Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
“My uncle needs to remember who you are and what you do.”
She sighed, tired again. She didn’t want to argue with him. “But he does. You’re the one who doesn’t. Did I prove that to you yesterday?”
“I’m always going to want to wrap you up and protect you, but yes, you did. You were magnificent, Lou. You were…” He grinned. “You were hot, baby.”
She flushed. “I was doing my job. Now I think your back is all right. I don’t see any open wounds. Did Zach dress you down?”
TJ nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m to keep my mouth off you in the field.”
Of course he’d gone there. She was sure she was a bright shade of pink. “Yeah, he might have mentioned something like that to me, too, and before you get all worked up, he’s my CO in the field. I think he had to do it because Big Tag has been avoiding me. I have to call my dad tomorrow before Big Tag gets to him.”
“He’s not going to talk to your dad,” TJ assured her. “I know he acts like an asshole, but he won’t talk about what happened during a mission. But if you want to talk to him, I’ll go with you. I’ll explain what happened and what my intentions are.”
That sounded like the worst idea in the world. “I’ll handle my parents.”
“You don’t have to.” TJ stood and started to dismantle the mound of decorative pillows that Tasha had on the flouncy bed. “My uncle will keep his mouth shut unless we’re in a meeting. My parents won’t mention it. If you want to give it some time, we can.” He yawned. “We can talk about it, if you want. I don’t know how well I’m going to sleep. I fell asleep on the plane, and my mom woke me up because I started punching out. I think I was having a nightmare.”
Of course he was. “Was it about what happened in Germany?”
TJ laid back, and she tried hard not to think about how hot he looked. He was her friend and he was hurt, and he didn’t need her to sexualize him. “I was trying to get to you and they kept hitting me with tasers. My body didn’t work, and I watched them take you away from me. I couldn’t do anything but lay there and shake.”
She reached out and put a hand in his. “I’m fine. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”
That was dangerous, but she knew if she’d asked he wouldn’t have hesitated. If she’d been hurt and afraid, he would hold her all night long. Tasha had told her to follow her instincts, and every single one of them told her to grant TJ his request. She stood and turned off the overhead light. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep, and then I’ll be right next door if you need me.”
TJ got under the covers, taking the side of the bed closest to the door. “I don’t know if I can sleep with you just sitting there. Maybe you could get in for a little while. Like we used to.”
Used to? It hadn’t been more than a couple months since the last time she’d fallen asleep next to TJ. They often stayed up super late when he came home on leave, and they talked until the wee hours of the morning and he fell asleep on her bed. She sometimes woke up cuddled against him.
She pretended they were together and that his arms around her meant something.
Would it mean something now?
“Sure.” She was going to be letting the man spank her ass. She could lie next to him in a bed. She was already in her PJs, so she would be comfortable until she could sneak back to her own room. Lou climbed in next to him, keeping some space between them. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I’ll make sure of it. I won’t… I’m not going to hurt you ever again, Lou. Even if you never want me the way I want you. You should understand that while you’re dating, I’m not going to see anyone else. I’m going to concentrate on being your friend and your temporary Dom,” he said, his voice low in the darkness.
“TJ,” she began.
He rolled her way, and his head was suddenly nestled against her shoulder. “I just wanted to put it out there.”
They were quiet for a moment.
“I think there was someone else, someone in the background,” he said quietly. “I know I mentioned him before, but I can’t get it out of my head. He wasn’t speaking German, but I couldn’t quite catch enough to know what language it was.”
“Don’t think about it right now.” She shifted so her head was against his, the intimacy reminding her of her childhood and how he would hold her when she was scared.