Page 28 of Protection for Asher (Safeguarded By The SEAL #4)

Asher woke with a start. Something or someone was making a noise downstairs. Fear filled her, and she reached for her phone, seeing a text from Squat. Shock pulsed through her, and she opened the application and saw that Squat had texted her that he was home.

She blinked at her phone, sleep fogging her brain. “Is he home?” It had to be him.

She threw back the covers but stumbled when she stood and had to reach out to steady herself, walking her hands along the wall until she was at the door. With a shaky hand, she pulled it open.

“Squat?” She called out.

“Hey, you’re up. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She moved to the top of the stairs. Her heart felt like it would burst when he moved to stand in her line of sight. She wanted to run down the stairs but felt she was off balance, so she carefully held onto the rail and moved down the steps.

He met her halfway and pulled her into his arms. He turned her so her back was against the wall of the stairwell. His gaze held hers, causing something funny to wiggle inside her chest.

“I missed you,” Squat whispered.

“I missed you so much.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed hard. He gasped, and she let go.

“You’re hurt.”

He shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“No, you aren't. You winced. What happened?”

Squat groaned as he let go and stepped back. He took her hand and led her downstairs. She was about to ask again when he turned and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“I was, well, kind of shot.”

Asher gasped and moved to him, tears filling her eyes. “You were what?”

“Luckily, it was a low-powered weapon, and it only grazed my arm.”

She pulled at his shirt, tugging it up. “I want to see how bad it is.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes before pushing at her hands. “I think you just want to see me with my shirt off.”

She stepped back and frowned. “No. I want to see how bad it is.” The words were the truth until he had his shirt off. Heat crept up her neck to her face as she stared at his muscled torso.

His smile grew as he moved closer to her. “Your cheeks are pink.”

She spun and fanned herself. “Goodness.”

“I’m glad you think I’m cute.”

She turned back to him, taking in how sexy he was. With effort, she forced her gaze on his face. “Where were you shot?”

He stepped closer and cupped her face. “I’m fine. It hurts a little, but I’ll be okay.”

“Let me see.”

Before he turned, he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “I missed you.”

His words and his lips on hers made her brain buzz. She hadn't ever felt anything like this before. She wanted more but knew they would have to take it slow. She still had issues with what had happened to her. She wanted to feel him up against her, but the idea of being intimate still scared her.

Squat removed the bandage, and she might have gasped. Her hands rose before she pulled back. She didn't want to cause more pain.

“Crap, that looks bad.”

“It hurts. It hurt worse after it first happened.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “The usual.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you can't tell me. Anyone else get hurt?”

“Nope, just me.”

“Aren’t you special?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I think you are.”

“So you’re alone,” Squat tucked his chin and raised his eyebrows, looking absolutely adorable.

She nodded, feeling proud of herself. “I spent Friday and Saturday nights with one of the girls, but most nights, I was able to sleep here. I did freak out one night and ended up having to call Rowan in the middle of the night to come over.”

“Oh, that’s nice that she came. I’m glad they were willing to help.”

“It was fun, and I made some decisions.”

“Tell me.”

“I decided to go back and get my degree. I mean, it will take time. I'd said I'd wanted to do medical, but I think I want to maybe work for the police force in victim's support.”

“Oh, that’s good. I think you’d be great at it.”

His words felt good. That he believed in her made her think she could actually get a degree and become a police officer. “Do you really think so?”

He nodded. “When I first decided to become a SEAL, a lot of people told me not to go for it. I’m way shorter than any other SEAL. Some people actually laughed in my face.”

“Laughed at you. Are you serious?”

“Yes. I'm sure you'll face opposition. People will tell you all sorts of lies, they'll say things to discourage you, but I'm here to tell you I believe in you. I'll support you and encourage you. If you change your mind back to medical, I'll support you in that, too.”

She wrapped her arms around him, careful not to touch his injury. “Thank you.”

Squat sighed and rested his head against her. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Being in Asher’s arms felt amazing. Though he knew there were no magical properties coming from her, he felt like she was healing him just with her touch. At least he felt better, and that was real.

She lifted her face to his, heat shining in her eyes. She ran her fingers over his jaw down to his neck. Desire was evident in her gaze. He didn’t want to push too far, but he wanted her.

His lips found hers, and he kept the kiss light. When he pulled back, she nuzzled closer to him. “I don't want to press you into doing anything, but I want to hold you. Will you come to bed with me and let me hold you tonight?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“I need to take a quick shower.”

“Sure.” Excitement skittered through Asher. She wanted to do more, but her mind wasn’t clear enough to have sex. The shower shut off, and she pulled the covers up higher. Thoughts of all the bad she’d experienced flitted through her mind. She shoved the bad thoughts away and focused on Squat.

He stepped out of the bathroom in only his underwear, and heat blasted through her.

She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel his body against hers, but she couldn't, not yet.

Maybe in a few weeks, after she spent more time talking to a therapist, she would feel better about getting intimate with him.

“You okay with this?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He slid into bed and then turned off the bedside lamp.

He wrapped his good arm around her, pulling her close.

She felt safe and protected with Squat holding her.

This was how it was supposed to be. She felt whole with him, like she could recover from all the bad that had happened with Squat being a part of her life.