Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(39)

“It is a pity that our roommates don’t get along.” I looked at him. “Is that his play? Propose, flatter and f*ck? Because Lu has her own playbook.”

“They oughta be well-matched then.” His eyebrows drew together. “But that’s a first for Raj.”

“For Lucinda Grace too.”

He chuckled and took my hand. “Now I’m glad we drove two cars.” Boone stepped up to the bar. The man was so rugged and masculine I couldn’t look away from him. “What do you usually drink?”

I’d like to drink you down. In one greedy gulp.

“Sierra?”

“A…margarita.”

He ordered a margarita for me and a Corona for himself.

I rested my forearms on the bar next to him. “So…soldier. Come here often?”

He gave me that “you’re a dork” smile I remembered. “First time. You?”

“First time. Lately I’ve been too busy to hit the clubs. Parties are more laidback. Or they’re a drunken free-for-all which is also fun.”

“Sounds like the first weekend furlough during basic.”

“Do you have much time to go out to the bars now?”

Boone shrugged. “There’s a group of us that hang out on base. But it’s pool tables, darts, music on the jukebox. I prefer laidback too. You have a bunch of friends around here? People you used to hang out with before you moved?”

“No. I started at ASU with a clean slate. Random roommate assignment, which ended up being Lu. I keep a professional relationship with the people at DPM that I manage directly. Wouldn’t be a good career move to knock back Irish car bombs with my assistant. Or ask my accounts receivable manager to hold my legs during a keg stand.”

“Smart.”

“This year I’ve spent more time with the McKay-kateers. It’s easy with them, and their parties are fun. Lu drags me out on the weekends if our schedules mesh.”

When Boone’s eyes bored into mine, I braced myself for his next question. “So do you…date?”

“I’m team ‘hit it and quit it.’ In, out, done. There’s no mixed signals. What about you?”

“Same.”

Why I decided to push him…no f*cking idea, but I did it anyway. “So no sexy army nurses have rocked your world? You thought, damn, I could do this again. Then you’re hanging out, not just for the sex, but because you like her. Then she starts leaving her shampoo in your shower and both sets of your friends stop trying to fix you up because you’re considered a couple?”

Boone studied me. By the hard set of his jaw I knew I’d struck a nerve. Would he answer or deflect it back to me?

Do you really want to know how many women have had their hands on him? Because no matter what he says, you’ll only focus on all those women who wanted to keep him, but couldn’t. And you know how that feels.

“You know what? Don’t answer that.”

The bartender delivered the drinks and Boone fished out his wallet to pay.

That made this feel like a date.

Is that what you want?

Boone slid my drink over.

I said, “Thank you,” and stepped aside, assuming we’d find a table.

But he set his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. When I looked up, he was right there.

“From the day I left Wyoming, I’ve been one hundred percent focused on getting as much medical training as I could handle. I live, eat and breathe army life. I’ve never had such a sense of purpose. I’ve never been a cog that makes the wheel run smoother. Now I am. I’m proud of what I’ve done and there’s still so much more that I want to do. I chose this life because I have a future and the past doesn’t matter. So yeah, I’ve been content with one-offs. I’m up-front about that. Never had a woman’s shampoo bottle in my shower. I don’t do couple dates because I’ve never been part of a couple. I haven’t been looking for a woman. Haven’t needed one. Haven’t wanted one. Then I saw you in Sundance. Now I’m here and I know I’ll never be content with a one-off with you.”

Shit. Was it hot in here?

I gulped down three mouthfuls of margarita and chanced a look at him.

Brooding Boone? Bye-bye. Beautiful Boone smiled. “Did that answer your question?”

“Yes-sirree, it sure did. Wow. A very thorough answer. You get an A-plus-plus for detail.”

He laughed. “So fair is fair, McKay. You ever had a guy…leave his tools in your shed?”

I choked on my drink.

Of course, Boone thought that was the height of hilarity.

But it didn’t get me off the hook from answering him. “Nope. No guy’s tools. I don’t need them. I have my own and can take care of things myself.”

“That can be taken a couple of different ways.”

“Let your imagination run wild.”

The wild look in his eye indicated the man had a very vivid imagination.

“I think the DJ is about to start playing music.” I faced that direction, standing on my toes for a better view. When I spun back around, Boone was glaring at the guy lounging at the bar next to me.

He leaned over and gritted out, “Keep your eyes off her ass.”

I froze. No need to check to see if Boone’s threat had scared the guy away. Heck, it’d almost scared me away. I sent Boone a sideways glance. He wore that bad-tempered look again. The scruff on his face made him ten times scarier looking, but it also made him ten times hotter.