“No, let it wait until morning,” she said. She set her wine glass on the table and stood. With one hand on her towel, she extended the other. “Come to bed with me.”
“I slept most of the day,” he said, ignoring her outstretched hand. “I’ll be fine on the couch. I can keep watch tonight. Make you feel safe.”
Fulfill my role as your bodyguard and try to remember I’m not your boyfriend anymore.
“You can keep watch while you hold me,” she said. “Please. Lying in your arms—that’s the safest place in the world.”
What the hell could he say to that? He wanted to be her sanctuary, the person she ran to when she needed help. But he wanted to be so much more.
Maybe Lily saw the truth. He wasn’t ready to love her the way she deserved to be loved. She should have a man in her life that could give the best version of himself to her—in bed and out. Dominic could fuck her against a wall and watch her back. Beyond that?
Hell, he didn’t have clue what the best version of himself was anymore.
But he stood and followed her down the hall. He checked behind the door and scanned the bathroom for her before she went in to brush her teeth. Then, he stripped off his boxer briefs as she dropped her towel, and climbed into bed with her.
She rolled onto her side, facing the window. The curtains were drawn tonight, he noted as he moved behind her. He wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her back until her backside pressed up against his dick.
And while the rest of him couldn’t hide from the fact that he’d bared his heart and soul tonight and she’d challenged him, unable to believe he’d never wanted anyone else, his dick rose to attention at the contact. But he ignored his physical response to having the woman he loved in his arms. Because not once had she said the words he needed to hear.
“Dominic?”
“Yeah?” His lips brushed her bare shoulder.
“There was never anyone else for me either,” she whispered.
Those words. I needed to hear you say those words.
“I tried with Ted,” she continued.
His muscles contracted, drawing her closer to him, as if trying to pull her away from the past and Ted, who sure as shit didn’t have any business being in bed with them.
“But there was never anyone else. Not while you were in training or deployed. It wasn’t until you had the chance to come home and didn’t . . .”
“I wasn’t ready.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder. Hell, he still didn’t know if he was.
“I know,” she said. “But, Dominic, I can’t wait anymore. I want to have a family and build a future. So if you decide to stay, if you tell me you will, I . . . I need you to mean it.”
“I won’t lie to you.” He ran his hand down her body, caressing her curves and drawing her back. “If nothing else, you can trust me.”
She reached up, wrapping her arms around her neck. Her body stretched out before him, granting him access. Her legs parted and he slipped his hand between them, touching and stroking.
“I know I can,” she said dreamily as her hips rose up to his touch. “I think you were the only person who believed me when I was convinced the man who attacked me knew me and wanted to strike again.”
His hand stilled. Shit, he’d already lied to her. Earlier, when she’d asked him if they had the right guy, he’d said yes. But he knew there were inconsistencies. Still, he’d let her believe she was safe. In the end, she would know when she saw the file waiting in his car. She’d be able to judge for herself. She was the only one who could make that call.
“Dominic?” she asked.
Damn, he’d messed this up. He’d let his need drive him. He’d nearly kicked down her door tonight. And he hadn’t been hell-bent on handing over the file. He’d wanted to sink into her, claim her, fuck her.
God, he was an ass.
“You don’t have to stop touching me,” she said, still looking up at him as if he was a good guy. “I have a box of condoms in my nightstand.”
“You do?” And yeah, that pulled his attention away from the fact that he wasn’t anywhere close to a perfect score when it came to being the guy for her. “How old are they?”
“They’re new. I bought them in case—”
He cut her off with a kiss. Her lips parted beneath his, granting him access and kissing him back. Slowly, once he felt he’d proven his point—they weren’t going to say Ted’s name again while lying naked together—he drew back and reached for the nightstand.
He reached into the drawer and pulled out papers, a book, and finally the sealed box of condoms. He ripped it open and tore off a packet. He was tempted to use every damn one in the box tonight. So she never got the chance to with Ted or anyone else.