Read Online Seize (St. Martin Family Saga: Emergency Responders) Book 2: Erotic Romance by Gina Watson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gina Watson
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while she might be crying right now, she’d never let him see her.
It was stupid of her to ask him to be her friend, but she was so desperate for a lasting connection with someone other than her mother. She was introverted and had a hard time making friends. If he didn’t want to be friends, he could have just said so. But they’d gotten along well and fairly quickly. She felt she could trust him already.
So he thought she was trying to ensnare him. How exactly? Hadn’t she told him she didn’t expect anything from him in exchange for sex? The things he did to her body were from another world. She’d never experienced so much pleasure, but she would never use their intimacy against him.
She wished she wasn’t attracted to him, but she was, and not just in a sexual way. She was impressed with all of him: the soldier, protector, lover, and friend. She loved his playful side, when he was sparring with her.
Part of her knew he was reacting to his deep-seated pain, but his words still hurt. Her nose was now stopped up and she opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. She unwittingly sighed, the kind of sigh that was broken due to a hard cry. Damn it. She hadn’t wanted to make a sound. Why couldn’t she just act natural, normal? Normal—what did that look like?
She bet he dated a big-haired blonde with huge breasts—she’d seen the reality shows. The women in the South all had blond hair and huge boobs, hips, and lips. She wondered if that were the definition of a normal twenty-something woman.
She was miserable, but at least the tears had stopped. She closed her eyes, but the only thing she could focus on was how her body had responded to his touch.
*
What he’d done was wrong. He knew immediately after he’d said the words that he’d hurt her. She was getting too close, and he needed to push her away. No, it wasn’t really that, because he liked being next to her. He simply didn’t want to talk to her about his time in Afghanistan, tarnish her with his past. He wanted her kept free from those demons because if he told her, he’d no longer want to be around her. Just like he felt about his fellow soldiers. Seeing them brought back memories he’d buried and wanted kept buried. And now she’d heard the intimate, desperate things he screamed in his sleep. During his nightmares he knew he screamed like a small child, not like a marine. He didn’t want her to know him like that, vulnerable and helpless.
Would she forgive him for the hurtful words he’d spoken, especially after what she’d told him about making friends? He’d told her they could be besties, and she’d beamed that glorious smile that told him she’d been truly happy.
But at his words, the fire left her eyes and was replaced by something else. Sadness. Dejection. Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to deflate altogether on her last exhale. Her throat worked as she swallowed thickly and turned from him. Then he’d barely heard her sigh. It was so soft, but he’d heard it, and he knew she was crying because of him.
“Mia,” he whispered. She sniffled and his gut seized. “Mia.” His hand gently rested on her back.
“Just leave me be, please.” Her voice was low and lacked inflection.
“I’m sorry I said those things. You can come to me for anything, and I’ll always try to help.”
She turned to him. Her face was red and her eyes puffy, but she was no longer crying. He grasped her shoulders, but she wouldn’t look him in the eye, just down at the bed.
“Did you hear me? I’m sorry. You can come to me whenever you have a problem.”
She nodded. Her fire was definitely gone. He squeezed her shoulder tight as he looked at her in the bunk.
“Look, I’ve never had anyone constantly pressing me for information. The only girlfriend I’ve ever had was from my company in the marines, so I don’t know how to be around you.”
“I’m sorry too. I didn’t intend to pressure you. It’s just you have night terrors, and I
It was stupid of her to ask him to be her friend, but she was so desperate for a lasting connection with someone other than her mother. She was introverted and had a hard time making friends. If he didn’t want to be friends, he could have just said so. But they’d gotten along well and fairly quickly. She felt she could trust him already.
So he thought she was trying to ensnare him. How exactly? Hadn’t she told him she didn’t expect anything from him in exchange for sex? The things he did to her body were from another world. She’d never experienced so much pleasure, but she would never use their intimacy against him.
She wished she wasn’t attracted to him, but she was, and not just in a sexual way. She was impressed with all of him: the soldier, protector, lover, and friend. She loved his playful side, when he was sparring with her.
Part of her knew he was reacting to his deep-seated pain, but his words still hurt. Her nose was now stopped up and she opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. She unwittingly sighed, the kind of sigh that was broken due to a hard cry. Damn it. She hadn’t wanted to make a sound. Why couldn’t she just act natural, normal? Normal—what did that look like?
She bet he dated a big-haired blonde with huge breasts—she’d seen the reality shows. The women in the South all had blond hair and huge boobs, hips, and lips. She wondered if that were the definition of a normal twenty-something woman.
She was miserable, but at least the tears had stopped. She closed her eyes, but the only thing she could focus on was how her body had responded to his touch.
*
What he’d done was wrong. He knew immediately after he’d said the words that he’d hurt her. She was getting too close, and he needed to push her away. No, it wasn’t really that, because he liked being next to her. He simply didn’t want to talk to her about his time in Afghanistan, tarnish her with his past. He wanted her kept free from those demons because if he told her, he’d no longer want to be around her. Just like he felt about his fellow soldiers. Seeing them brought back memories he’d buried and wanted kept buried. And now she’d heard the intimate, desperate things he screamed in his sleep. During his nightmares he knew he screamed like a small child, not like a marine. He didn’t want her to know him like that, vulnerable and helpless.
Would she forgive him for the hurtful words he’d spoken, especially after what she’d told him about making friends? He’d told her they could be besties, and she’d beamed that glorious smile that told him she’d been truly happy.
But at his words, the fire left her eyes and was replaced by something else. Sadness. Dejection. Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to deflate altogether on her last exhale. Her throat worked as she swallowed thickly and turned from him. Then he’d barely heard her sigh. It was so soft, but he’d heard it, and he knew she was crying because of him.
“Mia,” he whispered. She sniffled and his gut seized. “Mia.” His hand gently rested on her back.
“Just leave me be, please.” Her voice was low and lacked inflection.
“I’m sorry I said those things. You can come to me for anything, and I’ll always try to help.”
She turned to him. Her face was red and her eyes puffy, but she was no longer crying. He grasped her shoulders, but she wouldn’t look him in the eye, just down at the bed.
“Did you hear me? I’m sorry. You can come to me whenever you have a problem.”
She nodded. Her fire was definitely gone. He squeezed her shoulder tight as he looked at her in the bunk.
“Look, I’ve never had anyone constantly pressing me for information. The only girlfriend I’ve ever had was from my company in the marines, so I don’t know how to be around you.”
“I’m sorry too. I didn’t intend to pressure you. It’s just you have night terrors, and I
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