Page 35 of Honk if You Love Real Men (Tempting SEALs 1)

“You don’t know him,” she said softly, sorrow, pain and a world of regret in her eyes. “But he was my fiancé.”

Her fucking fiancé had done this to her?

He sat down in the armchair. Actually, he just sort of fell into it.

“When?”

“A little over a year ago.”

“Ah, hell, Bree.”

She went silent again.

“Did you press charges?”

She nodded. “He denied it. Told the cops it was consensual. I couldn’t prove anything. He got away with it.”

“Is that why you came back home? To get away from him?”

She shook her head, her upper teeth coming out to worry her bottom ones. And at least a bit of the fear faded. Thank God for that.

“Actually, I came back to have sex with you.”

Shock. She could see the way his eyes widened. Well, what did you expect, Bree? A whoop of joy?

“Sex with me?”

She nodded. “You were the last man I remember feeling safe with.”

“Shit, Bree. I thought you’d forgotten me.”

“No, Trent, I’ve never forgotten you.”

Something passed between them, something that made Bree feel regret.

“Look, I’m sorry for dragging you into all this. I’ve tried everything I can to get better. God, if you only knew how hard I’ve tried. Nothing’s worked so far and so I got this crazy idea that maybe you could help me, you know, help me get over my—” What should she call it? Anxiety? It was a whole lot worse than that. Phobia? That was closer to the truth. “My fear of men,” she finally finished, although that was probably a poor choice of words, too. She didn’t actually fear men. She just didn’t want them touching her.

When she met his gaze again, it was to see his expression turn to disbelief.

“Guess I better go buy myself a year’s supply of batteries, huh?”

Trent stared at her, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if he got up and walked out. Instead he surprised her by saying, “You’re afraid of having sex?”

It sounded so pathetic when he repeated it to her that way.

It is pathetic, Bree.

“Let’s just say the only kind of sexual stimulation I can tolerate nowadays is of the mechanical kind,” she admitted, reminding herself that this was Trent. Once upon a time they’d been very close. She could have told him anything. “I have a whole drawer of gadgets back home.”

“Are you afraid of me right now?”

No. She couldn’t be afraid of him, not after how close they’d been. Jeesh. She’d almost married the man. And yet . . .

“A part of me is, yes, even though I know it’s you and I really shouldn’t be.”

“Actually, given the fact that we haven’t seen each other in years, you’re right to be concerned.”

But Bree shook her head. “You’re a good man, Trent. I don’t think that’s changed in recent years.”

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