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He brushed his thumb over her chin. “I don’t just want your body. I want this too.” He dragged his finger down her neck to her chest and tapped above her heart. “I need all of you, Beauty. And until you feel safe enough to give that to me, I’m gonna show you exactly what being my woman entails.”
Mason leaned in and placed a quick peck on her nose.
She giggled. “What was that for?”
He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. I love you.
“You’re so goddamned cute.” He tapped her nose. “And sexy.” He kissed her forehead before burying his nose in her hair, inhaling her. He groaned and pulled away, his chest heaving. “And so fucking tempting.”
“Well, you’re pretty handsome yourself.” She pressed her hand to the side of his face.
“This doesn’t bother you?” He pointed to the scar tissue on his cheek.
“Not in the slightest. It adds character. Makes you look like a man who gave everything for his country. It’s actually kinda hot.” She smiled.
“Oh, it was definitely hot when I got it.” Mason chuckled.
Her grin faded. “How did it happen?”
Mason’s gaze clouded over.
“You don’t have to tell me—“
“My team and I went into a compound to rescue a target held hostage. I can’t go into all the details because it’s classified. But something went wrong after we secured the target.” His sigh was heavy and tired. “I’m not sure if it was the torture, but he didn’t trust us. His mind was broken.” Mason was silent a beat before he took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “He grabbed a grenade from my gear. Before I could stop him, he removed the pin. My commander yelled at all of us to get out . . . but that was my grenade.” He looked away as if ashamed.
“I couldn’t leave him behind. We wrestled the target, and in the end, both my leader and the target were killed, and I was left with this.”
Wow. Oh my God. No wonder he feels responsible. He’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. How awful.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too. It fucked me up for a long time. Therapy has helped.”
Her eyes widened. “You see a therapist?”
He nodded. “Every couple of weeks for the last eight years.”
His confession softened something inside her.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You just keep surprising me.”
“How so? Didn’t think a manly military man like me would see a head doctor to talk about my feelings?”
She winced. “When you put it like that, I seem awfully judgmental.”
“Nah. I get it. Most of us vets don’t get the help we need either because we’re too afraid to ask or because the resources are not there for us.” He looked away, his gaze clouding over again.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. It means a lot.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, needing to physically connect with him in some way.
His eyelashes fluttered. “You’re the first person I’ve told, other than my therapist, what happened.”
Her mouth dropped open. Wow. He must really trust me. “I’m honored.”
He pulled her onto his arm and lay on his back. She snuggled against his hard chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. His warm arms brought her a sense of comfort and safety. Pippa closed her eyes. Everything was right in the world for this one stolen moment.
How much longer could she keep up the lie that she wasn’t already, wholeheartedly his?
