A Few Good Men by Cat Johnson Page A

cutest puppy-dog face. “You can’t.”
    He scowled. “Well, I’m going to try anyway.”
    Maureen smiled. He was softening. She could tell.
    Peter glanced again at the clock on the wall. “Why don’t we both try to get a quick nap until Rocky in there is done getting his bloody head sewn back together? I know you. You’ll be up half the night working on your blog, and I’ll be awake wondering what you’re writing about me this time.”
    Maureen hid a smirk. He did know her so well. “There is some good news though, about what has come out of these bad dates.”
    Peter looked down at her skeptically. “Really? Pray tell. Whatever could that be?”
    “My publisher sent me my latest sales figures for the book, and there was a definite spike in sales last week since I began my blog about our little social experiment.”
    He rolled his eyes. “I am so happy that our misery has entertained your readership and boosted your royalties.”
    Maureen knew he was happy for her in spite of his sarcasm. Not only because he was her best friend, and a best friend’s job was to suffer your failures right alongside you as well as share your successes, but mostly because she saw the small smile that lifted the corner of his mouth when he thought she wasn’t looking.
    She smiled herself and closed her eyes as the words of her next blog entry swirled through her head. She only hoped she would remember them all until she got to a computer—and checked for an email from John.
    As sleep threatened to overtake her, she forced herself to wake up enough to ask one more question. “You have next week’s date lined up, right?”
    Peter laughed beneath her cheek. “Yes. And I guarantee we won’t be back here after it. Now get some rest.”
    She let her mind drift to imagining what John’s voice sounded like and happily did exactly that.
     
    “I want you.” John stroked her face, his gaze burning into hers from just inches away.
    Maureen could feel the evidence of that pressed against her. She swallowed hard, fighting the butterflies in her stomach. “I want you too.”
    “It’s been a while for me, with the war and all.” He smiled and it warmed her straight through to the core, as did the rich timbre of his voice. She could feel it vibrate through her. They were pressed so closely together as he lay on top of her.
    “It’s been a while for me too.” She smothered a laugh at that understatement. He had no clue how long it had been for her, and she didn’t have the war as an excuse.
    His eyes twinkled. “Then let’s not wait any longer.”
    She had trouble coming up with enough breath to answer him. “Good idea.”
    Just as John was about to slide into her, as she waited for blissful release from the unbearable tension inside her, the most obnoxious sound on earth shattered the moment.
    Maureen groaned and flung one arm over her face. What absolutely horrible timing. The first good dream she’d had in years and it was gone. She slapped at the clock on the bedside table. That’s it. No more alarms. She didn’t care if she was late to work, she wasn’t going to risk the only sex she’d had in months would be interrupted.
    With a heavy heart, she said a sad goodbye to her bed, pushing aside the crazy idea of staying under the covers and possible having her battery-operated friend join her. She headed for the shower and another workweek. At least she had one thing to look forward to each day—emails from John.
    Actually, he hadn’t written back in two whole days. No, make that three if there wasn’t one waiting for her this morning. She was beginning to worry. What if he had gotten blown up? Or worse, was just tired of hearing from her and was trying to give her a hint?
    As she turned on the water in the shower so it would get hot, she resisted the urge to boot up her computer. She’d have to shower first and then check her email while drinking her coffee or she’d be late for work.
    This worry was agonizing. Maybe