seriously.” If Brad declared his interest, there was no telling where Maria
might go. His brother had charm down to a science and lacked that intensity
that seemed to annoy most of Mike’s exes.
“Then why not ask her out as more than a fuck-buddy?” Brad
held up his hands in surrender but didn’t stop talking. “Because you can call
it what you want, but that’s all you guys are.”
“I’m smoothing my way into her good graces.”
“Bullshit. You’re the king of no commitment. None of your
girlfriends last more than a few months. What gives?”
Mike blew out a breath. “Truthfully? I don’t know. I’m
looking for someone intelligent, sexy, and not needy. I can’t do clingy, and
they all seem to want more than I can give.”
“Maria doesn’t.”
“No, she doesn’t.” And that bothered him. He couldn’t figure
her out. “I’m confused. The woman wanted me for years, then all of a sudden,
she’s over me just when I notice she’s got a kickass body.”
“Not to mention she’s smart, funny, and pleasant to be around,”
Brad added drily.
“Fuck off. I always knew that about her. But I didn’t see
her as more than Olivia’s buddy. Now she’s…” All I can think about.
“Going to be gone if you don’t make a move. Not by me,” Brad
said. “But by Bobby or some other guy. Hell, two of my friends at lunch
yesterday asked for her number. I said she was taken, but if you don’t get it
together, she’s going to be pretty available.”
“I know.” Mike felt miserable. “But I’m too young to be
attached at the hip.”
Brad stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“All my married friends complain about being married, that
or they’re divorced and bitching about lawyers,” he admitted, hating to realize
he was afraid. Afraid of failing where his parents had succeeded. And Mike
never failed. It wasn’t in his makeup, so better not to try than risk a
letdown. “I guess I don’t want to make a mistake. The fact is, I’m going to be
deployed again at some point. Marriage to a Marine is hard. I don’t want a wife
who’ll stray or lose it altogether.”
“Wait. Wife?” Brad blinked. “You’re thinking marriage?”
“Huh? No. ”
“You are.”
“I’m not.” He wiped his forehead. “Shit. Forget I said
anything.” Just as he wished he could forget it. But with Maria in the picture,
he kept seeing into the future and coming up…scared.
Brad narrowed his gaze. “Mom and Dad are not the exception,
you know. A few of my friends are happily married. And yes, for more than a few
months,” he added before Mike could question him. “Quit being a pussy and take
Maria seriously. Or, I’m telling you, she’ll find someone else who will.”
“You—”
“And not me, you
jealous moron! Now let’s get to wiping down all these surfaces you no doubt
defiled with Maria. If I wasn’t so envious of your sex life, I’d be disgusted.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m not forgetting this talk, either. I plan to continue to
remind you to be a man. Dickless.”
“I’ve heard enough.”
Brad tried to escape, but Mike had him on the floor, pinned
and gasping for breath. All the while wondering how best to deal with Maria
without putting his heart on the line. If that was even still an option.
****
Maria hadn’t been so nervous since first begging Mike to
sign her cast after she’d broken her arm at age nine. When he hadn’t rejected
her, she’d nearly passed out from the thrill of his name on her body. A lot
like she felt now.
After a full day in Myrtle Beach bouncing ideas off Olivia,
Maria had come to the realization that just because Mike was afraid to admit he like -liked her didn’t mean she should
do the same. She’d spent enough time with him to know their physical connection
was something special. And his jealousy—as Olivia agreed—gave her hope he
wanted more.
She could take it slow, but they needed to have a
boyfriend/girlfriend
might go. His brother had charm down to a science and lacked that intensity
that seemed to annoy most of Mike’s exes.
“Then why not ask her out as more than a fuck-buddy?” Brad
held up his hands in surrender but didn’t stop talking. “Because you can call
it what you want, but that’s all you guys are.”
“I’m smoothing my way into her good graces.”
“Bullshit. You’re the king of no commitment. None of your
girlfriends last more than a few months. What gives?”
Mike blew out a breath. “Truthfully? I don’t know. I’m
looking for someone intelligent, sexy, and not needy. I can’t do clingy, and
they all seem to want more than I can give.”
“Maria doesn’t.”
“No, she doesn’t.” And that bothered him. He couldn’t figure
her out. “I’m confused. The woman wanted me for years, then all of a sudden,
she’s over me just when I notice she’s got a kickass body.”
“Not to mention she’s smart, funny, and pleasant to be around,”
Brad added drily.
“Fuck off. I always knew that about her. But I didn’t see
her as more than Olivia’s buddy. Now she’s…” All I can think about.
“Going to be gone if you don’t make a move. Not by me,” Brad
said. “But by Bobby or some other guy. Hell, two of my friends at lunch
yesterday asked for her number. I said she was taken, but if you don’t get it
together, she’s going to be pretty available.”
“I know.” Mike felt miserable. “But I’m too young to be
attached at the hip.”
Brad stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“All my married friends complain about being married, that
or they’re divorced and bitching about lawyers,” he admitted, hating to realize
he was afraid. Afraid of failing where his parents had succeeded. And Mike
never failed. It wasn’t in his makeup, so better not to try than risk a
letdown. “I guess I don’t want to make a mistake. The fact is, I’m going to be
deployed again at some point. Marriage to a Marine is hard. I don’t want a wife
who’ll stray or lose it altogether.”
“Wait. Wife?” Brad blinked. “You’re thinking marriage?”
“Huh? No. ”
“You are.”
“I’m not.” He wiped his forehead. “Shit. Forget I said
anything.” Just as he wished he could forget it. But with Maria in the picture,
he kept seeing into the future and coming up…scared.
Brad narrowed his gaze. “Mom and Dad are not the exception,
you know. A few of my friends are happily married. And yes, for more than a few
months,” he added before Mike could question him. “Quit being a pussy and take
Maria seriously. Or, I’m telling you, she’ll find someone else who will.”
“You—”
“And not me, you
jealous moron! Now let’s get to wiping down all these surfaces you no doubt
defiled with Maria. If I wasn’t so envious of your sex life, I’d be disgusted.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m not forgetting this talk, either. I plan to continue to
remind you to be a man. Dickless.”
“I’ve heard enough.”
Brad tried to escape, but Mike had him on the floor, pinned
and gasping for breath. All the while wondering how best to deal with Maria
without putting his heart on the line. If that was even still an option.
****
Maria hadn’t been so nervous since first begging Mike to
sign her cast after she’d broken her arm at age nine. When he hadn’t rejected
her, she’d nearly passed out from the thrill of his name on her body. A lot
like she felt now.
After a full day in Myrtle Beach bouncing ideas off Olivia,
Maria had come to the realization that just because Mike was afraid to admit he like -liked her didn’t mean she should
do the same. She’d spent enough time with him to know their physical connection
was something special. And his jealousy—as Olivia agreed—gave her hope he
wanted more.
She could take it slow, but they needed to have a
boyfriend/girlfriend
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