Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3)(17)

“I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Morgan admitted.

“It’s not your issue to think about,” Arrow told her. “But letting me comfort you just now was a gift. Thank you. So no more talk about you being weak or helpless. Okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Now . . . go on. Climb under the sheets, and I’ll be there as soon as I finish in here.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Arrow watched Morgan walk out of the bathroom, and he took a moment to collect himself. He was pissed beyond belief. Not at Morgan, but at the assholes who’d damaged her psyche. She was strong, there was no doubt, but she was definitely hurting.

Working quickly, he washed her panties, T-shirt, and jeans. He did the same with his underclothes, but not his cargo pants. They would take forever to dry, and he wanted to make Morgan as comfortable as possible as they slept. That meant not being naked when they were in the same bed together.

When he had hung their clothes to dry, he went back out into the other room. He strode to the door and made sure it was locked up tight. He pulled a chair in front of it, just in case, before looking over at the bed.

Morgan was under the sheet and thin comforter; he could see just her head sticking out. Smiling, Arrow went over and picked up the towel she’d discarded on the floor. He hung it up in the bathroom before heading to the other side of the bed. He lay down on top of the covers and turned to face Morgan. “Is this okay? I really can sleep on the floor if you prefer.”

“I told you, it’s fine,” she replied, then turned to face him.

“You get enough water to drink?” Arrow asked.

Morgan nodded. “I sucked enough down in the shower to make me feel bloated and uncomfortable before I had my little freak-out.”

Frowning at her description of what had happened, Arrow merely nodded. “And food? Do you need another protein bar? We’ll get real food later, but I don’t want you to go to sleep hungry.”

“I’m fine.”

Arrow studied her for a heartbeat. Her hair was spread over the pillow, and just looking at it made him want to both cry and rage over what had happened to her. He kept himself together, though.

“Will you . . .” Her words trailed off.

“Will I what?” he asked. “I’ll do anything you want or need.” He wasn’t the least surprised to realize what he said was one hundred percent true. Anything she needed, he’d move heaven and earth to give her.

“Can we sleep like we did in that building?” she asked.

He must’ve looked confused, because she elaborated by saying, “You holding me but with my back to you this time?”

Arrow was surprised at her request, and he must’ve taken too long to answer, because she said, “Never mind. That’s too much. Forget it.”

Before the last word was out of her mouth, he’d scooted over so he was right next to her. He helped her turn on her side, and he curled his body around hers. She fit against him perfectly. She felt even tinier in his arms. Her personality and strength had somehow kept her from seeming quite so small when they were sneaking through the city.

She sighed in contentment and snuggled farther into him.

Arrow was having a hard time staying disconnected from this woman. He wanted her to trust him. The entire team of Mountain Mercenaries had been taught to be on the lookout for victims who seemed to be latching on too tightly to their rescuer, but for once, Arrow didn’t think about his training at all.

For the first time in his professional career, he felt his objectiveness disappearing.

Morgan felt too good in his arms.

Her ass cradled against his groin.

The feel of her belly under his hand.

Her head resting in the hollow of his throat.

Several minutes went by, and Arrow realized that she wasn’t sleeping. She should be. They’d been on edge for hours, and it had been a hard, stressful journey through the streets of Santo Domingo to the motel.

“What’s up?” Arrow asked quietly.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen later today, or tomorrow, or next week. For the last year, I’ve thought that what happened to me was just a bad coincidence. That I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But . . . after hearing some of the things you’ve said since you saved me, both to me and to your friends, I know it wasn’t a coincidence, after all. That someone wanted me gone, but apparently not dead. That scares the shit out of me . . . and I want to figure out who hates me that badly. Will you help me?”

“Yes.” There was no other answer Arrow could give her.

“Now?”

“No. You need to sleep, beautiful. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you. But I also want to wait and have this discussion when my team can be there. I know you don’t know them, but they really are the best of the best. And if anyone can figure it out, it’s them.”

“Okay.”

Arrow didn’t like her distant tone. “The other reason I don’t want to talk about your life in Georgia right now is because I’m being selfish. I like having you in my arms, and I know if you start talking about the people in your life who may or may not want you gone, it’ll piss me off, and it’ll stress you out. I don’t want you to have to repeat anything distressing twice, so I’d rather enjoy having you relaxed and not stressed. If that’s okay with you.”