Gower laughed and then leaned in for a genuine kiss, cupping his hand possessively over her thigh to keep from pressing down on it with the rest of his body. When he pulled away from the kiss and her, he lifted his hand and felt a wetness on it. He sighed when he saw blood on his palm.
“Stitches, Melina. You need fucking stitches in that gash. Come on. I’ll drive you to base and bring you home. No arguments, Gunny or I’ll call in some fucking favors. Then you’ll have to go.”
Melina looked at her bloody jeans and nodded. He was right about the stitches. And she’d just ruined another pair of jeans.
“Okay. I guess the band-aids aren’t working. It’s nearly time to get the walking cast off anyway. Maybe I can bargain to get both things done while we’re there.”
***
Gower’s presence at her side raised some eyebrows, mostly because no one on base had ever seen her accompanied by anyone out of uniform—not even her mother. She was surprised that there were no probing questions when Gower turned in her broken crutch.
When the tech asked what happened to it, Gower had made some lame joke about her breaking it across someone’s hard head. While ironically the truth, no one there chose to believe it. Instead, they’d laughed and written down ‘accident’ on the turn-in form. It went better with them having to sew up her leg for an ‘accident’ as well.
Melina snorted as she signed permission forms and agreed to get stitches in her wound. She also stipulated with the check-in people that Gower was a friend who could come back to her waiting room once she was dressed again. Before a half hour had passed, he was leaning casually against her exam table while a junior medic sawed off the walking cast.
Gower’s arm came around her shoulders to hug as she groaned softly and wiggled her foot once it was free of the plaster.
When the medic left, Gower walked around and perched on the stool the medic had vacated. He lifted her foot and gently rubbed it. Her lids dropped at the comfort his touch provided. And it made her think of all the other things she might like him to touch in that same caring manner.
“See how great a boyfriend I could be? I’m already trained in foot rubs.”
Melina chuckled at his plea bargaining. “Why don’t you just text me a list of your good points, Beckett? It would save you time explaining them every five seconds.”
“Nah. I’d really rather show you.” Gower lifted her foot and placed it in his lap until it was draped over his crotch, which instantly started to swell. His touch was gentle on her ankle as he stroked the top of her foot. It was a pleasure to know how easily she aroused him.
“Beckett…”
“Yes, Angel?”
Despite her better judgment, Melina grinned at the sweetness in his tone as he said her last name in retaliation. The doctor opened the door before she could swear at him for the ploy. She narrowed her gaze as Gower lifted her foot slowly away from his now bulging zipper seam and set it back down. Never taking his gaze from hers, he stood reluctantly to let the doctor have his seat.
A cursory examination later, she was told to take it easy, and to try and avoid future accidents, at least until her ankle had properly healed.
Then she was given a brief lecture about how much longer bones took to mend after a person turned forty. After that came the standard medical advice which she knew they had to offer each and every visit.
Get extra rest. Maintain a proper diet. Limit activities for another two weeks. No active duty until she returned for yet another follow-up.
It was the last pronouncement that had her sighing. She couldn’t decide whether it was with consternation or relief.
Glancing at Gower, she saw a twinkling in his gaze that told her he’d missed nothing the doctor had said. She couldn’t stifle her relieved sigh when the doctor finally announced she could return home.
“See that you take it easy for a few more days, Gunny.”
“Yes, sir. I will do my best.” Melina answered automatically.
She snorted in disbelief when the doctor turned to Gower.
“I’ll help her if she’ll let me,” Gower said with a shrug, reading the unspoken question in the doctor’s gaze.
“Try hard with her, Beckett.”
Gower grinned at the doctor who’d remembered him and gave a mock salute over the order.
“Yes, Sir. I would like nothing better than to try anything hard I can with Gunny Angel. Could you write her a prescription? It might increase my chances.”
Melina slapped his arm hard the moment the door closed behind the grinning doctor. “Now he thinks we’re a fucking couple,” she accused. “Do you know the shit I’m going to get if he passes that around?”
Gower’s satisfied male laugh echoed in the small room. It was almost louder than Melina’s continued swearing over having outed them to the world.
Chapter 7
Melina told herself that going out so early was not because she was being a coward. Leaving her condo this morning was simply a prudent measure to avoid an overly solicitous former SEAL who kept returning. Gower seemed determined to insinuate himself in her life whether she wanted him there or not. Since her mind and her body were on completely differently pages about the matter, steering clear of the sexy annoyance seemed the wisest course of action.
Pushing open the door of her favorite pet store just after they opened, she hobbled inside. The cane added a clip-clop sound to her movements, but it beat the rubber dragging sound of the stupid crutches. She decided to be grateful for the small things.
Moving slowly down the aisles of dog food and various sizes of pet beds, she made her way to the back of the store where the local shelter animals were rotated through each week. Volunteers came in to care for the visiting shelter animals and to man the desk for the pet store. She would have liked to have done that once in a while, but her duty schedule had never allowed time for it.
Waving at the elderly man manning the desk, she smiled in recognition as she slowly covered the remaining distance between them.
“Hey Joe. What do you know?”
