r

The doorman opened the door for me, and my car was waiting. I got into the backse

ley asked from th

knee. The damn thing had been acting up agai

Bentley asked, his eyes m

but knew he would

an, you know you need

’s just been kind o

st. I looked out the window, watching the tourists roll their luggage, wrangle kids, and take pictures, all

y home, and I hoped, through the businesses I was running, I could make it

trees lining the circular driveway to my house on the lake.

t out. “I’ve told you I

is exactly why I do it, Guvnor,” he

and looked real enough and functioned well enough, but he’d told me long ago, he

morning,” I said an

I heard the nails on the marble floors. “Come here girl!” I shoute

e as she ran. I dropped to my knees, waiting for her to maul me with her tongue. The beaut

s and happily accepting her exuberant kisses over my chee

. I gave her a good belly rub as she rolled to her

the kitchen. I was hungry but had no inclination to go out anywhere. I knew I should go out

sitting on the patio with my dog, watching the gorgeous sunse

Army changed me. It was why I’d joined. I needed the changing. That was for damn sure. I pushed

ner?” I asked Leia, who w

I pulled out my phone, hit my food app, and

tons to order before putting the phone on the cou

sat down in one of the deck chairs and looked at her. Her tongue was hanging with what cou

ht, up,”

a couple of times before dropping down on the nominal

the other. It was my idea of a good time. I didn’t need the clubs or the women. I just needed a good woman, wh

he crowds over the coming months. I needed to recharge. I had been working around the clock for over a mo

wanted people to have a good time. They were spending their hard-earned money at my ho

uld get a reservation at. Either way

cation to Tahoe and think it was bet