Page 35 of Kidnapped By a SEAL

Ryker sure the hell appreciated a woman strutting around in lingerie or a skimpy little string bikini, but damn. Emily in those joggers and tee shirt was just about the prettiest damn thing he’d ever seen.

He felt a little bit like he’d intruded on a private moment as he looked in the bedroom, but she’d left the door wide open and was still fully dressed.

“Everything looks secure,” he called out as he stepped into the bathroom.

He heard her muffled reply as he did his business, and then he was surprised to see Emily standing in the hallway when he walked back out. It had taken everything in him not to stand there ogling her in the doorway, and now she’d come to find him?

Emily looked nervous, which seemed unlike her.

“Is everything okay?” he asked in a low voice.

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “Look, I know this is kind of weird of me to ask, but can you stay with me tonight? I don’t think I can sleep being in this new place all alone. I mean you don’t have to, but—” She cut off, her cheeks pinkening. Was she embarrassed to appear vulnerable in front of him? Or nervous about asking him to sleep in the same room?

His eyes softened. “Sure. I can grab a pillow and crash on the floor. No biggie.”

She nodded, looking a little uncertain. “It’s a big bed. I mean—I could just stay on my side.”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, sweetheart,” he said, his voice catching.

Jesus.

Could he spend the night in this woman’s bed without touching her? Sure, he wasn’t a total jackass and respected a woman’s choices, but hell. He’d be hard as a rock knowing her body was only a few feet away. And it’s not like he made a habit of sharing a bed with a woman he didn’t intend to fuck.

Still, if it made her feel better to have him sleeping right beside her, he’d do it.

He could look but not touch, sleep in the same bed and give her the peace of mind she needed. If anything, she deserved that sense of security after what she’d been through. He might be attracted to her, but he could be a gentleman. He was the one who’d dragged her out here in the middle of the night after all. He wanted her to feel safe.

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “Hell, I’ve pitched tents with my buddies all over the world. Sleeping beside you is a hell of a lot better than being right next to one of those guys. Let’s go to bed.”

She nodded and turned toward the bedroom. “Lights on or off?” he asked, hovering in the doorway. At this point he wanted to do whatever made her feel comfortable.

“Can we leave a hall light on?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he said, going back out of the bedroom. Emily was already climbing into bed when he walked back in, and he tried to ignore the hardening in his groin at the delicious sight of her ass. Hell, she was beautiful.

And she’d never be his.

She pulled up the covers, and Ryker climbed in bed beside her, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It read 3:40 a.m. Hell. No wonder he was exhausted beyond all measure.

He pulled the covers up over himself, his body acutely aware that she was only inches away.

It felt intimate lying in the same bed as her. And Jesus. Had he ever slept—actually just slept—beside a woman before? He couldn’t remember a single time. Usually he’d be up all night pleasuring the woman he was with—and enjoying her attention as well.

He felt his cock automatically begin to harden, and he willed his body to relax. Emily was beautiful but vulnerable. Recovering. He was here to protect her, not fuck her brains out. And he wanted that sense of security for her.

“Get some sleep,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll be right here if you have any more nightmares.”

“Okay,” she said quietly. “Ryker?”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Thanks.”

***

Ryker awoke, instantly alert, as Emily cried out beside him. He jumped up from the bed, grabbing his gun, and rushed out into the hallway. A quick sweep of both the living room and kitchen told him no one was there in the cabin; it was just another one of her nightmares.

Jogging back down the hallway, he hurried to her side as she sobbed.

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