Shit.
He's really here? He's supposed to be deployed. Did he lie about that? Is Avery right that I can't trust him?
"Slow down, baby girl. I can see the questions flying through your head," he says as he stands and picks up the bottle of water from the nightstand. He opens it and hands it to me before sitting back down.
I drink it down and just watch him as he starts talking.
"I got home from deployment early and decided to surprise you since I knew you’d be here. We've talked about this wedding for months, so it wasn't hard to pinpoint where you’d be last night."
"How long have you been home?" I ask.
"A few days. As soon as we were released, I came straight here. Got in yesterday, a few hours before the bachelorette party. I went just to see you, but you kept drinking, so I stepped in to make sure you got back to your room okay, but brought you to my room instead."
"Did we... umm, did we, you know?" I have to ask because I don’t remember leaving the bar.
"You were blackout drunk. Well beyond the ability to consent to anything. So no, we did not have sex, and I didn't even sleep in the same bed as you. I sat in this chair all night." His tone is firm, almost like he's mad that I'd think he would do something like that.
Relaxing, I take the aspirin sitting on the nightstand and look him over. He's all muscle and tan. His short, military haircutdoesn't hide the bit of gray at his temples, and the wrinkle lines around his dark eyes are sexy as hell.
The photos online didn't do him an ounce of justice.
The more I wake up, the more I remember last night. How protective he was of me, and how he took care of me at the club and helped me in the car. I don't think I've ever had someone take care of me like he has.
Then worry hits me. What if he thinks I'm just some silly little girl that he feels compelled to take care of, or sees me as nothing more than a little sister?
"There you go again. Your mind is racing. Why don't I take you back to your hotel room so you can change? Then we’ll go out for a hangover breakfast."
"Hangover breakfast?" I ask.
"I don't drink much anymore, but it's pretty common in my unit. It will make you feel better. Drink the water while I get ready."
He grabs some clothes and goes into the bathroom while I sit there and finish up the water, running my hands through my hair the best I can. I get up and look through my purse, find a hair tie, and get my hair pulled back enough to look decent. There’s no hiding my walk of shame, and worse yet, I didn't get the fun part of it.
We take a quick trip back to my room, and I toss on shorts and a comfy shirt, fighting the urge to dress up like it’s a date because it's not. He's just making sure I eat. I grab my camera and everything I need to take some fun photos around town before heading out.
We walk down the street from my hotel to a little cafe serving breakfast. It’s full of tourists, but the food smells amazing. Jase is a perfect gentleman, opening the door for me, guiding me to our table with his hand on my lower back, and even pulling my chair out.
The waitress comes over to take our order, glances at me, and starts smiling. Then she flirts a bit with Jase. I can't blame her because he is hot. But what irritates me is that I'm sitting right here, and she's acting like I'm invisible.
"So, what have you seen since you have been here?" Jase asks once the waitress leaves the table.
"On Monday, I spent most of the time around the hotel getting the lay of the land for the wedding. Then I took some time with my parents, and after that, I went for a walk on the beach. Yesterday was much the same."
While we eat, we talk about the wedding planning and my parents. It’s interesting watching tourists come in wearing their tropical clothing and acting like they’re locals.
When we finish eating, Jase grabs the check.
"Oh, let me get my half." I pull out my wallet.
He looks at me like I just removed my head and set it on the table next to me. "Absolutely not. I've got this. And for future reference, anytime you’re out with me, I’ll be paying. End of discussion."
I stare at him for a moment, processing his words. Is it a military thing, the whole real gentleman part of him I'm seeing today? It has to be. I've dated, and there aren't guys like this out there anymore.
"Thank you." I smile at him. "I'm going to use the restroom before we go." Standing, I walk to the bathroom.
After taking a few deep breaths to compose myself, I go out to join him. Of course, the waitress decided to swoop in when I wasn’t there. She's at the table, flirting with Jase and placing her hand on his shoulder. His back is to me, so I have no idea what his reaction is.
"... I'd love to show you the local side of Key West. I get off work in an hour if you change your mind."