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His chest squeezed tight. He shouldn’t care. But he did. Just like I would if Remy’s café was vandalized. “Don’t know what kind of friendships you’re used to, baby, but part of friendship is caring about each other’s safety.”
She sniffed. “I’ve never actually had really close friends before.”
His brows drew together as he sat on his bed and untied his boots, slipping them off. “Why not?”
“My, uh, condition got really bad in middle school and then we had to move a few times. Between that and . . . well, the stuff that happened, I ended up kind of isolated. It was just me and my sister when I was sixteen for a while. I ended up doing homeschooling for the last few years of high school. I think it was just easier to keep casual acquaintances with people, and that sort of stuck with me, I guess. I have friends here, but not the type that come and check on me. I wouldn’t want to add that strain on someone.”
Mason pushed the speaker button and tore off his shirt. There was a lot in those few sentences she wasn’t saying. “That sounds rough.”
“Mmm, it was my life, so I didn’t have a choice. It made me who I am today, and I kinda like the woman I turned out to be.”
He smiled. “I kinda like her too.”
She giggled. “Did you just get home from work?”
His belt clanked as he undid it before dropping his pants to the floor. “Yeah. Saw your light on when I drove by.”
“It’s already after one. Shouldn’t you get some sleep before you have to be up with Aspen?” The rustle of fabric sounded in the background. He pulled the covers down and settled into his bed in only his boxers. Closing his eyes, he imagined her, sprawled out next to him, naked. If she were here, he’d take his time mapping every curve with his tongue. Only this time, he wouldn’t come in his pants like a damn teenager.
“Mason?”
“Uh, it’s fine. I’m trained to go on little to no sleep for long periods of time.” And talking to you would be worth it.
“I keep forgetting you were a SEAL.” She laughed.
“How can you forget when the evidence is all over my face?” His voice came out rougher than he’d intended. In many ways, he was a beast, and she, a beauty. Only real life wasn’t a fairy tale. There would be no happy ending for them—except in the case of a few orgasms, hopefully.
“Do your scars bother you? I think they’re kinda hot. They add to your whole bad-boy, security-guy aura.”
Hot? His scars were hot? He blinked a few times in rapid succession. “Honestly, for the most part, they remind me of something I’d like to forget.” When I failed my men because I was too distracted with my priorities at home.
This was why he didn’t do distractions. They cost lives.
“We all have things we’d like to forget.” She sighed.
He wanted to ask her what, but that would leave the door open for the return question and he wasn’t going there with anyone but his therapist. “So, why couldn’t you sleep?”
A beat of silence passed. “Because I’m scared.”
Her voice sounded so small. It took everything in him not to grab his keys and head over there and just hold her in his arms. But he had Aspen to think about. Ugh! He was being torn in two!
“Put the phone on speaker and lie down in your bed.”
“Okay . . . Done.”
“I’m gonna stay on the phone with you, okay?” He turned off his light and moved to his side. Facing the empty bed beside him, he imagined her sweet face staring back at him.
“You’d do that for me?” Emotion seemed to choke her words.
Something foreign twisted in his chest, tightening his rib cage, making it impossible to draw a full breath. “Sure thing, baby. This is one of the advantages of our friendship.”
She laughed, light and free, releasing some of the tension in his chest. “I thought it only came with sexy benefits.”
He groaned. “Those will come. Now, close your eyes and listen to my bedtime story. I apologize in advance for any snoring you hear on my end tonight.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “You’ll stay on till morning?”
“Promise.” He plugged his phone into the charger and left it on the opposite side of the bed that had only ever had Aspen in it, and even then only on nights when she’d had a bad dream or was sick. But those days had ended.
“Thank you, Mason.”
“Anytime, Beauty. Ready?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Once upon a time . . .”