“What do I know? I know you’re a Lookie Lou who doesn’t ever take any of my babies home. What happened to your leg, Ms. Marine? I’ve never seen you limping before.”
“You should have seen me on the crutches. This cane is great compared to them.” She shrugged off the concern she heard in his voice. “It’s nothing serious. Just a work accident. I’m off though until it heals. What have you got to show me today, Joe?”
“Depends. You finally calling it quits and settling down to have a normal life?”
Melina sighed over the question. It seemed like everyone was rushing her to make a decision. All she wanted this morning was a break. Evidently, she wasn’t catching one here.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me. I just needed to dream a little today. Tell you what, Joe. Show me something to make me want to settle down.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the cages inside a glass room. “I know you need them young for what you got in mind. I have a couple Pomeranians. They’re not puppies, but might be trainable. They’re not quite a year yet.”
Melina shook her head. “No. Poms are not my breed… and don’t lay any guilt trips on me. Families will snap those two up. You know that. Keep going.”
She watched Joe shrug and glance behind him again.
“Okay. I also got a Doberman with great potential. He’s very attentive when you talk to him. But someone else is interested in him for a watchdog, so I’d have to waitlist you if you wanted him.”
“Good thing I don’t then, but I am surprised he’s lasted this long. Was he abused?” Melina asked. She didn’t want to start her show training with trying to heal an abused dog.
“No. Not that I was told, but then I just prep them for Lookie Lous like you,” he said teasing her. “Alright—don’t frown at me, woman. Your glare gives me the willies. I can only imagine what effect it has on the men in your life.”
“They all quak
e in their boots when they see me,” Melina declared, grinning at the idea because she liked thinking it after being accused of mothering her green recruits.
“Whatever happened to that SEAL guy you used to hang with, Melina? You were a good couple. And I know you liked him because you brought him in here several times. That tells me you were sharing your dreams with the man.”
Melina shook her head. “What can I say? It wasn’t meant to be, Joe. He’s already moved on. I’m not the marrying kind anyway. What else is back there?”
Joe rubbed his jaw. “The only other thing I have that you might like is a little female Cocker Spaniel. She had her first litter of pups two months ago. The owner let her wean them, then put her in here. I think the little cutie is still trying to figure out what’s happened to her. There’s no more puppies in her future though. That’s the cost of utilizing these luxurious accommodations.”
“No future puppies is okay by me. We’ll have that in common. Let me see the Cocker,” Melina ordered.
She walked stiffly to the door of the glass room. Joe carried a light-weight folding chair inside and motioned for her to sit in it. While she made her way to the seat, Joe busied himself letting a blondish-red Cocker Spaniel out of her cage.
“By the way… her name is Princess.”
Melina rolled her eyes and then laughed. “Aren’t they all?”
“Not all… but at least two or three a month,” Joe answered.
Without waiting for an invitation, Princess ran straight to her. The dog jumped from the floor into her lap in one graceful leap. Melina smiled and ran a hand down the dog’s fur as Princess hunkered down and cuddled her warm body deeply into her arms.
She heard Joe laughing at the dog’s instant reaction, but she understood it completely. It was how she felt every time Gower Beckett came around. She wanted to jump into his lap and cuddle. There had been a decided lack of cuddling in her life. Empathy alone made her want to take the lonely Cocker home with her.
“Wow, Melina. Princess really likes you. If you don’t walk out of here with that lovely, little dog, something’s wrong with that heart of yours.”
Melina snickered at his ploy. “Good one, Joe. Really tugs on the old heartstrings. Her previous owner was probably a female. You can tell she’s been completely spoiled to having constant human interaction because she hasn’t budged since she got up here. How could I ever give her enough of this? My life isn’t like that.”
Joe shrugged. “Most people figure it out—even military people. Most get to have husbands and kids and pets—just like everyone else. Tell you what—I’m going to lock you in here with her for a while so you can have a good visit. Take your time and enjoy all that doggy love. I’ll come back and put her away in a few minutes if you’re not taking her.”
Melina nodded as Joe stepped out. She looked down at the reddish-blonde bundle of curls lying contentedly in her lap and sighed. The dog sighed too and leaned against her chest in bliss.
“You certainly are a cutie. Joe’s right about that.”
When the dog whined in response, Melina petted the animal and rubbed behind her ears. Princess sighed again and the dog’s visible relief to be petted made her laugh at a similar desperation mirrored in herself. That was the thing she liked about dogs. They loved you back.
As she continued to stroke Princess, all her pending decisions disappeared. Instead, she imagined the two of them dressed in their finest clothes and trotting out to the show ring in front of judges. Princess would probably love having that kind of attention. Maybe she would too.
“I’m just a crazy woman with crazy dreams, aren’t I?” she asked as she scratched behind Princess’s ears again.
She laughed harder when Princess answered her back with several tiny barks.
***
Gower stood by a tall stack of dog beds, pretending interest in them. What he was really interested in was the laughing woman now sitting in a room full of canine cages with a small dog cuddled up on her lap. She petted, talked to the dog, and then laughed when it barked answers. It was nearly too cute for words. His heart contracted the same way it did when he hugged his son.
