door and then it sounded like you fell, so I was going to, um.”
“Check on me?” she started laughing, “ See how I was doing?”
“Well,” he met her eyes only briefly before dropping his gaze again, “I was actually not trying to see anything. I was going to – hey. Your foot is wet.”
She sat down and began taking off the bandages, “Yes. Well, when I realized someone was breaking into my room, getting out of the tub seemed more important than keeping my foot dry.”
The old Captain Reed returned, “I’ll go get some fresh bandages from my room.”
Anna blinked at the change. She watched him leave and reached for a brush to untangle some of the snarls. She didn’t have time to get all the way through it before he was back, supplies in hand.
He grasped her ankle and put her foot on the bed, “Have you taken your antibiotics yet?”
“No, but I will.”
He dried her foot and put a new bandage on, “You know, it isn’t great to get the stitches wet either.”
“How about sweaty? Like from running?”
He frowned up at her, “You planning on running on this?”
She shook her head, “I was talking about your stitches. The ones Hall put in.”
He shrugged, “It’s not like they were getting soaked in a tub.”
“They must have gotten soaked in the shower just now. You smell too good to have just dunked your head.”
He laughed, “Did I smell that bad before?”
“Oh, yes,” she nodded, face serious.
He looked embarrassed, “Sorry about that. I don’t think the guys always . . .we’re used to it and there wasn’t time,” he stood up.
“Reed,” she grabbed his attention, “I was just kidding.”
He met her eyes, “Nice.”
She put her foot down on the floor and scooted over on the bed. He didn’t take the hint to sit next to her.
“You’re not married, are you, Reed?”
He didn’t need to answer her. It wasn’t a question.
He answered her anyway, “You’re implying that seeing one woman’s body is the same as seeing another.”
She shrugged, “We’re built pretty much the same. Ankles, legs, hips,” she stopped speaking at the look on his face.
“It’s not the same,” his voice sounded a little hoarse.
She waited for him to explain.
He pulled the chair over and straddled it, “I wasn’t really into girls in high school.”
She raised an eyebrow, “You weren’t into them or they weren’t into you?”
“I guess it was the second.”
“And since then?”
“I came in at eighteen and joined the Green Berets at twenty one. There haven’t been a lot of opportunities to mix with women.”
She was confused, “I realize there are no women in the Green Berets, but you brush elbows every day with women.”
“Female soldiers,” he corrected. “It’s not the same thing.”
“So, you’re saying you keep it separate?”
“I do.”
“As long as we keep all our clothes on.”
He rested his forehead on the back of the chair, “I think I’m too tired to have this conversation.”
Anna reached out and touched his hand, “Go to bed, Reed. I’ll lock the door after you.”
He did as he was told and she hooked the chain after him. She had just climbed into bed when she heard a thumping.
“Reed?” she spoke through the wall.
It was silent for a while, but he finally answered, “I’m okay.”
“What happened?”
Quiet again.
“Reed?”
“I was just banging my head against the wall.”
She laughed, “Goodnight, Reed.”
“Night, Barnes.”
CHAPTER NINE
Anna was definitely not ready to get up when she heard a knocking at her door the following morning.
She glanced at the clock, squinting. What she saw made her eyes pop open.
She flew to the door and attempted to throw it open, but the chain stopped it. “Sorry, Reed,” she closed it and released the chain.
“Was he very angry I wasn’t there on time?”
She started talking as soon as he entered, “I can’t believe I overslept.”
She began dragging a brush through her
“Check on me?” she started laughing, “ See how I was doing?”
“Well,” he met her eyes only briefly before dropping his gaze again, “I was actually not trying to see anything. I was going to – hey. Your foot is wet.”
She sat down and began taking off the bandages, “Yes. Well, when I realized someone was breaking into my room, getting out of the tub seemed more important than keeping my foot dry.”
The old Captain Reed returned, “I’ll go get some fresh bandages from my room.”
Anna blinked at the change. She watched him leave and reached for a brush to untangle some of the snarls. She didn’t have time to get all the way through it before he was back, supplies in hand.
He grasped her ankle and put her foot on the bed, “Have you taken your antibiotics yet?”
“No, but I will.”
He dried her foot and put a new bandage on, “You know, it isn’t great to get the stitches wet either.”
“How about sweaty? Like from running?”
He frowned up at her, “You planning on running on this?”
She shook her head, “I was talking about your stitches. The ones Hall put in.”
He shrugged, “It’s not like they were getting soaked in a tub.”
“They must have gotten soaked in the shower just now. You smell too good to have just dunked your head.”
He laughed, “Did I smell that bad before?”
“Oh, yes,” she nodded, face serious.
He looked embarrassed, “Sorry about that. I don’t think the guys always . . .we’re used to it and there wasn’t time,” he stood up.
“Reed,” she grabbed his attention, “I was just kidding.”
He met her eyes, “Nice.”
She put her foot down on the floor and scooted over on the bed. He didn’t take the hint to sit next to her.
“You’re not married, are you, Reed?”
He didn’t need to answer her. It wasn’t a question.
He answered her anyway, “You’re implying that seeing one woman’s body is the same as seeing another.”
She shrugged, “We’re built pretty much the same. Ankles, legs, hips,” she stopped speaking at the look on his face.
“It’s not the same,” his voice sounded a little hoarse.
She waited for him to explain.
He pulled the chair over and straddled it, “I wasn’t really into girls in high school.”
She raised an eyebrow, “You weren’t into them or they weren’t into you?”
“I guess it was the second.”
“And since then?”
“I came in at eighteen and joined the Green Berets at twenty one. There haven’t been a lot of opportunities to mix with women.”
She was confused, “I realize there are no women in the Green Berets, but you brush elbows every day with women.”
“Female soldiers,” he corrected. “It’s not the same thing.”
“So, you’re saying you keep it separate?”
“I do.”
“As long as we keep all our clothes on.”
He rested his forehead on the back of the chair, “I think I’m too tired to have this conversation.”
Anna reached out and touched his hand, “Go to bed, Reed. I’ll lock the door after you.”
He did as he was told and she hooked the chain after him. She had just climbed into bed when she heard a thumping.
“Reed?” she spoke through the wall.
It was silent for a while, but he finally answered, “I’m okay.”
“What happened?”
Quiet again.
“Reed?”
“I was just banging my head against the wall.”
She laughed, “Goodnight, Reed.”
“Night, Barnes.”
CHAPTER NINE
Anna was definitely not ready to get up when she heard a knocking at her door the following morning.
She glanced at the clock, squinting. What she saw made her eyes pop open.
She flew to the door and attempted to throw it open, but the chain stopped it. “Sorry, Reed,” she closed it and released the chain.
“Was he very angry I wasn’t there on time?”
She started talking as soon as he entered, “I can’t believe I overslept.”
She began dragging a brush through her
Similar Books
