Despite It All by Reese Knightley

 

Forest

Damn it to hell!

His legs bumped the empty queen bed. He stayed quiet as to not to wake up the lump snoring in the other queen. Damn Greene. Did he look like he needed help? Probably, but that was beside the point. He wasn’t a fucking kid. He slid off his red sneakers.

“Don’t let the shoes fool you,” he whispered, glaring at the white laces.

In the White Collar Division, he’d lead teams bigger than Greene could ever hope to lead. He’d done it all. Maybe he hadn’t been up to par after the accident, but he’d done a good job before then and he’d do it again—if for no other reason than to show himself he could do it. He could be one of the best field agents out there. Then he could walk, skip, and jump the hell away.

What does Greene guarding your body have to do with your job performance?

Oh, shut up, voice of reason. He grabbed the sheet and blanket and jerked them back, his hand buzzing with a slight pain. His job performance didn’t have one damned thing to do with Greene being his bodyguard. The guy just drove him crazy. That was why everything was mixed up in his head.

Stripping down to his t-shirt and briefs, he climbed beneath the covers and laid back, letting the mattress take his weight. It felt almost like floating. He took a deep, relaxing breath just like his doctor had taught him and released it slowly. Amazed that the shit worked, his anger eased.

Sometimes, life felt out of control, but he knew it was residual from the accident because he’d lost control when the car had flipped, and Rick had flown half through the windshield, and he’d had no damned control over the driver who thought he could drive drunk.

Breathe in, breathe out. Greene’s flinty eyes, big calloused hands, and face swam through his mind. He grew flushed thinking of the way he smiled with just the tip of one corner like he had some secret he was keeping and the rest of the world didn’t know about it and we could all go screw ourselves.

Rolling over, he buried his face in the pillow. The mattress grew uncomfortable against his dick, and he flopped onto his back.

It took a while to shut off his brain, and when he did, he slept fitfully, finally falling into a deeper sleep around dawn.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee woke him up.

“Damn, that smells good.”

“Come and get it, you should be hitting the road soon.”

The colonel was already dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, a towel draped over one shoulder and scruff on his face.

He sat up, tugged on his suit pants, and slipped into his sneakers. Shrugging on his white dress shirt over his t-shirt, he slipped on his coat before taking the white Styrofoam cup Liam held out.

“You can use the shower if you need.”

“Nah, I’m going to head back to my place to shower before work.”

“Greene, Zane, and Isaac will take you to the office.”

“Okay.” He made sure to keep his face expressionless. No sense in pissing off a colonel in the Army. “I’ll check in with you later.”

“Take care.” Liam disappeared into the bathroom.

He stepped outside, closed the door, and lifted the warm cup to his lips, taking a long, grateful swallow. Down the walkway, Greene stood next to Holden. Greene’s brooding eyes were all but hidden behind the billow of cigarette smoke. Still holding a grudge after last night, he figured.

He, on the other hand, had said what he needed to say and that was that. A new day demanded that he move forward.

Taking another sip of coffee, he leaned a shoulder against the salmon-colored building, staying far enough away to avoid the smell of cigarette smoke. Turning his face up to the cold morning air, he drew in a deep breath before darting a glance at Greene.

“You ready, Forest?”

Holden’s voice brought a nod and smile for the quiet man. He should totally fall for someone like Holden. The guy was hot, nice, and easy going, not like some assholes.

“As soon as Joshua finishes smoking.”

He could almost hear Greene silently telling him to fuck off. His grin grew and he couldn’t wait for his bet from last night to take effect. If Greene lagged too long, he’d be sure to remind him. He wondered if Greene had ever before tried to quit smoking. He personally knew how hard the habit was to stop.

Smoke swirled above the man’s head, and he returned Greene’s flinty eyed look. His lips curved upward because the longer he held the soldier’s gaze and the longer the stare-off lasted, the deeper Greene’s scowl grew, the sexy fucker.

“Unless you’re going to have another one before we hit the road?”

He quirked one eyebrow, brushed hair from his eyes, and drained his cup. Greene muttered something too faint for him to hear and dropped the cigarette onto the wet pavement.

“Hey, don’t hurry on my account, litter bug.”

