Pleasantly numb. Warmth infused her chest as she listened to the brotherly camaraderie drifting from the foyer. Joe was at ease with her brothers, escorting them to the door as if he’d done it a hundred times. God, had she only known him a matter of hours? It felt so natural being with him. As though he’d always been here. The night was a blur of arguments, liquor, and laughter. There was an easy acceptance of Joe that her brothers had never before exhibited with any of her other … well … men. She couldn’t really call Joe her boyfriend now, could she? Your brother is the son of a bitch who gave it to me. Special Forces. Compromised mission. Joe saved my life. She laid her head back against her chair, pieces of the night’s conversation swirling through her mind. She’d been surprised to find out Joe had been in the military, although in what capacity she still wasn’t clear. She smiled slightly, thinking about her brothers’ scowls when she declared that she hadn’t seen any tattoos or identifying marks on Joe’s body to give him away.
