Chapter 18

Sharp was never happier to be living in an apartment than he was when he ended the call with Danika. At first, he'd been disappointed there hadn't been space in military housing when he'd returned from Russia. But he'd been gone for a while, and there were a lot of Navy men and women in the area who needed places to stay. Luckily, he got an apartment that wasn't too far from Wild and a few other men he knew.

Most importantly, with Danika coming out to California, he would have a place for her to stay. If he'd been living in the barracks, he didn't know what he would do.

He still had work, and he had to keep his head in the game, so he couldn't think too much about Danika. Worry still ran through him, making his mind work overtime when it was quiet. Three full days passed before he heard from her again. She called in the afternoon as he was leaving the base. He answered on his car's Bluetooth.

"Hey," Sharp said.

"Um, my bus just arrived in San Diego. It took a while since I threw him off by going to New Orleans, then I hitched a ride to another city."

"Damn, that was dangerous. Are you safe?"

"I think so. I paid cash for the tickets. I don't think he followed me or could have followed me once I left Savannah."

"I'll come get you. Give me a moment to pull off the road and enter the address for the station."

"Sure."

Once he stopped his car, he typed in the address and saw it would take him about twenty minutes to get there.

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Stay safe," Sharp said before he hung up.

Traffic wasn't too thick, so he got there in about fifteen minutes. When he pulled up, he didn't see her. He was about to whip out his phone when she stepped outside. His stomach tightened, and his heart sped up. What he'd felt in London hadn't been a one-time thing. She got to him like no one else had.

He opened the door to his car and stepped out. She waved and ran over, just a duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey," she said, her eyes going bright as she tried to seem unaffected, but he could tell she was feeling something.

He didn't expect her to jump back in where they'd been the last time he'd seen her. That had been a one-time thing, being trapped in London and all that other stuff. This was different, more permanent. She needed help, not his lust.

He took her bag and placed it in the back seat as he opened the passenger door. "I'm glad you made it."

"Thank you. You've saved me again." Danika slid into the car, and he forced himself not to ogle her legs. Memories of high school, him driving his mom's car, Danika in the passenger seat, lust pumping through both of them hotter than a branding iron. He'd been too dumb to know what he had and too stupid to stop his dad from ruining everything. It wasn't just him that got the belt. His dad dished it out to his mother, too. It was an equal opportunity abuse situation. He wished he'd been strong enough to stay and take his dad down, but life had put him on a different path.

Danika needed help, and he would keep her safe, even if they had no chance of a romantic relationship. His heart squeezed when she turned to face him, the smile lighting up her face wide. It was just like old times, and yet not at all.

"I can't believe I'm seeing you again. I really thought it would be a while before I saw you. Thank you so much for helping."

That thought, the one of him only helping her, had to stay in his mind. She was only here because she needed help, nothing more. She wasn't here to slip into his bed, so he had a fuck buddy. She deserved more than being toyed with. Cars were piling up, and he needed to head out, so he popped the car into gear and eased out into traffic.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I didn't want to come."

Her words shocked him, and at the next light, he turned to look at her. She raised one hand, palm out, and shook her head.

"Not like that. I wanted to have my life together. I'm a mess. I don't know what I'm going to do next, and here I am with no money, no way to pay you back, and basically begging for help. I'm not this totally whacked-out woman who can't take care of herself. I swear, before this Ezra crap, I was in charge of my life, or at least I wasn't a total wreck."

The next light, he reached over and squeezed her leg. "You aren't a wreck. And this isn't your fault. You're welcome to stay at my place for however long you need. We'll see what we can do to keep you safe."

She sighed and leaned back against the seat, seeming to relax. When he looked over again, her eyes were closed. He was glad she was here. Maybe he shouldn't be happy that she'd run to him, but he'd wanted to see her again.

Maybe she wouldn't stay, but he hoped she stuck around. Having a relationship with her was a long shot because they were different people than they had been in high school, and he had no idea what she wanted out of life.

All he knew was that after London, he couldn't get her out of his mind. Now, he had a chance to see if what he felt would morph into a relationship or fizzle out like a flat soda.