Damn. He really shouldn’t have followed her here. What he was seeing was obviously a private moment. Coming after her was practically stalking. Okay—it was stalking, but it had been an impulse. He’d almost called out to her when he drove up and saw her walking slowly down the street with her cane. He’d wanted to offer to drive her anywhere she wanted to go, but he knew by now she would refuse.
The woman was independent to a fault. She’d only accepted his help when he’d cornered her and given her no choice in the matter. It was a good bet Melina was hurrying off just to avoid him.
Curiosity about her destination had him acting in ways he normally wouldn’t. Or maybe he was bored with her keeping him at arm’s length. Whatever his real motivation, in practice he’d found himself following Melina slowly at a distance.
Two blocks passed with him tailing her unnoticed, and then he’d seen her go into the pet store.
He’d quietly driven back to her building and parked in the guest lot. Soon after, he reacted to his need to know she was okay, so he’d retraced her steps to the pet store.
Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh had been worth the subterfuge… but he still didn’t want to risk her seeing him spying on her. That would for sure piss her off.
But why would she torment herself? A military person living alone could never have a dog. Yet it sounded like she was a frequent visitor. Shipping out overnight would never allow time to make plans for a pet’s care. Without a spouse keeping the home fires burning, owning a pet could never be more than a dream.
Gower moved away when he saw the area attendant unlock the cage room and reenter. Through the open door, he saw the dog more clearly than before. It looked like a Cocker Spaniel—only smaller—much smaller. Maybe it was one of those miniature breeds.
A swift pang of guilt hit him as the man took the dog from Melina’s lap. Dillon wanted a dog badly. But they weren’t settled enough to own a pet either. And Dillon was still pretty young.
He’d also been avoiding getting a pet because he knew he’d be doing most of the work. What would happen when he got a job? He was already worried about lining up a sitter for Dillon.
Gower ducked his head when he heard the door open to the room. He heard the cane making a terrible sound as it accidently hit something when she turned in the doorway to look back at the cages. Keeping his head low, he moved a row over. While unable to see anything over the shelving, he was able to still pick up Melina’s conversation.
Even without seeing her, he could tell she wanted the dog—wanted the dog badly. He could hear the longing in her voice. Melina explained to the attendant that she didn’t see how she could possibly swing it with her current life situation.
He technically agreed because he felt the same way about a pet… but damn it.
Gower crossed his arms, feeling sorry for Melina as she made her final excuses and left.
Chapter 8
She’d barely closed the door of her condo when the chime sounded. Sighing, Melina turned back and pulled it open. Seeing who it was, she left the door wide and turned again to make her way to a chair. She badly needed to sit after her not-so-wise, cane-assisted hike to the pet store.
“Come in, Beckett. I know you’re going to anyway.”
Gower grinned as he stepped across the threshold and closed the door. “Boy, we need to work on your greetings. Hi Gower. Good to see you. Hi Melina. It’s good to see you too. Come on—try it with me. It’s called being friendly.”
Melina didn’t answer his sarcastic comments until she was seated with her foot propped up.
“Why do you come here every day? Is this one of those cases where I saved your ass, so now I own it for life? It sure feels that way.”
“No. But I like how you’re thinking about my ass. I know I keep thinking similar thoughts about yours,” Gower tease
d, walking over to sit across from her. “You look tired, Melina. Did you go out for a morning walk?”
Melina snorted. “My damn Sergeant Major isn’t as nosy as you are.”
Gower chuckled at her complaining, mostly because there was no venom in it today. “I’d be willing to bet he’s that nosy with his wife… or girlfriend. That’s a hint about why I’m here by the way. Keep trying to guess. I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon.”
Melina sighed. “I took a long walk this morning and now I’m paying for it. Apparently the cast gave me more support than I knew. I fucked up going out. End of story.”
Shaking his head, Gower rose and went to retrieve a dining chair from her small kitchen table. He brought it back and sat facing her. He patted his lap. “Foot up. I need to rub that ankle so it doesn’t swell on you. As you may recall, I’m an expert at rubbing.”
“And at innuendo,” Melina added. His grin was infectious and she ended up grinning back. “You’re a pain in my ass, Beckett.”
“Never,” Gower declared, reaching down to lift her foot. “I’m not into high country rear entry maneuvers. I’m a straight forward kind of sexual partner. Doggie style only by mutual agreement and I’m extremely careful.”
Melina snorted and then chuckled. “Do you ever listen to what you’re saying? You sound like a male prostitute.”
Gower smiled at the insult as he pulled off her shoe. He left her sock on so her foot wouldn’t get cold. “What I’m saying is that I’m an honest, fairly trustworthy guy who deserves a chance to be your bed partner.”
Melina closed her eyes. “And I suppose you think I should sleep with you because you’re such an expert on rubbing my feet?”
“No,” Gower said softly. “You should sleep with me because you want to sleep with me. There really isn’t any other good reason for that sort of thing. But I am a nice guy. I’m not over-selling myself.”
Melina closed her eyes. Hell. He was a nice guy. She couldn’t argue that fact. He’d been nothing but nice to her. It was just… he was so young. And she was so… what? Jaded? Cynical? D—all the above?
Hot SEALs: SEALed For Life (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5
