I hurt her last night, when all I want to do is protect her from the world. She's the center of my universe, but I can't think straight around her. Thinking she didn't wait for me, that I'd lost my chance with her…well, it doesn't excuse the fact that I acted like an ass. It doesn't justify it, either. But when it comes to her, I'm not rational.
She's mine.
The fact that she's crying over me now eviscerates me.
Her door is closed by the time I make it to her office. I tap once and then push it open. She's on the far side of her desk, her head bent. The office is spotless, wiped clean of any evidence of what happened here last night.
She sighs heavily when the door clicks closed behind me.
"I was an asshole last night," I say, keeping my distance so I don't crowd her. "I know I was, Gia baby. And I'm sorry. I never should have jumped to conclusions or treated you like I did. I won't make excuses for it. There are none. I was an asshole."
"Yeah, you were," she says, not bending an inch.
"You have every right to be pissed. I won't try to stop you," I tell her, shoving my hands into my pockets. Around her, the only way I can keep them off her is to keep them put away. It's been that way since the day I met her. "I'll work like a dog to earn your forgiveness, baby. But while I do that, I need you to let me do my job here. I need you to let me keep you safe."
"Why?" she asks, lifting her head to look at me. Even with her mascara smudged and her eyes red, she's devastatingly beautiful. My heart actually aches when those multicolored eyes meet mine. "You didn't care enough to even let me know you were alive. Why do you care now?"
"I always cared," I say, frustrated that she doesn't know it, doesn't see it.
"You have a funny way of showing it," she mutters, fire snapping in her gaze.
"I didn't…"
"What? Want to be bothered?"
"I didn't want you to know how miserable I was without you," I growl, the words ripped from deep within my chest. "Every damn day, I missed you, Gia. Every damn minute I was gone, I thought about you. Not being here with you tore me up inside. I didn't want to put you through the same thing."
Those eyes widen in shock. She stares at me for a long moment, completely speechless. And then she sighs. "You put me through it anyway, Bryant," she says, her voice soft. Tears shine in her eyes. "I worried about you every day anyway. Worse, I think. Because I didn't know if you were dead or alive. I spent hours poring over every news story I could get my hands on, praying I didn't see your name listed among the dead."
Jesus.
"I'm so f*cking sorry, Gia."
She takes a deep breath and then exhales. "It doesn't even matter anymore."
"It does."
"No," she says, shaking her head. "It doesn't. You were in a war. I forgive you for not considering me while you were gone. But you made what you think about me crystal clear last night. You accused me of being a cheater, and you made me feel like writing you was wrong. If you insist on keeping me safe, then fine. I'll be civil. But we're not friends, Bryant. Not anymore."
"The hell we aren't," I growl, striding across the room toward her.
"Back up," she says, a tremor in her voice.
I don't listen. Of course I don't. I stalk her like an animal, step for step. Until she's pressed against the filing cabinet, her tits heaving in her pretty green blouse. I step up in front of her, so close I can feel the silky fabric shift against my hand with every exhalation, smell her intoxicating blackberry and jasmine scent swirling around us.
It's a dangerous line to walk after what happened last night. But I'm not Laughlin. She may be angry at me right now, but she knows I would never lay a hand on her…that I'd kill anyone who did. Even if she hates me, she knows I'll keep her safe.
"We're going to be more than friends real soon, Gia baby," I growl, tipping her chin up slightly, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes are glazed, her cheeks flushed. As expected, she's not afraid. She's turned on. My heart leaps, allowing me to pull in my first deep breath since I saw the tears on her cheeks. "As soon as you forgive me, I'm claiming what's always been mine."
"What…" She stops and licks her lips. "W-what's always been yours?"
"This," I say, reaching out to lay my hand over her heart. It hammers wildly beneath my palm, racing away from her. I slide my hand down her body, feeling the way her soft stomach quivers beneath my palm. I dip my hand between her legs, cupping her center possessively. "And this."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I cried, I swooned, I loved every single second of this book. Bryant and Gia were absolutely fantastic and worth a second and third read." Heather, Reviewer
Find out what happens next in Protect You if you enjoy:
- Possessive Alpha Heroes
- Strong, Curvy Heroines
- Military Romance
- Steamy Workplace Romance with Heart & Hilarity
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