6. Austin

CHAPTER 6

AUSTIN

Our feet pounded the damp pavement as we ran our usual route through downtown Portland. The sun was just beginning to rise, making this the most peaceful time of day. More than anything, it gave me time to wrap my mind around how to handle my trip with Greer.

He made me feel things I thought I'd put behind me. Somehow, I had to get a grip on this uncontrollable lust I felt toward him. No matter what I did or who I did it with, nothing erased him from my memory. The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted him again. And my fucked-up brain refused to let go of Greer. Every time I closed my damn eyes, he was behind the lids, waiting for me. My subconscious was working overtime with him.

Dreamboat had his earbuds turned up, leaving me to my thoughts.

I was still replaying the look on his handsome mug when he tried to apologize. His eyes pleaded with me, but I wasn't sure for what. But in true Wentworth fashion, I refused to listen. Just like my old man.

All I'd managed was to toss and turn most of the night. Even jacking off didn't help me sleep. When I couldn't string more than an hour or two together, I gave up trying. Maybe I could catch up on the plane if Greer sat somewhere else.

But thoughts of him were like an irritating chorus of a song, playing over and over in my head.

We headed toward the waterfront and looped back around, running along the river's edge. I loved the view of snow-covered Mt. Hood in the far distance because it placed me as far from Texas and the Middle East as I could get without leaving the country.

The cooler climate in the Pacific Northwest was the other reason I'd agreed to move the company from Cheyenne to Portland. Jesse wanted to be near his brother, and when Aidan Hayes made the offer to combine forces, how could I say no? I was really a silent partner, and more than happy to let him run the business. He didn't need me for that, but he did, for some fucking reason, need me to accompany Greer out of the country.

The only drawback to living here was the six-foot-two silver fucking fox owner of the Pirates. I knew we might cross paths here and there, and I honestly thought maybe I was over it. But reminders of that night in Chicago continued to resurface every time I came face to face with him.

The asshole had the gall to look even better now than he had all those years ago. The silvery gray now dominated his thick, dark hair. The luminous color was unique and made him incredibly sexy. Maybe even more now than fourteen years ago. And it left me frustrated, horny, and mad as fuck because I still couldn't manage my absurd feelings about him.

And the physique. Where the fuck had that sculpted frame come from? Wide shoulders and a narrow waist were hidden under designer labels that made him hot as hell. I almost couldn't stand to look at him. And to this goddamn day, I couldn't figure out why the fucker had such a hold on me. I knew I had to get over this, so maybe if I gave him a little of his own medicine in Costa Rica, I could even the score.

I could show him what it was like to be embarrassed and humiliated for once in his life.

"Fucking hell, Lieutenant. Think about something else," I told myself.

"Huh?" Dreamboat asked. "I missed what you said."

I huffed out a breath. "Nothing."

Brent elbowed me. "It's only a week. You can make it work."

Glancing over at him, I raised a brow, then slowed to a walk to cool down. "If you were going to spend a week with the Commander on a tropical beach, you'd be okay with that? You'd just get through it?"

He laughed, as usual. The fucker always had a goddamn smile on his face. "Yeah, but I wouldn't have to worry about GQ. He has Dominick."

"That's not the Commander I'm referring to, and you know it."

He groaned and ran his hands through his hair to push it back off his face.

"Yeah, okay. It would be a struggle with him ."

"That's what I thought. Any more advice for me, Romeo?"

My buddy and former SEAL teammate made a lude gesture of jerking off at me until I shoved him away. Unfortunately, his crazy ass laughter was contagious, and I couldn't help but join in.

"Jerking it won't help." I've tried. For years.

"Well," he said, nudging me toward our favorite coffee shop. "The way I see it, you've got two choices. Grow up and hear him out or fuck the hell out of each other and get it out of your system."

I scoffed at the thought. "You could fuck the Commander for a week." I paused. "But wait," I said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. "You've already done that."

