Page 41 of Ravaged Soul

“For fuck’s sake, will you listen for a second? Please?”

Chin jutted out, I make myself look up at him. Hyland looms over me, hands now braced on his wide hips and barrel chestheaving with each short breath. But it isn’t anger on his face. Far from it.

His generous muscles, height and oversized stature would probably be intimidating to any other woman trapped alone in a room with him, but I know Hyland would never hurt me. Not with his body, at least. His words are another matter altogether.

“You humiliated me.” Pain bleeds from my flat rasp. “I felt like I wasn’t wanted. Like I’ll never belong with this team.”

“Shit.” He pinches his eyes between his long fingers.

“You alienated me, Hy.”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“Intention is irrelevant when your behaviour is hurtful.”

“You’re right.” Hyland runs a hand over his low blonde ponytail. “I’m fucking scared. I want to keep you safe, and I thought that was the only way. Regardless of your feelings.”

“Well, now you know what happens when you disregard my feelings.” A noxious ball gathers in my throat. “I let you in. That was hard for me.”

“I know, red.”

“Then you threw it back in my face.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Cheeks staining dark, Hyland looks up to the ceiling. “I can see why it would look like that to you, even if I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Wow.That may just be personal growth.

“The urge to protect and keep everyone safe…” His Adam’s apple travels up and down. “It overrides everything else sometimes. Even common sense. I can’t let anyone else get hurt.”

The shadows that dance in his eyes fill with spiked shards of trauma. Memories I’ve only scratched the surface of since joining their team. I’d bet anything that he’s seeing their faces right now—his ex-wife and infant son. The first people to get hurt on his watch.

“I want you on this team.” His tongue darts out to wet his lips. “You’re wanted. You belong with us, through thick and thin. Regardless of what I may stupidly say.”

Despite his words, the pain in my chest persists.

“Ember… I was wrong,” he elucidates slowly, deliberately. “I am sorry.”

We hold eye contact for several loaded seconds, a host of unspoken desires filling the space that keeps us apart. It takes time for acceptance to writhe in, cracking through my emotional shields to whisper its consent directly into my mind.

Eventually, I nod once. “I suppose you can stay.”

“I can?” His mouth quirks up.

“While I consider whether or not to forgive you for being an overbearing jackass, yes. You can. Just keep your bullish opinions to yourself, or you won’t have a tongue left to apologise with.”

“That I can do.”

“Fine. Sit down.”

Disregarding the blue plastic chair against the wall, Hyland leans against the wall in the corner on my left hand side. But not before pausing to brush a brief, chaste kiss on my cheek. The simple contact sends a pulse of heat swirling through my nerves.

“At the risk of pissing you off all over again…”

Seeing me tense doesn’t deter Hyland’s deep croon.

“…I must say, the sounds that Warner drew out of you the other morning were so hot, I wanted to interrupt to bury my tongue inside you while he was forced to listen.”

A flush slinks across my face, holding my words hostage. The idea of Hyland shoving his friend aside to worship my core is far too enticing. But not more tempting than the thought of having them both touching me at the same time.