Tessa could picture that. “Did you?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure I would have if other shit hadn’t slowed him down. See, on our last run-through, he was coming off the tower and smoking everyone. I’m hauling ass, trying to catch up, when I see another guy fall from the top of the wall. Trees forgot all about me and the fact we had an unfriendly bet going. He hopped off to help the guy but had to jump to the side at the last minute to avoid landing on him. He broke his ankle.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. Once he saw me coming over the wall, he remembered what was at stake and he was pissed.”
“What happened then? Did you finish?”
“I was a cocky shit. I had every intention of continuing on and beating Trees so I could collect on our bet…which was nude photos of some poor schmuck’s hot girlfriend.”
“No!” It was both horrifying and funny.
“Oh, yeah. We were eighteen—stupid and horny. And we’d been without sex for weeks.”
“Weeks? I was still a virgin when I turned eighteen.”
He shot her a sidelong glare. “Yeah, not me. Not even close.”
“Sixteen?”
Zy shook his head.
“Fifteen?”
He just raised a brow.
Tessa gaped. “Fourteen?”
“Thirteen, but I wasn’t looking for it. My older brother’s ex-girlfriend, Celeste, decided to nail me to get back at him for cheating on her, and I was too dumb and horny to say no.”
Holy cow! “How old was she?”
“Seventeen.”
“What did your brother do when he found out?”
“He didn’t right away. I wasn’t saying a word, and Celeste didn’t tell him because we were too busy getting busy.”
“You’re lying.” The story was so crazy, he had to be.
“Swear to God, that’s the truth. About four months later, he caught us and he tried to beat the shit out of me. But I’d turned fourteen by then. I was big for my age, and of the two of us, I’d always been way more athletic. I held my own until our dad broke it up.”
“Did you see Celeste after that?”
“Not much. My brother blabbed to everyone at school that we were fucking, so she treated me like I had the plague.”
“That’s horrible!”
“That’s Theo.” He shrugged. “We were never close. We had nothing in common…except nailing Celeste. At least she said that, between the two of us, I was better.”
She gaped at him, then laughed. “That’s horrible, too.”
“Awful. But now that I’ve fessed up, tell me about your first time.”
“No.”
“C’mon. It can’t be more ridiculous than mine.”
He had her there. “All right. Um…the summer after high school graduation, I spent with one of my girlfriends and her family on the beach in Naples, Florida. Her older brother brought his college roommate. We had a typical summer fling…and I thought I was in love. But after I went off to college that fall, I never heard from him again.”
“Damn. Guess we’re both unlucky in love.”
“I am. But I’m sure you have no problems. Why are you still single?”
He shrugged. “Never met anyone special, I guess, especially not in the Middle East, where I’ve been the better part of six years between my service and contracting. I’ve been Stateside less than two weeks.”
“Really?” That explained a lot. “Well, you’re a great guy. Some lucky woman will snap you up soon.”
Already she was dreading the moment she heard he was dating. His girlfriend would be gorgeous, fit in those clingy Lycra dresses Tessa used to love. She’d probably look both classy and bad-assy in a pair of killer stilettos—and she wouldn’t have the responsibility of another man’s child.
“Not looking for that. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m looking for.” He stood abruptly. “I think I’m going to, um…take a shower.”
Had she said something that upset him? “Okay. I’ll feed Hallie, then. She’ll probably be done when you are.”
“Sounds good.” He nodded her way.
Why was he staring at her? What was running through his head?
Tessa didn’t see anything that looked like an answer cross his face before he wrenched his gaze from her and strode down the hall. Then he unzipped his duffel and shut himself in the bathroom. She hated to admit it…but she already missed him.
Seconds slid into minutes, and Hallie finished grazing. Tessa worked a final burp out of her, then set the baby on her activity mat for some color and texture stimulation while she made a cup of chamomile tea.
Through the thin walls, she heard water pelting the tile in the adjacent bathroom. Hopefully, the warm water would loosen up his neck after sleeping on it cockeyed all night. She tried not to think of anything else that might be stiff, too. If she did, she’d just picture him naked on the other side of the door and go hot all over.
God, what was happening with her hormones?
Shaking her head, she scrounged up a mug and a tea bag, then pressed the button to dispense hot water. As it filled, she approached the bathroom to ask if he’d like a mug, too. But when she raised her hand to knock, his voice stopped her.