Free Skin Deep by Katie Blu Page B

and lowered his voice. “Did he tell you how Nebraska died?”
    “No, nor should he. Isn’t that military confidential?” she asked.
    “You were engaged to him. Don’t you want to know?”
    “I wasn’t engaged. I was dating him,” she corrected.
    “Your mom said he had a ring.”
    “He did. He hadn’t asked me yet. And before you go off about him being another one of your team members, that’s just coincidence. I met him when I worked in the administration building after I graduated.”
    “Of course you did.” His tone said he didn’t believe her.
    “He asked me out the second summer.”
    “So hooking up with Hotch was coincidence too?” her father asked.
    “It was Troy’s funeral. I wouldn’t have met Hotch otherwise.”
    “Nebraska’s funeral and his Brutus was there to see it and sweep his buddy’s girl straight into the sack and knock her up. How convenient for both of you.”
    “Get out,” she snarled.
    “A team leader should have protected Nebraska. Ask him how Nebraska died.” He turned and walked to the front door. At the last moment, hand on the knob, he looked back at her. “You know, my house will be empty while I’m away too. You have memories there. You’re just as welcome to stay in your childhood home as a stranger’s. I’ll give you the same deal you have going with Hotch. Free room and board. Hell, I’ll even chip in a tidy allowance. Think about it.”
    He left before she could throw something at him.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Tomorrow Hotch had to return to duty. She’d debated asking him about Troy all week and hadn’t built up the nerve. She needed to, though. She couldn’t keep living in this altered state of reality where she pretended to have a family and a home, only to wonder if it was more of a lie than she already knew it to be.
    The wind off the Atlantic kicked up. Toby wriggled his bare toes into the wet white sand. His tiny fists wrapped around her fingers as the tide just touched his feet before retreating. He took a wobbly step with her help. A tendril of her dark hair whipped across her face and she turned into the wind to knock it back.
    Hotch came up behind her, wet, cold, dripping, and grabbed her hips to pull them against his groin.
    “Geez, Hotch. Just because I’m bent over doesn’t mean I’m begging for it.”
    He laughed. “I know, babe, but I can’t help myself. That tight ass looked too tempting to ignore.”
    “Did you have a good swim?” she asked.
    Hotch crouched beside Toby. “It was okay. The tide is a little bit rough, but I got my five miles in.”
    “Did you hear that, Toby? He’s all done for the morning. That means he can play!” she said in a high-pitched voice.
    Hotch tickled him and Toby laughed until he couldn’t hold on and plopped his bottom to the sand. The slight drop jarred him, and he tipped his head back to look up at her with huge watery eyes. His bottom lip began to tremble.
    Hotch swept in, lifted him high, then brought him in for a tummy flub. Erin couldn’t help but laugh with them when Toby’s peals filled the air. In such a short time, Toby had fallen hard for his daddy. Her heart kicked a little faster. Erin had fallen for him too. Except for a few important things. Like the fact that he was a SEAL and that her father had left a nagging doubt in her mind about Hotch’s involvement in Troy’s death.
    He was leaving tomorrow. She either asked now, or never. Erin took a deep breath. Whatever it was, she knew it wouldn’t be pretty. Her father never would have suggested she ask if he didn’t know something that would bother her.
    “Hotch?”
    Hotch swung Toby to his hip. Toby squirmed to get down, so Hotch set him on the sand, then crouched near him. Erin sat down behind Toby, offering her body as support in case he fell backward. He wouldn’t. He’d been sitting too well for too long to fall over, but she did it anyway.
    “How did Troy die?”
    Hotch’s gaze shot to hers. “I can’t