“I try,” she said. She wastrying to sound flippant, but I could see it meant something to her. SergeantMoreno was a woman who reallywastrying, and I was grateful for it.
Plus, she’d convinced aNavy woman to marry her, so she had to be pretty great.
“You’ve still got my card?”she asked.
I nodded. I’d called her directly,wanting someone who understood the situation to turn up. John hadn’t been athreat to anyone after I’d knocked some sense into him. All I cared about washow hard this was on Miles.
He’d be okay. He’d beenthrough worse.
And I was here for him, thistime. I’dalways be there for him.
Maybe it couldn’t heal all thewounds of the past, but I was hoping it could soften the blow of this one. Allthe ones in the future, too.
“Can I get you a cup ofcoffee? Or… there might be tea? It’s probably chamomile,” Miles offered.
Moreno shook her head. “Put the pot onfor your boyfriend here. I only need him for two minutes.”
Miles looked up, prettyamber eyes wide and grateful, and I fell in love with him all over again. Witha smile, I darted in to peck him on the lips, then gave him a nudge back towardthe apartment.
“I’ll come take care of youin a minute. You need some time to breathe.”
Nodding, Miles backed awaytoward the door, closing it over but not pushing it shut. An invitation.
I could hardly wait to go tohim. After all this crap, all I wanted was to just… be with Miles for a fewhours. To have him within arm’s reach until bed time, and then snuggle up closeto him and hold him so he knew he was safe.
“Two minutes,” I said,turning to Moreno. “I’ve got a boyfriend to look after.”
THIRTY-ONE
MILES
THE ONLY THING better than stepping under the hot spray of the shower afterthe day I’dhad was having Gray step right in after me, closing the door behind him.
Maybe it was the adrenalinefrom earlier, maybe it was just that we’d finally gotten our shittogether, but all I wanted right now was to be as close to Gray as I could. Iwas glad he’d agreed to share the shower with me.
For the first time in mylife, I kind of wished I had a bath.Thatwould have been hot.
But this was fine. Perfect,even. Especially with Gray wrapping his arms around me from behind, pulling meagainst his chest. He dropped a quick, soft kiss on my shoulder, humming ahappy little hum against the already-damp skin.
“I’m okay,” I said, and itwas true. Iwasokay. Now that it was all over, and I had Gray, Iwas…I wasgreat.
Everything that’d happened overthe past few weeks was just melting down the drain, the warm water washing allthe stress and worry and misery away.
“I know,” Gray said. “You’retougher than you look. Just wanna hold you a few minutes. That okay?”
“That’s okay,” I said,leaning back against him. “Maybe you’re not quite as tough as you look?”
Gray chuckled, stroking histhumb over my belly with so much gentle affection that I felt like I could haveburst with joy. Being around him was just sonice.
I knew for sure what Iwanted now. Gray, forever. For as long as he’d have me.
“I’m a teddy bear,” Graymurmured, kissing a trail along the top of my shoulder, lips lingering for justa moment on the scar there.
Right now, I was okay withthat. I felt like Grayunderstood, and like he’d earned the right to seeme like this.
Not weak, but vulnerable.
I felt like I was ready tobe that way. Not for everyone, and I probably never would be. But for Gray, Icould handle it.
