Free Hot Pursuit: Hot Zone, Book 5 by Denise A. Agnew Page B

phone right now and assure himself she hadn’t decided to take back the scum. Jealousy surged upward when it shouldn’t, but an even stronger emotion followed. Worry. If the guy was that possessive, that violent when drunk—
    Stop. Just stop. Take a deep breath. It was her business and not his, but damn, he wanted to make it his business.
    He sucked in one breath and released it slowly. This wasn’t combat.
    A tiny twinge of worry remained inside him. What if…what if Lucy didn’t want anything to do with him because of the sexual harassment bull crap? Then maybe she isn’t for you. He’d have to live with it and move on. But damn it, his feelings for Lucy went far beyond what he’d felt for Shelly. Way beyond.
    Vic tossed his coat, socks, hat and gloves onto the bed. The room was decorated for female sensibilities—nothing male at all. Frills, gingham, ruffles. The gas fireplace was cold, and he fired it up by hitting the switch near the mantle. He rubbed his hands together and stood by the fire, contemplating. A while longer and it was back to Fort Carson. His thigh no longer ached, and sex with Lucy had proved he’d returned to one hundred percent. On the other hand, his mind hadn’t. He didn’t want to return to the Middle East right away, and he probably had six months before anyone considered sending him back, but he did want to fight for his fellow soldiers to make sure they came home safely. He’d do what he had to. If going back sooner meant he could help, he would. Two tours in the Middle East should be enough for any sane man, but maybe sanity had departed him long ago.
    He rubbed his forehead and sighed. He’d almost called Lucy a half dozen times even though he’d told her to call him. He’d almost asked Marisa to give him Lucy’s cell-phone number.
    Maybe he’d pushed Lucy too far when he’d left her after they’d had sex. A hollow had grown inside Vic. The last time a woman had affected him like this had been when he was the ripe young age of twenty-five. He was too old to obsess now. At least he’d thought he was until Lucy Creed walked back into his life.
    His cell phone rang, and he grabbed it out of the phone holster on his belt. “Yeah.”
    “Yeah? Did your mother teach you to answer a phone that way?” Jake asked.
    Vic snorted. “Yeah. What’s up? You guys miss me already?”
    “Sorry to bother you, but Marisa had a wild idea right after you left. She called her friends and wants to have a small going away party for you before you leave.”
    Surprised, Vic almost didn’t know what to say. “Uh…that’s really nice, but she doesn’t have to do that.”
    “I know, but once Marisa gets an idea in her head, it’s not easy to stop her.”
    Vic chuckled. “I believe it.”
    “Come on. Humor me. I’ll be there and probably Sean, Keith and Mitch.”
    Damn . “Wait a minute. Lucy Creed is friends with Marisa, right?”
    “Good friends. Why? Are you afraid to be in the same room with her?”
    “I might be.”
    Jake laughed. “Man up. You’ve been to war. You can handle one woman.”
    Vic fell back on the frou-frou bed and stared up at the canopy. “You sure about that?”
    “Hell, no. Women can be a hell of a lot more dangerous than a firefight.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    “We’ll have the party with or without you.”
    Vic made an impulsive decision. “I’ll be there. Drop me a note and let me know the time and what to bring.”
    “Nothing to bring. You’ll be the guest of honor.”
    He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been a guest of honor at anything, and he felt humbled beyond words. “Thanks, Jake.”
    They signed off and Vic stared at the phone. Then, like a sign from heaven, it rang again.
    He answered the phone and discovered it was Lucy.
    “Vic.” She sounded breathless. “Are you still in town?”
    “Absolutely.”
    She sighed, and the sound was weary. Concern touched him and he sat up. “You okay?”
    “Of course. Why do you