Read Online Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel by Nicole Leiren - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicole Leiren
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with the rise and fall of his broad chest. She needed to get the conversation back on track. Needed to remember why this was a bad idea. "I'm so sorry you were hurt. Maybe it's for the best that you won't be where people can shoot you."
He jerked away from her touch. "Doesn't mean I still can't be hurt."
Frustration rippled through her, shredding any remaining strands of desire and tossing them into the tide. She stood abruptly and looked at her nemesis. "Dammit, Cody. I'm trying to not hurt you again. Don't you get that? Last time I let my feelings get the best of me. Feelings and those damn hormones. That night I spent with you in India was me being selfish. I wanted to feel loved, needed, and desirable again. You made me feel all those things. Do you understand?" She forced the air from her lungs, trying to remain calm and in control. "I want to feel those things again, but I can't. My life is even more complicated than before." More like damaged goods. "You need a woman who can give you the love and happiness you deserve and not hurt you."
The moon came out from its hiding place in the clouds and illuminated his bronzed body, sculpted chest, abs, and the bullet wounds. The fathomless darkness of his eyes held her gaze on him for longer than she'd planned, but she was tired of being so strong.
"Wounds heal, and the memory of the pain fades." His words were spoken so softly she could barely hear them over the crashing of the waves.
She shook her head slowly. "The wounds on the inside hurt far worse than those we can see." This she knew from experience. "You deserve better." She wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye. "Far better than the mess of a woman I've become."
She allowed herself one final look at the picture of marred perfection before turning to walk away. With each step, more moisture gathered in her eyes. She hated being weak. Hated being needy. Hated the course of her life at the moment. Her feet picked up their pace. From a walk, to a jog, to an all-out run. Images of Nathan with the woman who'd taken him away from her, the disapproving glare of her mother, the disappointment on her sons' faces, and the tattered remnants of her cloak of perfection. Each one a painful reminder of her screwed-up life.
Her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Great, out of shape too. Her pace faltered, and she stumbled to the ground. Instead of the sand greeting her, a soft body…well, not too soft, cushioned her fall. The sweat-slicked skin smelled earthy, and she knew without even opening her eyes who had caught her.
"I've got you, Ev. I've got you."
Months of anger, frustration, sadness, and countless other emotions erupted from the tight hold she'd kept on them. She turned in to his embrace, allowing the tears to flow and bathe his chest with the evidence of her pain. The strength of his arms surrounded her as he whispered comforting, nonsensical words that reached into her swirling emotions and stilled them with nothing more than his voice.
One minute or twenty could have gone by. She wasn't sure. She drew a ragged breath, feeling better than she'd felt since finding Monique and Nathan in bed together. Though, truth be told, her marriage had been over long before that. Wiping her eyes, she pulled away from his body. "Sorry. I'm not in the habit of having a breakdown in front of others." Or ever…
His hands, slightly calloused, wiped the remaining evidence of the break in her composure away from her face. "I'm not just anyone. You're safe with me."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the pain in his eyes. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you for being here for me tonight." She stood, followed quickly by his rise to stand next to her. "But this doesn't change anything." Just one kiss.
Her lips brushed his, and she sought to memorize every millisecond of the moment.
A girl could get lost in the dangerous combination of Cody's strength and softness. "Take care of yourself,
He jerked away from her touch. "Doesn't mean I still can't be hurt."
Frustration rippled through her, shredding any remaining strands of desire and tossing them into the tide. She stood abruptly and looked at her nemesis. "Dammit, Cody. I'm trying to not hurt you again. Don't you get that? Last time I let my feelings get the best of me. Feelings and those damn hormones. That night I spent with you in India was me being selfish. I wanted to feel loved, needed, and desirable again. You made me feel all those things. Do you understand?" She forced the air from her lungs, trying to remain calm and in control. "I want to feel those things again, but I can't. My life is even more complicated than before." More like damaged goods. "You need a woman who can give you the love and happiness you deserve and not hurt you."
The moon came out from its hiding place in the clouds and illuminated his bronzed body, sculpted chest, abs, and the bullet wounds. The fathomless darkness of his eyes held her gaze on him for longer than she'd planned, but she was tired of being so strong.
"Wounds heal, and the memory of the pain fades." His words were spoken so softly she could barely hear them over the crashing of the waves.
She shook her head slowly. "The wounds on the inside hurt far worse than those we can see." This she knew from experience. "You deserve better." She wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye. "Far better than the mess of a woman I've become."
She allowed herself one final look at the picture of marred perfection before turning to walk away. With each step, more moisture gathered in her eyes. She hated being weak. Hated being needy. Hated the course of her life at the moment. Her feet picked up their pace. From a walk, to a jog, to an all-out run. Images of Nathan with the woman who'd taken him away from her, the disapproving glare of her mother, the disappointment on her sons' faces, and the tattered remnants of her cloak of perfection. Each one a painful reminder of her screwed-up life.
Her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Great, out of shape too. Her pace faltered, and she stumbled to the ground. Instead of the sand greeting her, a soft body…well, not too soft, cushioned her fall. The sweat-slicked skin smelled earthy, and she knew without even opening her eyes who had caught her.
"I've got you, Ev. I've got you."
Months of anger, frustration, sadness, and countless other emotions erupted from the tight hold she'd kept on them. She turned in to his embrace, allowing the tears to flow and bathe his chest with the evidence of her pain. The strength of his arms surrounded her as he whispered comforting, nonsensical words that reached into her swirling emotions and stilled them with nothing more than his voice.
One minute or twenty could have gone by. She wasn't sure. She drew a ragged breath, feeling better than she'd felt since finding Monique and Nathan in bed together. Though, truth be told, her marriage had been over long before that. Wiping her eyes, she pulled away from his body. "Sorry. I'm not in the habit of having a breakdown in front of others." Or ever…
His hands, slightly calloused, wiped the remaining evidence of the break in her composure away from her face. "I'm not just anyone. You're safe with me."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the pain in his eyes. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you for being here for me tonight." She stood, followed quickly by his rise to stand next to her. "But this doesn't change anything." Just one kiss.
Her lips brushed his, and she sought to memorize every millisecond of the moment.
A girl could get lost in the dangerous combination of Cody's strength and softness. "Take care of yourself,
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