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Was he okay? I couldn’t tell and didn’t know if I should get Liam.
Turning the knob as silently as I could, I opened the door to Duke’s room. I’d briefly peeked in when he gave me the tour, so I knew the basic layout. The bed was in the middle of the room, and I could see a dark figure thrashing around.
“Duke?” I whispered.
His movements lessened only a little. I padded to him, letting my eyes adjust to the little light streaming through his curtains.
“Stop. Don’t go. Abort mission.” His words jumbled together as he mumbled in his sleep.
“Duke. It’s okay,” I breathed. “It’s me, Abbey.”
Duke’s thrashing settled. “It’s too dangerous. Go back.” More muttering.
“Duke, you’re having a dream.” I lay my hand on his forearm, and he quieted. He wasn’t awake, but I’d take it over the nightmare he was having. Whatever was happening in his dream was bad. I perched on the edge of his mattress and kept my hand on him.
The clicking of Jax’s nails on the hardwood floors drew my attention. Jax was sitting at the door, looking at us. “Good boy. It’s okay. Duke was just having a bad dream,” I whispered to the pooch, who lay in the doorway. I smiled. He was so intuitive.
I turned to Duke. He was shirtless, and the sheet was bunched around his abdomen. I could see a few silvery scars that peppered his chest and abs. Every muscle that was exposed glistened with sweat. His beard looked even darker in the low light, having not shaved in a couple of days. A few strands of hair clung to his forehead. I gently brushed them away only to have my heart stop when Duke sat straight up.
We gasped collectively. Duke’s hand was wrapped around my wrist, his face stopped inches from mine. My body froze for a moment, then relaxed. Duke wasn’t going to hurt me. He wasn’t Jeff.
“You were having a bad dream,” I said in answer to his silent stare.
“No, I wasn’t.” Duke looked at where he grasped my wrist. His lips pursed, and he quickly let go. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t. It’s okay. I’m sorry I woke you. I’ll let you get back to sleep.” I sighed, not wanting to leave, and pushed off the bed. Duke reached out to grab my hand before I took a step, halting me.
“Stay?” Duke’s voice croaked. I think he was just as surprised by the request as I was.
“What?” Too many emotions streaked across his face, so fast it was hard to identify just one. I wanted to feather my fingers across the deep grooves of his forehead. His eyes slammed shut, and his jaw clenched tightly. I stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt the internal battle he seemed to be fighting. His throat bobbed as he forced himself to swallow before he took a deep breath.
“Will you stay with me a little longer?” His deep baritone was laced with sleep and a hint of vulnerability. My heart ached to do whatever I could do to help him.
“Of course.” I sat on the mattress, and Duke scooted over to make room for me. He turned on his side, facing my direction, and I inched farther onto the bed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” His reply was soft and low as his eyes shut. His hand reached for mine. I loved the heat of his touch and how his callused fingers held mine tight.
I studied him as his breathing evened out and his face slackened. He looked so peaceful now. When I thought he was in a deep enough sleep, I shifted to leave, but Duke’s arm wrapped around my waist. His eyes were still closed, and his even breathing told me he was still asleep. With a light grunt, he tugged me closer, and I let go of any resistance. Duke pulled me in tight and spooned me from behind. He gave a sigh, and his muscles relaxed into my back. He was asleep and content. And I was in his arms.
My body heated as I realized both of us were half naked, and as much as I desired him, I wanted to comfort him so much more. I wanted to fall asleep with him and not just for tonight.
I took a deep breath, my nose buried in his pillow, relishing the scent of pine that tickled my nose. It had been a long time since I’d slept in someone’s arms. Jeff didn’t like me on his side of the bed after the first year we’d moved in together. There was no cuddling in our relationship. I missed the closeness of a person and the tenderness of the contact. My eyes grew heavy, and it wasn’t long before I drifted to sleep.
When I woke the next morning, Duke was gone. His side of the bed was cold. It wasn’t like I’d expected something to come out of last night, but I still had to fight the feeling of rejection.
DUKE
My internal alarm had me waking before the sun came up, as usual. But the warm body pressed against my front kept me calmer than I typically was in the mornings. I breathed in the scent of vanilla and strawberries, savoring the moment before I had to give it up. I opened my eyes to Abbey tucked into me, still fast asleep.
The memories from the night before hit me. I’d had another nightmare. After not having one for two days, I’d let my guard down and a bad one slipped in.
I remembered waking up to find Abbey with me. She was worried about me, which meant I’d had a bad enough dream that I woke her. Images of my last fight overseas seeped into my head. I’d dreamed about my brothers being killed in the ambush and me barely making it out alive.
As I shifted, Abbey whimpered. Instinctively, I leaned over and pressed my lips to her forehead. In a moment of weakness, I’d asked her to stay, and she had. This beautiful woman was an angel. But I couldn’t stay in bed with her. I didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. As much as I would love to find a woman, to find someone who would accept my damaged and broken soul… it was impossible to hope for.
Jax was at the door waiting for me and our morning run. He sat up as I extracted myself from the sheet, and I noticed a blanket draped over Abbey. I didn’t remember doing that, nor did I recall her having it in the middle of the night. It must have been Liam.
The border collie waited patiently for me to grab my running clothes and change in the hallway. We ran our usual route, and when we returned, Liam was in the kitchen making coffee.
