustrating person I have ever had to deal with. This is not how you help someone. This is how you continue to frustrate them like you’ve been doing for two weeks now.”
Aidan sighed. “No, this is how I try to lighten the mood. A mood you keep trying to bring down every time you talk to me.”
Sean closed his eyes, a pang of guilt, followed swiftly by pain shot through him. It reminded him too much of Ricardo’s outburst. Sean knew he’d been difficult to deal with for everyone during the past few months. He’d done his best to keep the growing anger locked away inside his chest, and sometimes he was a little too cranky and irritable for anyone else to handle. And maybe that did make him unpleasant to be around, but damn it, his team was still by his side, and he didn’t need Aidan shoving more salt in his wounds.
Sean looked up, looking Aidan over. “Well, you did your good deed.”
It was a little bizarre, seeing Aidan in civilian clothes, and with the same look of outrage and anger Sean had seen flash over the man’s handsome face ever since the last Gauntlet run. Sean felt another jolt of guilt push through him as it occurred to him that Aidan was out by himself, out trying to have a night to himself, to have a good time.
Trust Me, I Hate You Page 6
