Her Loyal Seal by Caitlyn O'Leary Page B

rail and looked out over the Red River. Darius was right. He could make sure she finally took the time to recover properly. Her dad wasn’t due to testify for six weeks. Hell, she didn’t even need to be there for that. The trial and his testimony could go on for weeks.
    “Thanks, Dare.”
    “You’re welcome. I’ve got to go.”
    “Stay safe.”
    “Always.”
    Clint went back into the room. He already pulled pillows and blankets to sleep on the floor. For one brief second considered the small sofa, but he would have ended up a pretzel in the morning. He quietly made use of the bathroom, and came out into the darkened bedroom.
    “Clint?”
    “Is there something you need, Baby?” He saw Lydia propped up on her elbow. “Are you hungry? You didn’t eat anything.”
    “No, I’m fine.”
    “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep.” He knelt down on the rug he had positioned between the bed and the door.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Going to sleep?’”
    “There?” He heard an odd note in her voice.
    “Yeah.”
    “Why would you do that? It’s a huge bed.”
    “I’m used to sleeping on the ground. I’ve got a rug, blankets and a pillow. This is heaven.”
    “Oh.” He watched as she lowered herself back down. Through the gauzy curtains the moonlight highlighted her face. She looked hurt.
    “Lydia, what’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.” God, no phrase in the world was more likely to set off alarm bells than asking a woman if something was wrong and her saying ‘nothing’.
    He got up from the floor and went to the bed.
    “Baby, what’s wrong? Please tell me.”
    She was curled on her side, and as he approached she rolled to the other side, away from him, hugging the edge of the bed. Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong. I’m an idiot.
    “Lydia, I wanted to sleep in the bed with you. I wanted to hold you, like we had in the jungle, but it just didn’t seem right. And you’re sick. I thought it would be best if I slept on the floor.”
    She didn’t move. Yep, she was either angry or hurt, or maybe both.
    “Lydia?”
    “Lydia, I’m sorry.”
    “It’s no big deal.”
    He looked at her there, curled up in the fetal position. Had he just heard a hint of tears in her voice? He touched her shoulder and she didn’t move.
    Fuck it! In for a penny, in for a pound.
    He got up and threw back the covers, and made himself comfortable in the middle of the bed. Lydia trembled and he wasn’t having any of it. He reached around her waist and hauled her up close to him and buried his nose in her soft and shiny curls. She smelled like sunshine. She was just what he needed.
    She kept her legs up close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. “Lydia, I wasn’t rejecting you baby. This is really where I wanted to be.”
    He felt her body loosen. He nuzzled the side of her neck, and he smoothed his hands down her arms until she let go. He tangled his legs with hers, so she was soon spooned against him. He twisted a little so his aching erection wasn’t pressed against her bottom. This was not about sex, this was about closeness and comfort.
    “I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to do,” she said in a voice so soft he strained to hear it.
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    She jerked and her body started to go rigid.
    “Hey, I was making a joke. What’s going on, baby?”
    “Nothing. