Devastate Me novel Chapter 8

Colt's hands clenched at his sides as he recognized the man. Dean Griffin walked toward him, his hands held up, obviously hoping to avoid a fight.

"Hey, man, I've been trying to call you for months."

"I blocked your number." The last thing he wanted was to talk to the man who had ruined his life.

"Just give me a minute, okay?" Dean begged.

Colt looked down and saw the glint of silver on Dean's ring finger. "You married her, didn't you?" God, this day was going to shit fast.

"Yeah, I did, but-"

Colt threw three punches before Dean could finish. The blows sent Dean sprawling on his ass.

"Fuck!" Dean gripped his face with one hand, spitting blood. "You and your fucking haymakers, Colt, Christ. I forgot how much I hated fighting with you." He climbed to his feet and stood there, his guard lowered. "Go ahead. Hit me, man. I owe you that."

For a second, Colt's pulse spiked as his blood roared in his ears, but Noah's barking interrupted his building adrenaline. He calmed. Dean wasn't the enemy. He was a cheating asshole, nothing more.

"I'm sorry, Colt. I fucked it all up. I betrayed you. I betrayed our friendship. I know what we had is gone, but I had to find you and tell you I'm sorry. That's all." Dean was quiet, honest, and for the first time Colt felt the hot anger inside him begin to fade.

"I heard you'd been looking for me. How did you find me?"

"Vets talk." Dean chuckled. "You weren't that hard to find. I drove two hours to get here, but it was worth it." He held his jaw. "Well, except for that part."

Colt sighed. "So, you and Talia?"

"Married six months ago." Dean smiled wryly. "She's pushing me to go after promotions."

"You always were more ambitious than me."

"I suppose," Dean agreed. "Anyway, I'm sorry I surprised you."

"It's fine... now." If he had seen Dean two months ago, Colt would have thrown more than one punch. But things had changed. He had changed. Somehow that one kiss with Ophelia had set something in motion. He wasn't quick to change, but he was like molten lava beneath the surface, rolling, tumbling, burning, and perpetually changing inside.

"I wish things had turned out different," said Dean.

"Yeah, but they didn't. And maybe it's for the best."

Dean held out a hand to Colt, who stared at it for a long second. He thought of Ophelia and what she would want him to do, and then he placed his palm in Dean's, giving it a shake before letting go.

"Well, I should go." Dean nodded at him and turned to walk away.

"Take care, Dean."

"You too, man."

"I..." He was going to brush it off or tell a white lie, but he decided against it. "I had a fiancée a few years back. While I was on my last tour, she slept with someone else. I just ran into the guy today at the VA center."

Ophelia stilled, her hands frozen around his. "You were engaged?"

"Yeah." He wanted to cup her chin and raise it up. He wanted her to look at him. "It was a long time ago. He was my best friend since we were teenagers. That's why I punched him."

Ophelia gently squeezed his hand before she began to spread antibacterial cream on his knuckles. "Oh God, that's awful." When she was done, he flexed his fingers. The bruises would be dark tomorrow, but he would heal. He always healed, even if it left a hell of a scar.

"Is she why you don't date anymore?" Ophelia turned away as she asked the question, and her cheeks darkened with a blush.

"She was." When she looked back at him, he stared meaningfully at her. "But I was thinking of getting back out there again."

"Oh?" He could hear her faint response, and he couldn't resist smiling. This woman made him want to smile all the damn time.

"Yeah. My type, in case you're wondering, is small and curvy, with doe-brown eyes and raven-black hair."

Ophelia's lips parted, and he crowded her against the kitchen island. His hands caged her hips in, and she shivered. The clean, floral scent of her shampoo mixed with her natural feminine aroma went straight to his head. His eyes drifted along her face, from the curve of her kissable lips to the swell of her breasts beneath the tank top she wore and the gentle indentation of her collarbone.

Colt used his finger to tilt her chin up. Then he leaned down to kiss her. The second before their lips met, he felt the heady anticipation of his lips touching hers. He'd never wanted a kiss so much in his entire life. Then the distance between their mouths closed, and the world exploded in a rush of pleasure and sweetness.

The more he kissed her, the more he would crave her, but she was worth the risk. He was a man who'd fought for his country, and now he had to fight for her heart, and that was a battle he couldn't afford to lose.