Chapter Seven

Jared watched her drive away and held himself from yelling for her to come back. Hell. He almost choked when she asked if he remembered her.

He'd thought about her every day since he left her bed years before. Before that night, he thought he'd get her out of his head by having her that one night, but it backfired. He was even more obsessed than he had been before.

She was the only one in his life who had gotten through the wall he'd built around himself. Even his teammates, who had been with him through so many life-and-death situations, hadn't been able to break through one hundred percent.

He'd never admit it to anyone, but Skye was the only reason he moved back to the town he'd grown up in—the same one he promised himself he'd never come back to. She was the only person he wanted to be close to in the world. She was the only one left.

He didn't regret not talking to his father before leaving for the Navy, but he left a note and an address and number if he wanted to get in touch with his son. Jared hadn't received anything from his dad, which didn't surprise him, but he still felt dejected.

His father had died from liver failure while Jared was overseas, and Jared could not get back for the funeral, but he made sure everything was paid for and even bought a nice headstone for his father's grave. The funeral director had sent him pictures, but he had yet to see the grave site in person.

Even though he'd always been a loner, the fact that he had no family left in the world bothered him more than he thought it would. Maybe it was because of age or everything he'd seen while in the Navy. But something fundamental had changed inside of him.

What he'd seen when he was in the military staggered him and made him sick. He still couldn't fathom how anyone could be so heartless and cruel to another person, but he'd seen it repeatedly. He felt something inside himself close off. It made it easier to deal with the monstrosities of war. After a while, he couldn't remember the courtesy, concern, and caring that still existed until he woke up in the hospital.

His team had been on their way back from gathering intel when insurgents closed in on them. The memories of the screams, groans of pain, and flashes of light from the explosives would be etched in his brain for the rest of his life. His nights were getting a little better. He could sleep now for five hours straight before the nightmares started.

He had broken an arm, an ankle, five ribs, and had deep gashes all over his body. Everything had healed nicely, but he was left with scars to remind himself of that day.

The scar that bothered him the most was on the right side of his face. The doctors had done their best to repair it, but it was still very visible. It went from his temple to his jawline and was still pink even though it had been several months. It would eventually lighten and become less noticeable.

While in the hospital, he'd gone through a depression. He knew there were many reasons for it, and the psychiatrist he'd talked to said it was normal.

Even though every man on his team made it out alive, they were all in poor shape and had to be transferred out of the Seal team. Jared had been offered a desk job, but he turned it down because he knew it would drive him crazy. He was tired of the military and just wanted peace and quiet.

He had enough money saved from the Navy and a surprising amount from his dad's life insurance and 401K that he could take his time trying to figure out what he wanted to do.

Because of the depression, the psychiatrist had mentioned moving to a place where he had a relative or someone special. Jared thought about it. Deciding he wanted to be close to Skye was easy. He just didn't know how hard it would be not to be able to see her. She was so close, but he thought it best to stay away from her because of his injuries and mental state.

But he never thought she'd come to see him. Seeing her for the first time in years had been a blow to his gut, making him not inhale for a long moment as he stared down at her.

His first inclination was to pull her into his arms, tear her clothes from her body, lay her down, and fuck her until they were both either raw or unconscious. He'd dreamed of everything he wanted to do with and to her so many times it almost felt real.

He wanted her to feel the possessive web he longed to fling over her to keep her in one place. He wanted her tied to him in every way possible. It was only when he was awake that he knew it was impossible. Even if his scars didn't bother her, he hadn't ever had a relationship with anyone because he knew he could be abrupt and hard to be around. Skye would have to put up with a lot, and he couldn't ask that of her.

Jared always figured he'd be a loner. He just didn't realize how hard it was going to be.

He took the box that she dropped at his feet into the kitchen and set it on the counter. Saliva pooled in his mouth when he opened it, and the different scents hit him. Then he was able to see the beautiful, delicious cookies, rolls, and cupcakes she'd brought.

Within a minute, he'd scarfed down two cookies and a cupcake, and each one was better than the last.

He closed the box and set it aside before eating them all and making himself sick. The rest of the night, he opened the box for a treat. He was amazed at how unhappy he was when the box of treats was gone. He realized he should have kept one of the sweet rolls for the morning only after the fact.

The next morning, he woke up with a strong craving for the rolls he was already obsessed with. He'd never tasted anything that good in his life.

Fortunately, the bakery's name had been on the box, so he knew where to go to get some more.