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The way they both needed. There would be plenty of time in the morning to figure out what came next.
43
When she woke the next morning, there was a man looking down at her. His face was as close to hers as little Beck’s had been that day. It had been a long time since she had been that close to an attractive man, in a bed, and…
“Good morning.” She vaguely remembered him moving her to the bed. She hadn’t protested. Hadn’t even considered protesting. Haldyn hadn’t wanted to be alone. It had been as simple as that. And she hadn’t wanted him to be alone either.
It wasn’t about just needing someone. Because she had seen in his eyes the night before—he had understood the hurt. And he had been hurting, too. She hadn’t felt that connected to a man in a long, long time.
Even with Daniel.
Daniel held himself back from her now in a way he didn’t use to. Since the lab explosion so many years ago. She had always wondered why, but now, she just accepted it for what it was. Maybe…it was Brynna. Daniel had had a thing for the younger Beck sister right before she’d gotten with Chance Marshall. Daniel had been injured during that case, too. When the man who had tried to hurt Brynna had struck Daniel in the back of the head.
Daniel had told her once he’d failed Brynna when it mattered most.
That had changed him. So much. The TSP had changed them all.
“Hey, rabbit. Sleep okay?” Jarrod had a wicked look in his eyes. One of his hands had found its way beneath the back of her shirt. His touch scorched her. Now she understood exactly what that expression meant. She shivered. His fingers spread. Heat radiated. “Somehow, we ended up…here.”
This was definitely the first morning after when nothing had happened the night before. She had found herself in a man’s bed before. She’d had a few serious relationships, after all. Jarrod had just held her close. All night. She wasn’t certain how they’d gone from a few kisses she was still conflicted over—to sleeping curled up together in his bed.
She’d listened to the beat of his heart the last time she’d woken. Had felt his arms around her, and she’d felt safe. Like she wasn’t alone.
Whatever she would have said was cut off by the gentlest kiss he had ever given her. Haldyn’s arms slipped around his neck. She kissed him back.
And would have kept kissing him forever if reality hadn’t come crashing down the instant Jarrod’s phone rang and he pulled away.
44
There was something in her eyes when she looked at him through the door to the lab less than an hour after he’d dropped her off down there. He’d met Daniel and some of the other guys right there in the entrance to the lab. He could still see her. And she was definitely thinking something.
Jarrod just knew it. “That woman is plotting something.”
He really hoped it was a repeat of the night before. He lived for a repeat of the night before. Never had he wanted a woman more than he had her. Still did.
He had never just slept with a woman before. Never just held her close through the night. There had always been sex involved whenever there had been overnights in his past before. But last night had been about the emotional connection, more than the physical.
He wanted that again.
“What do you mean?” Daniel asked, turning to follow Jarrod’s gaze. “Hallie?”
“Yeah. Who else? She’s got a look in her beady little blue eyes I don’t trust.” She kept shooting little glances at him. Looks designed to heat his insides in a way they definitely shouldn’t heat while on the clock for the good old TSP.
“I think you are just seeing things. You two getting along okay?”
“What if we aren’t?” He wasn’t about to tell precious Daniel that he was all consumed with intrusive thoughts—of getting Haldyn naked as fast as he could. “You going to ground me? Take over rabbit watching duty yourself?”
“Hell, I’ve considered it. But it’s not a good idea for me right now. I can’t be distracted.” Daniel watched Haldyn for a long moment, a look in his eyes Jarrod had never seen before. “She would definitely distract me.”
Yes, there was a look there. One of old longing.
That’s when Jarrod got it.
Daniel did still have a thing for Haldyn.
Probably had for a long, long time. But for some reason, nothing had come of it. Jarrod felt like a first-class jackass for resenting the other man the way he had. His friend was hurting.
Over Haldyn.
