Free Tied Up in Knots by Mary Calmes Page A

gone?”
    “I—”
    “No, you have to really think about it.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t.”
    I shivered because I was in underwear and a T-shirt and nothing else.
    “You being upset ’cause I’m leaving you and missing me and waiting for me to come back—I’m thinking there are worse things.”
    I grunted and then gestured at the dog. “You get to dry him now; I’ma take a shower and then I’ll make some dinner.”
    He nodded and left for the laundry room where Chickie’s towel was hanging from a peg by the back door.
    I was freezing, so instead of putting on clothes, I took a really hot, really fast shower. I was drying off when the bathroom door opened and Ian came through.
    “It’s all yours,” I said, stepping aside.
    He barred my path.
    I stopped towel drying my hair and looked at him.
    Ian had beautiful eyes that were this clear, vivid blue, creased in the corners by the greatest laugh lines anyone had ever seen. At the moment, though, they were marked with worry and pain. I felt like crap knowing I was some of the reason.
    “I hate that you’re a reservist,” I blurted.
    “I know.”
    “But don’t ever confuse that with how I feel about you.”
    He nodded.
    “Are we clear?”
    Second nod.
    I went to move around him, but again, he stepped into my path. When I smiled, I heard his sigh of relief. “I wanna feed you so you’ll still think it’s a good thing to have me pick you up at the airport.”
    He closed the slight distance between us and put his hands on my hips. “It’ll always be a good idea. I’m sorry I didn’t do it before.”
    The silky rasp of his voice made my pulse jump, and I moved that quickly from how sweet the man was, to how sexy, to how long it had been since he was in my bed.
    When he touched me, the groan that came out of me was needy and desperate. The dirty grin I got from Ian, all heat and lust, sent blood rushing to my cock.
    “Oh yeah, I had different plans,” he husked, leaning in and taking my mouth in a hungry kiss that left no question of what those were.
    But my brain was playing the conversation over and over and my heart was hurting, so just because he got what he wanted didn’t mean I was ready to go all warm and willing on him.
    Easing him off me, I tried to smile and left the bathroom, promising him food as I went.
    “What was that?” he asked, stalking around in front of me as I reached our closet. An armoire that held underwear, briefs, and T-shirts, as well as socks, stood inside of it because we’d needed more space. Well, I had. Ian’s wardrobe was minimalist to say the least.
    “What was what?”
    He studied me a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. “What’re you gonna make?”
    I sighed, thankful that he wasn’t pushing. “Aruna made roasted jerk chicken with carrots and potatoes for us. All I have to do is warm it up.”
    “When did she bring that over?”
    “Yesterday,” I said, shucking the towel and pulling on a pair of briefs. “And oh, I gotta tell you something.”
    He listened as I told him about Janet being pregnant and then smiled as I gently patted his cheek before ducking out of the room.
    I darted back into the bathroom just to use the requisite items so I didn’t smell and my hair didn’t stick straight up. Down in the kitchen a few minutes later, I was going to open a bottle of wine, but thought better of it because Ian wasn’t a fan.
    “Hey.”
    I walked into the living room so I could look up at him in the loft. I was surprised he was standing there naked, and it hurt to see so many new bruises. There were also stiches beneath his collarbone on the right side.
    “That looks bad,” I said, pointing.
    “That’s what you’re looking at?” he teased, the grin absolutely lethal.
    I gave him a shrug.
    “Tough room.”
    “You could have been killed.”
    He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
    “It needed a needle and thread.”
    “A long time ago,” he informed me.
    “Couldn’t have