Dreamboat flipped me the bird as I cackled at him. He didn't enjoy having the tables turned and being reminded of his own Greer Rowan. And that accidental drunken hookup with the Commander of one of the East Coast SEAL teams five years ago had just become our newest teammate. For some reason, he was doing everything he could to stay out of the Commander's way.

"Fuck you very much, buddy. But okay. You do your scowling, angry thing, bro cause it's been working out so well for you."

Grunting, I followed him into the coffee shop and watched as he sauntered up to the cute barista. The kid couldn't have been more than twenty-two, but Dreamboat would flirt with his own shadow if it got him laid. And evidently, Caleb here did it for him.

"Hey, sexy. What can we get you this morning? The usual?" the kid asked, tilting his head to the side to get his dark hair out of his eyes.

Here he goes.

"Hey, Caleb. That's exceptional customer service there. Memorizing my order for me."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Thank you," he beamed. "I do my best to take care of my special customers."

The kid winked at him, making Brent grin from ear to ear.

I pulled out my wallet and slapped down a twenty. I didn't have time for the reminder of what I probably looked like mooning all over Greer back in the day.

"When you're done flirting, bring mine to the condo. I've got to go pack," I grumbled, heading for the door.

"It might be a while, Dare."

"Hurry the fuck up. I don't have all day. I've got a plane to catch."

"Remember what I said."

Brent chuckled and went back to flirting. But I knew how to move him along. There was no doubt I could be the world's biggest asshole. I'd been raised by the king of them all, so it had to be genetic.

Pulling out my phone, I opened my contacts. Scrolling, I found the number I was looking for and proceeded to send a text.

Me: Good morning. Trainor's at the coffee shop near our condo. Doesn't have his phone on him. Wanted to know if you could meet him there for coffee now that he's back. I'm headed out of town.

I watched the dots appear, then glanced over my shoulder at my smartass friend.

Commander: Be there in ten.

Darkening the screen, I smiled from ear to ear as I walked home. I'm sure he'd light up my phone later, and revenge would be his. But there was nothing he could do to get me back worse than what was facing me.

A week playing bodyguard/fake boyfriend at a destination wedding with the one man I loved to hate. Or was that hated to love?

This was going to be torture.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call from my brother as I drove to PDX's private jet terminal.

"Hey, Carter. I don't have much time to talk. I'm on the way to the airport."

"Hey, little brother. Lucky for you, I don't need much of your time. Just wanted to let you know I submitted our proposal to the NHL."

I smiled at the news. "That's great. Any idea when we'll hear from them?"

He chuckled. "No. But I feel like they'll get back to me quickly with a cash offer like that. And if you come back to Chicago, that will make the offer even stronger. Two brothers running a hockey team will be fantastic."

I took the exit for PDX.

"Well, keep me posted. I'm heading out of the country on assignment. I'll be back next week." There was no way I was going to tell him where I was going. I hoped Greer hadn't shared that bit of information with him.

"Yes, yes. I know. You love your security firm."

I chuckled, checking the traffic to get in the lane I needed to be in. My brother didn't understand why I worked like I did when we both were sitting on billion-dollar trust funds from Jasper and Mary Ann. I didn't want Jasper Wentworth's money. I preferred to make my own. While I loved Portland, moving back to Chicago had crossed my mind.

"Yes, I do. They're my teammates. I'd never leave them behind." But I was going to have to move on from my past with Greer somehow. And I wasn't sure I could do that living in the same city with him again. I had a lot to consider.

"I know, little brother. And I'm ridiculously proud of you."

I smiled. I was thirty-six, and he still called me little brother.

"Listen, Carter. I've got to go. Gotta catch a flight."

He laughed. "Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Call me when you get back. Have a good time and work on your tan in Costa Rica. Tell Greer I said hello."

My mouth hung open as he disconnected the call.

I guess that answers that question. My brother knew I was off to the tropics with his best friend. I just hoped to God he didn't know the rest of the story.