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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

H is past interactions with Jenn flooded Doug’s mind, especially that kiss they shared.

He kept his distance not because he didn’t think she was beautiful—she definitely was—but she deserved someone closer to her age who didn’t come with baggage like he did.

He thought he’d made his reasoning for not pursuing her clear, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

Regardless, platonically or not, he wasn’t sharing a bed with her.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. The problem was he didn’t trust himself unless he managed to stay awake all night, which would be impossible—he was as exhausted as she was.

The last thing he needed was to reach for her in his sleep, pull her into his arms, and wrap his body around hers the way he ached to.

So the only viable option was for him to sleep on the floor.

To avoid any inadvertent unconscious cuddling during the night, he grabbed the unoccupied mat, said goodnight to the dog, and then carried everything he needed into the other room.

Jenn rolled her eyes when she saw the mat but didn’t say anything.

While he prepared his sleeping area, she carefully inspected the mattress, blankets, and two pillows already on the bed.

“No bedbugs or other creepy crawlers. That’s good. One less thing to worry about.”

She tossed him one of the pillows before spreading the rescue blanket over the entire bed, tucking the other pillow under it.

The wool blanket went over that. After kicking off her sneakers, she turned away from him, pulled her shirt over her head, placed it on a bedside table, and started to remove her pants before he comprehended what she was doing.

Doug’s eyes widened at the sight of the sports bra straps over her bare back.

He quickly spun around, facing the other way and staring at the wall. “What the hell are you doing, Jenn?”

“Getting comfortable. My clothes are dirty and still damp, and I have nothing else to wear, so they at least have to dry before I put them back on tomorrow.”

As much as that made sense, he wasn’t happy about it. His dick was, but his brain was not. “Can you at least see if there is anything you can borrow to sleep in from whoever lives here?”

“Not necessary.” Squeaking and rustling sounds came from behind him, and he realized she’d climbed onto the bed. When he just stood there, unsure of what to do, she huffed. “You can turn around now. I’m under the blanket and still have my underwear on. Who knew you were such a prude?”

His temples throbbed as he gritted his teeth. “I’m not a prude.” Definitely not because now he tried to imagine what she looked like under the covers. Were her panties black like the bra? Did they have lace on them? Shit!

He furtively adjusted himself. “I was just giving you what little privacy I could in this fucked up situation.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then thank you.”

Pivoting slowly, he was grateful and more than a bit disappointed to see the blanket covered everything but her neck and head as she lay on the opposite side of the bed, with her back to him.

Her clothes were draped over a chair in the corner of the room.

She glanced over her shoulder before turning away again.

“Feel free to get comfortable too. I won’t look. ”

Shaking his head, he sat on the edge of the bed and unlaced his boots to get them and his filthy socks off.

No way in hell would he strip down to his skivvies in the same room as her, but he did remove his shirt and hung it to dry on a hook he spotted screwed into the wall.

During his time in the military, he learned to sleep in the worst of conditions, and being in damp, dirty cargo pants didn’t even come close to some of his experiences.

Jenn had set the lantern on a chest at the foot of the bed, and he moved it within reach before turning the switch until the light was almost off.

It was just bright enough for them to see in case of an emergency, but it wouldn’t hinder their sleep.

Exhausted, he stretched out on his makeshift bed on the floor and pulled the wool blanket over him.

Within minutes, they were both fast asleep.

Jenn sank onto the couch in the living room of her apartment.

She was finally alone—well, except for Beau, who’d followed her from Uncle Ian’s apartment and jumped up and lay down next to her.

The dog always seemed to know when his humans needed him.

Jenn buried her face into his furry neck and let the tears, which she had held back for hours, finally flow.

She knew it was from an adrenaline crash—she’d experienced it more than once in her life—but she hadn’t wanted Doug to see her cry.

He already thought she was still a child, and that would have proven it to him.

Those two assholes who harassed her in the parking lot of Donovan’s and then attacked Doug when he came to her defense now faced numerous charges, including assault with a deadly weapon.

