8. Walker

8

WALKER

We’re toe to toe, but with my height, her head is tilted backward, and she’s staring at me with rage in her eyes. I know I’m being ridiculous, but I don’t care. She’s a grown-ass woman, and she can do what she wants, but it will be over my dead body that she dates another man. She’s mine, and it’s time I’ve claimed her.

I let out a breath and step back. The air is crackling between us, and I know if I keep this up I’m either going to toss her over my lap and smack her pretty ass or I’m going to kiss her. Neither of which I should be doing right now. “Look, I’m sorry. Seeing you like that, knowing that something was happening to you and I couldn’t do anything to stop them... it was too much. I’m overreacting. We should talk about this in the morning.”

“It’s not your fault, Walker. None of this is.” She sits down on the edge of the bed, and the shirt she’s wearing rises high on her legs. I try to focus on her words instead of her body, but having her close like this, the way I’ve dreamed about having her in bed for the past five years, it’s hard to be right.

“All of this is my fault, Brook.”

She shakes her head. “I wasn’t looking.”

I look at her with confusion. What does she mean she wasn’t looking?

“I wasn’t watching when I came out of the restaurant. I had my head buried in my purse.” She puts her hand to her face. “Doing the exact thing that you guys trained me not to do.”

“Brook, you need to know that you wouldn’t even have been there if it wasn’t for me.”

Finally she looks me in the eye. “What do you mean?”

I hold my head. This has been the worst night mentally I’ve ever been through. “Do you care if I lie down?”

She looks at the bed and back at me. “Here?”

I nod, and she starts to get up. “It’s your bed, Walker. I can sleep on the couch.”

I’m pulling off my jeans and T-shirt and am down to my boxers. She is speechless, watching me as I lift her up off the edge of the bed and lay her down, pulling the covers up. I flip the light off and walk around to get in next to her.

She’s quiet, but I swear I can hear her brain working a mile a minute. “What?”

“Uh, we’re in bed together.”

Yeah, and this is where we’ll be every night if I have a say in it . I laugh and roll toward her. “Do you want me to move?”

She doesn’t say anything, and I’m worried she’s going to tell me to go. I will, if she insists, but I won’t go far. The chair in the corner won’t be comfortable to sleep in, but I’ll do it.

“No, I’d actually like you to stay, please.”

I can’t stop myself. I reach for her in the darkness and pull her to me. I tangle our legs together and wrap my arm around her, tucking her head under my chin. “Is this okay? Am I hurting you?”

Her voice is muffled. “I’m fine.”

She turns her head and rests her cheek against my chest. Her breath tickles the hair there when she starts to talk. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why are you here?”

I start to answer, but she stops me. “I mean, why aren’t you chasing the bad guys? That’s what you do. I mean, even when you’re not out on missions, you’re at the office, running things from there. You never stop until they’re caught.” She shakes her head. “So I’m just trying to figure out why you’re here.”

“The team can handle it.”

Irritation is clear in her voice. “I know they can handle it, but I don’t understand. You... this is not you.”

“Maybe I’m changing things up.”

She snorts. “You? You hate change. What’s really going on?”

I don’t want to scare her, but she’s not going to stop. “I’m not leaving your side until the men are caught.”

“But...”

“No, I’m sorry, Brook, but you’re stuck with me.”

Silence fills the room.

“Okay?” I ask her, which is totally not like me. I’m never unsure of myself, but with Brook I just don’t know. She means too much to me.

“Why did you say tonight was your fault?”

“Because those men are my enemies. They were trying to get to me through you. And well, I’m the reason that you had to go on a dating app to get a date.”

She pulls back and looks up at me. Even though I can’t see her face, I know she’s confused. “What does that even mean? You’re being ridiculous. It’s not your fault I can’t seem to get a date.”

I close my eyes. All this time, I was jealous and didn’t want her dating someone else and I was ruining her self-esteem. How could she believe that nobody wanted to date her? Hell, half the team would have tried to date her if I hadn’t put a stop to it. “It is my fault.”

“No, it’s not.”

I run my hand up and down her hip soothingly, as if touching her is going to make what I’m about to say easier. “I’ve warned all of Whiskey Run to stay away from you, Brook.”

“You what? Why would you do that?”

I clench my eyes shut. “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear that.”

Her hand goes across my chest and wraps around my shoulder. “I don’t understand.”

I guess it’s now or never. “I couldn’t have you, but I couldn’t just stand by and let another man be with you.”

I don’t know if she realizes it, but her hand grips on to me tighter. “What does that mean, you couldn’t have me?”

My heart is still racing from everything that happened tonight. I never dreamed it would come to this, and I’ve never let myself hope that I would have her in my arms like this. I don’t want to say the wrong thing and have her leave me. I need her in my arms.

“Can we talk about this in the morning?”

“Walker...”

“Look, honey, I know you’ve been through hell. If I could have traded you places, I would have in a heartbeat. But can you give me tonight? Just let me hold you, and I’ll explain everything in the morning.”

She scoots in closer to me, her hip pressed against my hard dick. I don’t even try to move away. I’ll sleep like this all night if she’ll let me. I’ll have blue balls by morning, but it will all be worth it to have her in my arms.

She leans her forehead on my chest again. “I’m pretty sure Sam is not going to be happy about you and me in the same bed together.”

“Sam? Why would she care?”

She whispers softly, “Aren’t the two of you dating... or together or whatever?”

“Me and Sam?” I ask her incredulously. “We’ve never dated. Why would you think that?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. You guys are close... and had dinners and were out late together.”

“You were jealous!” I say, a warm feeling spreading through my body. Fuck, how could she not know how I feel about her? Everyone that is around us for any time at all knows how I feel about her. Sam knew just after hearing me talk about Brook.

“I was not. But I also don’t want her mad at me... or you.”

I cup her nape and press my lips to the top of her head. “There’s nothing going on between Sam and me. We’ve been through a lot together, but we’ve never been together. We’re friends.”

“But...”

“Plus, I’m pretty sure Bear would kill me.”

“Bear! He never dates. Heck, I don’t even think he likes women.”

I chuckle. “Surely you didn’t think Bear was gay?”

“No, I don’t mean that. I just mean, he never talks, shows emotion, nothing. I’m just surprised is all.”

I yawn because I can’t hold it back anymore. “So we’re good. I can trust you to stay in bed all night.”

She nods, and I pull her to me. Her body is flush against mine, and every curve fits to me perfectly. It’s like we’re made for each other. If I hadn’t been to hell tonight, I’m pretty sure I’d think I was in heaven.