Rael should have been livid, enraged enough to spit at the man’s gall. But his order hadn’t had much in the way of teeth behind it, and it was Gal...n after all. A sour old veteran, Galin was battle hardened and worn and grizzled, having long past earned the right to gripe and complain and say whatever he damn well pleased. He was also one of the few men Rael trusted implicitly and was a war friend of his father’s. It still felt odd, to be in a position of authority over the rough old man. Galin. He turned her and they faced each other. ‘Catherine, look at me. I’m not the same man who went off to war and you made promise to return. I can’t see clearly. I’m almost deaf. I carry my arm like the bloody Kaiser. I have scars everyone can see.’ ‘Can’t you understand? I don’t care,’ Catherine pulled him close. ‘I do. You are the most beautiful woman I ever have laid eyes on. You deserve more than someone like me.’ With that, he pushed her away. ‘Charles, sometimes all scars are not visible,’. I met you, my best friend.’ John said as he turned around to see her. Damn, she’s so cute. ‘Well, that’s because you let me cheat off you in college. I must say that was pretty cool of you.’ she explained ‘Well, I am a pretty cool dude,’ he laughed. Carly laughed with him and stood on her toes to wrap her arms around the back of his neck. He got a whiff of a distant scent, it smelled familiar but new altogether. *** It came out of nowhere. The rain slammed down furiously on the roof of John’s. "And I like seeing you blush."Julie was starting to look uncomfortable when Katie winked at me and turned her guns on Darrell. "And I liked getting you hard in class." I wasn't all the way hard," Darrell huffed."If you almost got hard in a room full of guys, you're never going to make it when the girls start going nude." Well," he drawled, "I figured I'd be able to find a sympathetic girl who can help ease my pain. I mean, what girl could resist a counselor?" Keep dreaming, Romeo," Katie.