Brady pounded his fist on the bar. “What’s a guy got to do to get a drinkaroundhere?”
Steve’s face contorted with anger until he spotted Brady. As he pushed back from the bar, he winked at the girl. He walked down to where Brady sat. “How the hell are you? You haven’t been in here for so long I was about ready to send search and rescue out tofindyou.”
“Yeah, it’s been a fewmonths.”
Steve jerked his head toward the college girl. “We’ve been getting some pretty live onesinhere.”
“Biting?”
The bartender barked a laugh. “Like a rainbow trout inspring.”
Brady grinned. “We have to go fishing again after thefirstthaw.”
“I swear I won’t hook my line in your jacket likelastyear.”
“You thought you’d caught amonster.”
“Yeah, but instead, I caught one pissed-offbear.”
Brady laughed. “I think you still owe me a cold oneforthat.”
“What’llitbe?”
“Anything new come out of that brewery overinCody?”
“Some foo-foo winter lagergirly-beer.”
“Maybe I should stick with theusual.”
“One Sam Adamscomingup.”
Brady leaned back slightly to get a better look around the room. Steve wasn’t kidding when he’d said there were a few live ones. The place looked like they’d bussed in a sorority. Skinny college girls jutted out their flat chests as if to advertise theiravailability.
Normally, he’d grab a few beers and try to find a cute girl for a night of fun. But this time, no one captured his attention. They were too stick skinny and didn’t have the curves he craved. A woman needed some meat on her bones. A bubble butt and some luscious hips were enough to make his bear rise up and demand action. But none of the women peaked his bear’s attention even alittlebit.
Tonight his bear was restless. Brady could lie to himself and pretend he didn’t know why, but he did. Seeing Rachel again after all these years had awakened a hibernating passion—a passion that needed to be squelched as quickly as possible. He couldn’t afford to think about any woman as more than just a temporarycompanion.
The war had changed him. He’d seen things that had stolen his faith in humanity and made him vow never to have children. Everywhere he looked, war, famine, and darkness stole the lives of too many innocent people. He couldn’t imagine bringing a life into this world in its currentstate.
He took a swig of beer. On the broken, war-torn streets of Kabul, he’d vowed to keep his life simple. He’d planned to return to the ranch once his tour ended. He’d defend his brothers and do whatever he could to make their lives good, but he’d live out the rest of his without a wife and children. He’d lost all hope that night in Kabul when he’d seen kids blown to pieces by a car bomb. What the hell was wrong with people? How could they blow up a child while fighting over ideology? He’d neverunderstandit.
Rachel’s gorgeous face and sparkling green eyes flashed through his mind. His reaction to her meant nothing. Although every muscle in his body longed to feel her gentle touch, trying to reignite anything with her was impossible. She’d betrayed him and he wouldn’t forgive her no matter whatshesaid.
He had to stop thinking about her soft thighs and voluptuous breasts. Even if he wanted to peel her clothes off, lay her down and make love to her, he couldn’t. She had a baby. Hell, she might even have a husband. He hadn’t thought to look for a ring on her finger. Either way, she was off limits, a part of his past, not hisfuture.
Three beers later, he’d almost convinced himself he didn’t care. But the second he heard her voice from across the room, every ounce of his resolvedrainedaway.
He turned slowly to keep from falling off the bar stool. Through the crowd, he spotted her long, curly tendrils of chestnut hair and instantly went hard. The alcohol dulled his ability to rein in his bear. He should have known better than to have that last beer. Now there’d be helltopay.
Chapter3
The skinon the back of Rachel’s neck prickled with the sensation of being watched. She slid into a booth near the back of the bar and grabbed a menu. After holding it up to block her face, she peeked overthetop.
She spotted Brady leaning back with his elbows on the bar. A smattering of empty beer bottles stood like sentinels, a testament to his obviously inebriated state. He stared right at her as if challenging her to go talktohim.
She quickly raised the menu. Beneath her thick winter coat and long sleeved shirt, her heart pounded harder than the galloping hooves of a hundred wild horses. She took in a shaky breath and blew it out. What was she so afraid of anyway? Or was itevenfear?
A high-pitched voice chirped, “Can I take yourorder?”
