amputated his left leg right above the knee while he was still in Afghanistan.
He knew they had tried to save the leg and that his friends had felt particularly bad they hadn’t been able to do more for him in the field. Fate was a stone-cold bitch when she allowed the team’s corpsman to step on the IED. But being one meant he also knew there was nothing anyone could have done to cause a different outcome. He was God damn lucky not to have lost more—more leg, both legs, his junk, his life. Compared to some of the guys in rehab with him, he had nothing to complain about. Still, the looks of pity, the winces, the whispers got to him. He needed to nut up, though. This was his new normal, and no woman was going to be interested in him if she sensed his unease.
A little Dutch courage in the form of a beer might help. He scoped out the area behind the bar to catch the attention of one of the bartenders. He spotted the one he wanted immediately. Not just the bartender he wanted, but the woman he wanted, too. She was small. Even with the raised floor behind the bar, she had to reach up on her toes to pluck a bottle from the shelf. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and there were odd looking bows littered throughout the mane. Her elfin face lit up with a smile when one of the customers said something. There was an Asian look to her face, the upturn of her eyes and the height of her cheekbones. Small, pert breasts spilled over the low neckline of her fitted T-shirt. Her body was slim, but with a hint of curves. She couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds.
Aidan’s cock stiffened as he watched her twirl about, pouring beers, mixing drinks, and chatting with the cluster of guys at the other end of the bar. Okay, the votes were in. His body wanted the bartender. The question was, should he saunter down the bar to join the pack drooling over her or could he entice her down to his end?
“What can I get you?”
Aidan shifted his gaze to the bartender standing in front of him. Young, bleach-blond hair, with a face that some guys would kill for. Unfortunately, the bartender was also a guy. With a slight grimace, Aidan answered, “No offense, but do you think I could give my order to her?” He pointed toward the woman.
The bartender laughed. “This is what I get for working in a straight bar. No problem, man.”
Aidan watched the man approach the woman and whisper in her ear. She glanced down to where he was sitting and gave him a smile and a nod. Just that much hardened his cock to full mast. He tried not to squirm as he returned the look. A minute later, she walked up to where he was sitting. She placed her hands on the bar and leaned toward him with a mega-watt smile.
“What can I get you? And,” she raised her eyebrows at him sternly, “keep it clean, sailor.”
Aidan grinned. “How’d you know I’m in the Navy?”
“I’ve been working down here long enough to recognize the look.” Her gaze swept over the visible part of him. Appreciation showed in her eyes, and his body temperature rose a few degrees.
He coughed slightly in embarrassment. He was used to women showing their attraction, but this woman’s blatant perusal threw him. Or maybe he was vulnerable because he wasn’t sure he had a shot with her, not these days. “How about your house special?”
Pushing away from the bar, she gave him a nod. “I can do that. Frosted glass and a lime wedge?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gave him a saucy smile and twirled away to fill his order. His attention focused on her pert little ass. He tried not to stare too blatantly. She was Asian, too. He was sure of it now that he had seen her up close. There was no hint of the South in her accent, nor the North, as far as he could tell. California maybe. She was younger than he, perhaps early twenties. He appreciated how she hadn’t taken immediate offense to the automatic honorific he had used. Lots of women stiffened up and proclaimed they
He knew they had tried to save the leg and that his friends had felt particularly bad they hadn’t been able to do more for him in the field. Fate was a stone-cold bitch when she allowed the team’s corpsman to step on the IED. But being one meant he also knew there was nothing anyone could have done to cause a different outcome. He was God damn lucky not to have lost more—more leg, both legs, his junk, his life. Compared to some of the guys in rehab with him, he had nothing to complain about. Still, the looks of pity, the winces, the whispers got to him. He needed to nut up, though. This was his new normal, and no woman was going to be interested in him if she sensed his unease.
A little Dutch courage in the form of a beer might help. He scoped out the area behind the bar to catch the attention of one of the bartenders. He spotted the one he wanted immediately. Not just the bartender he wanted, but the woman he wanted, too. She was small. Even with the raised floor behind the bar, she had to reach up on her toes to pluck a bottle from the shelf. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and there were odd looking bows littered throughout the mane. Her elfin face lit up with a smile when one of the customers said something. There was an Asian look to her face, the upturn of her eyes and the height of her cheekbones. Small, pert breasts spilled over the low neckline of her fitted T-shirt. Her body was slim, but with a hint of curves. She couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds.
Aidan’s cock stiffened as he watched her twirl about, pouring beers, mixing drinks, and chatting with the cluster of guys at the other end of the bar. Okay, the votes were in. His body wanted the bartender. The question was, should he saunter down the bar to join the pack drooling over her or could he entice her down to his end?
“What can I get you?”
Aidan shifted his gaze to the bartender standing in front of him. Young, bleach-blond hair, with a face that some guys would kill for. Unfortunately, the bartender was also a guy. With a slight grimace, Aidan answered, “No offense, but do you think I could give my order to her?” He pointed toward the woman.
The bartender laughed. “This is what I get for working in a straight bar. No problem, man.”
Aidan watched the man approach the woman and whisper in her ear. She glanced down to where he was sitting and gave him a smile and a nod. Just that much hardened his cock to full mast. He tried not to squirm as he returned the look. A minute later, she walked up to where he was sitting. She placed her hands on the bar and leaned toward him with a mega-watt smile.
“What can I get you? And,” she raised her eyebrows at him sternly, “keep it clean, sailor.”
Aidan grinned. “How’d you know I’m in the Navy?”
“I’ve been working down here long enough to recognize the look.” Her gaze swept over the visible part of him. Appreciation showed in her eyes, and his body temperature rose a few degrees.
He coughed slightly in embarrassment. He was used to women showing their attraction, but this woman’s blatant perusal threw him. Or maybe he was vulnerable because he wasn’t sure he had a shot with her, not these days. “How about your house special?”
Pushing away from the bar, she gave him a nod. “I can do that. Frosted glass and a lime wedge?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gave him a saucy smile and twirled away to fill his order. His attention focused on her pert little ass. He tried not to stare too blatantly. She was Asian, too. He was sure of it now that he had seen her up close. There was no hint of the South in her accent, nor the North, as far as he could tell. California maybe. She was younger than he, perhaps early twenties. He appreciated how she hadn’t taken immediate offense to the automatic honorific he had used. Lots of women stiffened up and proclaimed they
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