Free Burning Bright by A. Catherine Noon Page B

Mario?”
    Carlos sipped his coffee. “He was in our unit. He’s the cook now. He lives with his huge family that bugs him to produce grandkids.”
    Sasha chuckled.
    “What was your interview for?”
    “A new post at Northwestern, in Veterinary Medicine.” He glanced over to find Carlos studying him with every appearance of interest. He explained more of the job.
    “When do you find out?”
    “In a couple of weeks.” Sasha sneaked a peak at Carlos’s ass as he loaded the dishwasher, but Carlos turned his head and caught him at it. Sasha flushed with a surge of heat that made him dizzy.
    Carlos didn’t seem to mind. “Wow, you’re really full on, aren’t you?”
    Sasha frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “You don’t like girls?”
    He shrugged. “I’ve experimented, like anyone else. I like girls, they just don’t get me hot. I knew pretty early on I liked men. Why?”
    “I like to keep my options open.”
    Sasha shrugged and turned to reach for the stack of plates waiting to be rinsed. “I came out when I was twenty-two, but by then it was a formality. Turns out, my aunt and the rest of my coven already knew. I thought my dad would kill me, but he was really cool about it.”
    “What’s he think about you moving here?”
    “He died when I was in college.”
    Carlos’s eyes widened. “Wow. I’m really sorry.”
    “Thanks.”
    “What about your mom?”
    “She was upset I wouldn’t give her any grandkids. You know how her generation is. I’m an only child and my mom was pretty protective of me, since she wanted a big family and they almost didn’t even have me.”
    “Mama’s boy, huh?”
    “Shut up.”
    Sasha wiped down the table and turned back to find Carlos right behind him. He stopped, inches away, eyes locked on Carlos’s lips. Full and soft-looking, they quirked up into a grin. He flushed and stepped back.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled.
    The door sprang open and Paul appeared. “God dammit, Neal!”
    “What? I’m busy,” Neal shouted from the bathroom.
    “Tell him somebody’s busting up the Charger,” Paul snarled at Sasha and raced into the hall. Carlos blinked and then shot after him.
    Neal burst out of the bathroom. Sasha frowned, amazed that Neal could hear while in the other room and the speed with which he moved. Sprinting after Neal, Sasha couldn’t seem to catch up until he joined the men in the alley. He vowed to ramp up his running again; he must be way out of shape.
    He listened while yet another huge man explained what happened. “…after TJ yells on the radio that we have company in the car lot, I come out as the welcome wagon and must’ve scared them off.”
    Sasha could understand the reaction. This new man had Marine stamped all over him, literally, with USMC tattooed on his biceps. Over six feet tall, he possessed more muscles than any of the men Sasha met to date. The assault rifle probably helped too.
    Paul made the introductions. “Doc, this is Mario, the cook.”
    Sasha blinked and the other man glared at Paul, who grinned back. Then the new man’s attention switched to him. Swinging the rifle over his shoulder and behind his back, he reached out huge arms and engulfed Sasha in a bear hug.
    “I heard about you and how you got hurt. You okay, little guy?”
    “Fine, except my ribs.” Sasha blinked away the tears that the hug caused. That nickname better not stick… “Call me Doc. Everyone else does.” After being released, he got an awkward pat on the shoulder instead. “How did TJ know what was going on?”
    “We have a camera on the private lot, because it’s so far from the back door.”
    Joining the men walking down the alley, they drew nearer to Neal. Neal had run past them to check the damage to his car and no one seemed in a hurry to interrupt his inspection. He kept circling the Charger, his boots making crunching noises in the glass scattered over the pavement. His silence was kinda scary. Sasha winced seeing the broken windshield and