His insides jumped with glee when Greene growled and bent over to pick up the butt. He was getting too much of a kick out of razzing Greene. Seeing that stony gaze turn into a flinty glare could quickly become his favorite addiction.

Holden chuckled and disappeared back into the hotel room. Forest grinned to himself and walked to the room next door, rapping his knuckles against the door. A minute later, Zane answered and he spotted Isaac over the soldier’s shoulder, pulling on a shirt.

“Hope I’m not interrupting, but Liam said you guys are taking me back?”

Zane’s lips curved and his big hand gripped the door.

“You are, but we’re ready.”

Isaac groaned. “Don’t tell him that.”

“You’re ready for something.” Forest pointed to Zane’s crotch.

Zane glanced down and yanked up the zipper on his faded blue jeans. Forest joined in Isaac’s cackle and tossed him the keys.

“I’m driving,” Zane said, making a grab for the keys.

“No, I am,” Isaac countered, putting the keys behind his back.

Greene was on the phone with someone and holding open the black SUV’s back door. Waiting for him? Fat chance. He walked around the other side of the vehicle and slid inside.

Greene finished his phone call, huffed something about him being a pain in the ass, and dropped into the seat beside him. The SUV lurched beneath the man’s weight. He pressed his lips firmly together to keep from grinning. Propping a red shoe over his knee, he took his time checking the white shoelace, and then the other. He never knew when a double knot would come in handy.

The aroma of cigarettes filled the cab coming from Greene’s jacket. Did the guy’s hair smell like smoke? He slanted Greene a glance only to find the man’s eyes locked on his shoe. Or was it his hands? He took pride in keeping his fingernails nicely trimmed and the scar hidden. He dropped his foot to the floorboard.

When Greene’s eyes snapped up, Forest wrinkled his nose and pushed the button on the window, cracking it to let the fresh air inside. Greene’s gaze jerked to his and the soldier shifted, dropped his head, and angled his wide shoulders away.

He quietly sighed, and with his left hand on the door and his foot pressed to the floor, he turned to gaze out the window at the passing scenery. The wet streets and buildings a blur, his eyes locked on Greene’s faint reflection in the glass. Greene appeared offended or embarrassed, he wasn’t sure which one. They seemed to be caught in a perpetual loop of verbal sparring and while it was fun, sometimes it wasn’t, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

Isaac ended up driving, but that was only because Zane followed them in another SUV. He wasn’t sure why until they pulled up at his home and Greene got out. Good, he didn’t want to say goodbye anyway.

Isaac turned in his seat. “You going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” He gritted his teeth, smiled, and stepped out of the SUV.

Isaac jumped out when Zane made his way to the SUV.

“You want me to drive back?”

Zane grinned and nodded and the pair waved and drove off down the street.

“I don’t know why you’re still here.”

“Get changed, I’ll give you a ride to your office.”

It looked like Greene was going to take the decision out of his hands. The guy didn’t know him very well. He’d only put up with this for so much longer.

“I can take my…” Shit, he didn’t have his own car, it was at the damned office. Ugh.

Greene rubbed at his chest and he eyed the spot where he’d punched the guy.

“Still sore?”

“No.” Greene’s hand dropped.

He searched Greene’s eyes through the sudden stillness. Why the hell did Greene affect him like this?

Once, he’d wanted Greene. More than he’d wanted anything in his life. Now, he just wanted to get away, didn’t he? There wasn’t any sense to it. But then that niggling thought came back. The one that kept asking, why not try again? Just open up a little bit and test the waters.

And be shut down again?

No.

He wasn’t going to risk that.

Besides, he had bigger decisions to make. A decision that would affect the rest of his life.

“How long you gonna be?” Greene jerked his chin toward his home.

“Not long.” He tugged out his novelty keychain, but before he could take a step, Greene reached for his right wrist and for a brief moment, he was caught and held. He quickly turned and Greene tensed, one arm protectively coming up to shield his solar plexus.

His lips stretched.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you another taste later.”

Greene’s eyes widened at his whispered words and flint-colored eyes locked with his like the earth’s magnetic field.

Gently, he pulled from Greene’s grip.

With his smile growing, he left the guy waiting on the walkway and strode inside to change.

And for some reason, he couldn’t get the little voice of hope to shut the hell up.