One was already sitting in a city jail cell, while the other was in the hospital.

He needed surgery on his knee after Jenn used a collapsible baton she kept in her car to incapacitate him.

Doug had taken down the other guy, then yelled at Jenn for not following his order to run inside.

She couldn’t leave him when it was two against one, so she did what her uncles had trained her to do in situations like that.

While she was grateful he showed up when he did, it irritated her that he was still pissed she hadn’t followed his orders to run away.

Her uncles were annoyed about that, too, but at least they’d expressed how proud of her they were.

After Jenn called the social services department where she interned to let them know she wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, Uncle Ian accompanied her and Doug to the police station, where they gave their statements.

Uncle Brody also provided the police with surveillance video from Donovan’s system, which he’d installed.

Once they arrived back at the TS compound and filled everyone else in, Angie invited Jenn and Doug to stay for dinner.

Both declined the offer. Doug claimed he had work to finish, and Jenn thanked her aunt but said she wasn’t hungry, which was the truth.

She couldn’t stomach anything right then. Maybe later.

At twenty-two, Jenn had already gone through plenty of emotional trauma in her life—hell, it was really only during the last five years—but today, she proved to her uncles, and herself, that the training they’d given her paid off.

She just wished Doug could see she was a competent adult who could defend herself if needed.

Beside her, Beau tensed and let out a low growl. Moments later, someone knocked on her door. The dog must have sensed they weren’t a threat—not that one could easily get near her apartment—because he relaxed again, his tail thumping on the couch.

Figuring it was one of her aunts or uncles checking up on her, Jenn wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, then stood and answered the door.

Her heart rate sped up when she found Doug standing in the small foyer she shared with Nick and Uncle Jake, who had the apartment above her.

The burning embers smoldering in her core flared at the sight of him.

There was no way that what she felt for this man was a fabrication her mind had created.

She just needed to convince him of that fact.

He frowned when he saw her red eyes. “You’ve been crying. Are you okay?”

She shrugged. It wouldn’t do her any good to deny her earlier tears. “Yeah, just an adrenaline crash. I’m fine.” When he remained still and silent, just staring at her, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

He suddenly seemed unsure of himself, flexing and balling his hands over and over while looking around the basic foyer like it was the most interesting place he’d ever been.

His eyes darted everywhere but avoided landing on her.

“I ... um ... I was getting ready to head home and just wanted to make sure you’re okay. ”

“I’m fine,” she repeated, doubting he believed her. “Do you want to come in?”

He glanced over her shoulder into the apartment, then shook his head. “I—um—better not.”

Damn, the man frustrated her. “Why? Because we’d be alone, and you think I’m going to jump you?”

“Jenn—”

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Don’t ‘Jenn’ me, Doug.

I get it. You think I’m too young for you, and I’ll always be that way.

Well, you know what? You’re wrong. Look at my Uncle Devon and Aunt Kristen—she’s twenty-nine and he’s thirty-nine.

And Jake is nine years older than Nick. And Uncle Brody is six years older than Fancy.

So you being eight years older than me is not a big thing—at least, not for me or anyone else. ”

“They may have big age differences, but they’re all a lot older than you, Jenn. And it’s not just that. You’ve got this—this hero-complex thing when it comes to me ? —”

“What?” She tossed her hands into the air.

The man was going to drive her absolutely and utterly insane.

“Are you kidding me? Trust me, Doug. What I feel for you has nothing to do with you being my bodyguard and taking a bullet for me. Do you know how scared I was while Aunt Angie and I were being held hostage? I was scared more for you than myself—I thought you were dead or dying, and there was nothing I could do about it. If you’d died, I would’ve been devastated.

Not only because I would have lost you, but because I would never have had the opportunity to tell you I love you. ” Oh, shit. I did not just say that!

The stunned look on Doug’s face told her she, indeed, had just confessed her love for him. Again, he shook his head. “Jenn ? —”