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“You been crying?”
    I was too choked up to speak, so I just nodded. I had no idea why I was getting PMS-y all of a sudden, and my Aunt Flo wasn’t even due for another week.
    When Sarge cupped my cheek again, I averted my gaze while fighting the urge to sigh into his warm skin. One signal from me, and I knew we’d be falling on the bed in a tangle, knotted together so tight only an act of God could tear us apart. And then, hot damn, when his knee grazed mine, a shudder of desire coursed through me as if he’d flipped the switch on my lust-o-meter. This guy was not supposed to be turning me on. I had a boyfriend. This was so not good.
    “We miss you,” he said softly as he tilted my chin until I was forced to meet his eyes. “ I miss you.”
    A lump of panic wedged in my throat, and I pulled back enough that he took the hint and released me.
    “I miss you guys, too.” I made sure to emphasize “you guys,” as in plural, as in I’m not missing your hot, tight, ass at all.
    He scooted back on the bed, his metal leg clanking as it scraped the frame. “Just ask, Ash, and I’ll work on getting you back with us.”
    I shook my head. “I can’t. Shadow said he’d fire me if I went back to Delta.”
    Shadows fell across his angular face, his full lips thinning as smoke swirled beneath his dark gaze. And just when I thought his cocky drill sergeant demeanor was sexy, he pulled the sexy-times-two with the pissed off look. It really wasn’t fair that he was so damn gorgeous.
    “That’s bullshit.”
    “It is what it is.” I pretended to be interested in a speck of grime beneath my fingernail. Nail crud was so much more manageable than unfulfilled desire. “Besides, Shadow is right. Look at your head.” I nodded toward his injury. It looked like an anthill with a train track running through it. Sarge had had to get stitches because of me. “I don’t want to risk hurting you again.”
    He laughed. “I’ve had worse injuries than a little bump.” His smile faded. His gaze sharpened with an intensity that made me uncomfortable in my own skin. “How does your Grim like you working here?”
    The way he sneered when he said “your Grim” made it sound as if the words were acid burning his tongue.
    I squeezed my fists in my lap thinking I so didn’t want to get into a conversation about Aedan right now. I mean, the guy had just broken my heart. “I guess Aedan likes it. He’s on the squad now, too.”
    Sarge’s eyes narrowed. “Is he why you been crying?”
    I jumped off the bed, crossing the room with urgent strides. I ended up at an ornate dresser with a tall, oval mirror. I hated that dresser. It was this weird, pinkish-grey with the most hideous flowers carved into the sides. At the moment, though, I hated the reflection in the mirror even more, and not just because of the frizzy hair and smeared makeup. Though my afterlife was somehow supposed to be a new start, I’d allowed myself to tumble into the same old shit, falling in love with the wrong guy and giving him my utmost devotion while letting a great guy, maybe even a much better guy, slip away.
    I clutched the side of the dresser, turning my gaze away from the mirror. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    Sarge came up behind me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “When you’re willing, I’ll be here for you. Okay?” There was sadness in his voice that tugged at my heartstrings and nearly brought fresh tears to my eyes.
    I turned around and faced him, lacking the energy, or maybe the willpower, to fend him off when he snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest.
    “Thanks,” I breathed against the starched cotton of his shirt.
    His hands roamed from my waist to my hips, and then he settled them dangerously close to my ass. I thought of that time Sarge had smacked my butt so hard I saw stars. I remembered how the stinging slowly faded and was replaced by a new sensation: lust.
    Even though I’d already had amazing