Did it?
Yes.
Well, maybe.
She took pause, weighing the notion in her head. Her cheeks scorched as she thought about all the spectacular sex they’d been having. And the threesome…God, the threesome. Her body still tingled at the memory, and yet as amazing as last night had been, she wasn’t looking for a repeat performance. A fantasy fulfilled, that was how she viewed it, and she couldn’t see the whole ménage thing becoming a habit.
Besides, Cash McCoy didn’t need outside assistance to satisfy her. The man was perfectly capable of driving her wild all by his lonesome.
But his superior bedroom skills weren’t the only things she liked about him. He might be gruff and intense at times, but he was also funny, sweet, smart…and a military man to the core. He’d confessed his desire to go to officer school, which told her he was committed to the military life, and he was still young, which meant he had at least another decade or two before he rode a desk at the base.
Regret rippled through her. No matter how much she liked Cash, she didn’t want that kind of life. She’d already watched her mother struggle, and now she had to watch her sister-in-law suffer the same fate, spending long stretches apart from her husband, unable to talk to him anymore because they felt like strangers.
When a knock came on the door, Jen made a beeline for the front hall, needing the distraction. She peered into the peephole and found her brother’s cloudy blue eyes staring back at her. Instantly, her mood sank even lower. She hadn’t spoken to Carson since she and Cash had witnessed his coffee date with that redhead, and she was not looking forward to the argument that lay ahead.
“What’s up?” Carson said once she let him in. “Your messages sounded cryptic. All seven of them.”
He looked annoyed as he followed her into the living room. “Want something to drink?” she asked, stalling.
“No.” He flopped down on the couch and glanced around warily. “Where’s McCoy?”
She sighed. “Being a hero.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the big, bad soldier is determined to have it out with Brendan.” She settled in the armchair and tucked her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “Brendan managed to get my cell number from Tessa.”
“Psycho McGee was bothering Tessa? And Cash is meeting with him now? Where?”
When her brother started to get up, Jen said, “Oh, sit down already. Cash is probably on his way home, so you’d be too late to back him up.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
Suspicion crept into his voice. “Why did McCoy go after Brendan?”
“He’s just being a good friend.” She quickly changed the subject before he could grill her further. “I talked to Holly, by the way.”
Carson’s shoulders stiffened. “When?”
“Sunday, after we left Mom and Dad’s house. She told me you two aren’t connecting.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Jenny.” Visible discomfort creased her brother’s features.
“Tough shit, because you’re going to.”
She took a breath. How on earth did she even start? Hey, big brother, are you cheating on your wife? The direct approach probably would be best, but a part of her didn’t want to ask the question for fear of what his answer would be.
Exhaling, she slid her knees down and placed her palms on her thighs. “Look, I need to ask you something. I know it’s none of my business, but I—”
A cell phone rang.
She suppressed a groan as Carson held up his hand and said, “I gotta get this.” He fished his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, Beck, what’s doing?”
Jen’s heart dropped. Beck. Thomas Becker, Carson’s CO.
Carson listened for a few seconds, a frown marring his mouth. The frown deepened the longer Becker talked, and then Carson said, “Fucking hell!” and shot to his feet. “Yeah, I’ll meet you there.”
She stood up too, fighting a tremor of panic. “What’s wrong? Are you going overseas?”
“No,” he said in a clipped tone.
“Then what’s going on?”
“What’s going on? McCoy and his band of idiots got arrested, that’s what’s going on.”
“What?”
Carson was already marching to the door. “I’ve gotta go. Someone needs to bail their sorry asses out of jail.”
“Wait, I’m coming with you!”
He glanced over his shoulder and shot her a firm look. “Out of the question. You’re staying here and locking the door behind me. I’ll call you when I know more.” And then he strode out the door, slamming it loudly behind him.
“Great job, McCoy. Great fucking job.”
Cash scowled at Seth from across the holding cell. “Nobody asked you to join in and defend my honor.”