Page 14 of Operation K-9 Brothers
Chapter Five
“Mmm,” Jack murmured.He didn’t believe her.There had been tension in her voice, and she’d looked at the floor when she’d answered.The motorcycle had been backing out of Nichole’s driveway as he was coming down her street, and the rider had looked angry.That had Jack on alert.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have any claim on her and couldn’t push the issue.Didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep a watch out for the dude.He smiled at her T-shirt.“Is that true?”
Her eyebrows scrunched together.“What?”
“This.”He tapped a finger over the words on her shirt.“You have magic hands?”The words My Hands Are Magic were printed over a picture of hands wrapped around a pottery bowl.
The tension on her face eased, and she grinned.“Absolutely.”
“I might need proof of that at some point.”
“We’ll see.”
He sure hoped so.“Your boy ready for his next lesson?”
It was either that or kiss her, and he wasn’t sure she’d welcome his mouth on hers.Her gaze fell on his arm, and she gasped.That was it then.His scars repulsed her.He was disappointed.Had thought she might be different.
“What happened?”She slipped her hand around his and pulled his arm toward her.“I can’t imagine how much this had to hurt.”
Maybe she was different, and a warm feeling the likes of which he’d never felt before was there, somewhere deep inside him.He wasn’t sure what to do with that.When she gently traced a finger over the scars that were visible, he closed his eyes.It was the first time a woman had touched his arm since the bomb.Well, except for nurses and Heather, but they didn’t count, didn’t make him long for something more, didn’t make him realize how much he’d missed a woman’s touch.
“What happened, Jack?”
Her voice was gentle and caring, and he swallowed past the lump in his throat.Suck it up, SEAL.He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her.All he saw on her face was compassion, the disgust he’d expected missing.
“Your hands really are magic,” he said, almost whispering, afraid if he talked she’d stop touching him.His gaze followed the path of her fingers over the puckered skin.
She lifted her eyes to his and smiled before returning her attention to his arm.When she slid her fingers under his sleeve to lift it, he put his hand over hers.
“Don’t.It’s not pretty to look at.”
She brushed his hand away.“Will you tell me what happened?”she said as she lifted his sleeve.
“Got in the way of a bomb.”He watched her face for any sign of revulsion, but it didn’t come.
“Well, that sucks.Is that how your dog got hurt, too?”
“Yeah.”
She feathered her fingers over the scars, and the sensation was kind of weird.Parts of his arm felt her touch on his skin, but the most damaged parts didn’t feel a thing.The thought of wishing for something more crept back into his mind.She was the first woman since his high school girlfriend—the one who hadn’t lasted past his first deployment—who had him wishing for more than a few tumbles between the sheets.That was dangerous thinking.
Until he was out of the military, forever was not in his vocabulary.The way Nichole made him feel, even though he barely knew her, had him thinking he should walk away right now.Before he really developed feelings for her.But his feet refused to move.
“Ah...”He had no idea what he intended to say.
A whine sounded from behind the door.She tugged his sleeve back down.“He knows you’re out here, and he’s getting impatient to see you.”
When she dropped her hand away from his arm, he wanted to snatch it back.Danger.Danger.Danger.He ignored the voice in his head as he followed Nichole and Rambo to the yard.It was a simple matter of control, something he had in spades as a SEAL.If he didn’t want to fall in love, he wouldn’t.
In all fairness, though, he needed to make sure she was clear on the fact that he would be returning to his team.If they were on the same page, then all systems were a go.They’d have a bit of fun, enjoy each other’s company, and then he would leave.
If she wanted more, now was the time to bow out before any feelings were involved.The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
They spent ten minutes on Rambo’s training, and Jack was impressed with the puppy’s progress on coming when called.He couldn’t help smiling at Nichole’s laughter each time Rambo raced to her when she called his name.Although he’d planned to have that little talk when they finished, he put it off, not wanting to have a serious discussion when she was so happy.She’d agreed to go hiking with him on Sunday.He’d do it then.
Saturday morning, he visited his grandmother.“Morning, Ursula,” Jack said to the retirement home’s receptionist as he signed in.“My grandmother in the craft room?”It was where she usually waited for him.
