A SEAL's Courage (Military Match #1)(21)

The bed dipped as he took a seat beside her. He lay back, his hand slipping into hers where it rested on the bed between them. “There’s nothing wrong with you, doll. Some guys are just assholes.”

Another tear escaped, but she didn’t bother to wipe it away, either. “I seem to find an awful lot of them. Where are all the nice guys people are always talking about?”

He released her hand, lifting it instead to wipe the tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Where all the good women are. In hiding.”

The hint of humor in his tone had her smiling in spite of herself. If he was going to think of her as only a friend, at least he was a damn good one. “You know what I actually hoped?”

“What’s that?” He wiped more wetness from her cheek, then slipped his fingers through hers. He had big hands. Large and long fingered, they all but swamped hers. It was such simple contact, but his palm was warm and solid and right then it provided a lifeline.

“That I’d meet someone. Just one nice guy. Someone to curl up with me at the end of the night. I make wedding cakes for a living, yet I don’t even know what it feels like for a man to look at me the way Will looks at Skylar.”

He didn’t say anything for so long she feared he wouldn’t. She probably looked like a pathetic fool to him.

Finally, he squeezed her fingers and turned his head to look at her. “Want me to stay?”

She couldn’t stop the derisive snort that left her. Of all the things for him to ask.

“How many times have you showed up on my doorstep and sat with me, even when I was too stubborn to admit I needed it? I’ll take the couch.”

Another damn tear slid to her hairline, the ache crushing her chest. Did he have any idea how much she wanted to scream yes? But she couldn’t. She needed his friendship tonight, but she couldn’t handle him sleeping in the house. It would only remind her too much of what she could never have.

“That’s really sweet, Trent. It is. But you being on the couch would just be even more depressing, because it isn’t what I really want.” She hesitated. She shouldn’t tell him anymore, but hell, what else did she have left at this point? “What I want tonight is someone to hold me while I sleep.”

Trent went silent, simply staring at the ceiling. After a moment, he looked over at her.

“It’s your birthday, and I’m in a generous mood. I also don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow. Gabe’s been giving me weekends off.” He shifted their combined hands, nudging her thigh. “Don’t go all shy on me now. Ask for what you want.”

The lack of pity in his eyes told her he meant what he’d said. She ought to tell him no, but the word wouldn’t leave her mouth. Maybe he was only a friend, but he provided more temptation than she had willpower to resist. “I’d like you to stay. To hold me while I was sleep.”

He winked. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

She let out a watery laugh and turned to stare at the ceiling. “I can’t promise I don’t snore.”

“That’s okay. If you don’t, I’m pretty sure I do.” Trent squeezed her hand, then pulled himself upright and stood. He hung his jacket off the bedroom doorknob, then returned to the bed. He pulled down the covers before moving back to her and scooping her into his arms. “Come on, doll. Let’s get you into bed. You’ll feel better after a little sleep.”

She couldn’t resist the warmth of his body or the pull of his familiar scent and rested her head on his shoulder. “Remind me never to drink again.”

A quiet laugh rumbled out of him. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll have to. That hangover you’ll have tomorrow will do it for you.” He laid her carefully on the bed and pulled the covers over her. “Stay there. I’ll go get you some ibuprofen. Where do you keep it?”

She settled back on the pillow and closed her eyes. “Cabinet over the stove. Top right.”

“Be right back.” He was back a minute later, the bed sinking as he took a seat. “Here, doll. Sit up and take this.”

She pried her eyes open, took the tablet from his open palm and popped it into her mouth. She swallowed it with a sip from the glass of water he’d brought as well, then set the glass on the nightstand. Trent returned to the doorway. He bent to unlace his boots and toed them off before flicking off the overhead light. Immersed now in darkness, his tall, broad form was little more than a moving shadow as he returned to the bed. He climbed in beside her, covered them both, and lifted his arm in invitation.

The thought of lying against that big, hard body had her heart doing a jig in her chest. It was so stupid, but she’d never done this before, actually slept with a man. It didn’t help that her mind filled with his denial last week. That’s flattering, doll, but I’d have to turn you down. Not to mention he was only here because he was a nice guy. Because she’d gone and cried and told him way more than she should have.

Her cheeks heated, and despite knowing he couldn’t see her, she averted her gaze to the bed. “You don’t have to do this, you know. It’s kind of childish of me to ask this of you.”

“It’s not childish. Not even remotely.”

His intense gaze bored into her, but otherwise, long moments passed in tense silence. She didn’t have to see his face to know he’d retreated into his head. So she waited him out. He’d talk when he was ready.