Soft Place to Fall (Navy Book 4)

Chapter 30

Will shook the hot coffee off of his hand as he cursed. The last two days had been miserable, he had been miserable the moment he had left Carmen's bed. Every moment of pain he had ever felt, every moment of pain he would ever feel, was well deserved for leaving her like he had. She had opened up to him, pulled him in, and he had loved every minute of it. He loved her, and he was a coward.

These were facts that he could no longer deny. Lee looked across their desks at him with a raised eyebrow, but he didn't say a word. Will only scowled at him.

"What's eating you Rounder?" one of the younger men, who they called Rabbit, asked.

"I'm just having one of those days," Will said, throwing himself down in his chair, daring Lee to say something. He kept his face neutral as he buried his head back in his computer screen.

Will had used the excuse that Carmen had only asked for one night, then he had used the same excuse he had been using, which was that he was no good for her. Now, he had moved on to the probability that she was already gone and he had lost his chance. The reality was that if the rest of his life was going to be like the past couple of days had been he was royally screwed.

He had been kidding himself when he had thought one night would be enough, he would never have enough of Carmen, what man would? He banged on his mouse harder than he needed too and he swore he saw Lee's lip twitch.

"Do you have something to say?" he asked Lee. A few of the men on their Team turned towards them, interested in their exchange. Lee and Will were the old timers on the Team, and they were both well respected by everyone, just as Josh and Kellan had been when Will and Lee had been new to the Team. However, after Will's experience's he was almost a legend, both on the combat and the womanizing front, but Rabbit was trying to give him a run for his money on the latter. Not that Will particularly cared, in fact he wished him luck. It had been fun when he was younger.

Will stared down Lee, waiting for him to answer.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"Fallen?" one of the most recent additions to the team asked. He was a young kid called Bulldog that always looked at Will with such hero-worship.

"Yep, Will 'Rounder' Pruitt is in love." Lee grinned shaking his head. "He's met his match and she's kicking his ass."

Will opened his mouth to give him a good telling off in very limited vocabulary when Rabbit gave a low whistle as he looked out the window. Will looked at him with a frown before shooting Lee a look but deciding to hold his tongue.

A few of the men joined Rabbit at the window and there was a low murmur of appreciation that could only be generated by a beautiful woman, but Will wasn't interested, neither was Lee, who only grinned wider.

"Challenge accepted," Rabbit said and Will watched some money change hands before rolling his eyes.

"You should be glad that Will isn't game this time, otherwise you wouldn't stand a chance." Will heard one of the men say.

Lee's phone rang and he picked it up listening before saying yes sir and hanging up as he rose to his feet. He scanned everyone as they moved back to their desks, the sight outside the window must have disappeared. "Rounder, Rabbit and Bulldog, come with me."

They stood reaching for their caps as they followed Lee out the door.

"What's up Spider?" Rabbit asked Lee, eager for any type of excitement.

"I think you might get your chance to win your bet." Lee looked at Will. "Then again, maybe not."

Will's eyes narrowed as he looked at Lee, who pushed through the doors to the visiting room at the end of the hall that was rarely used. The four men were brought up short by the sight before them. Rabbit and Bulldog looked like they had won the lottery as their eyes grew wide.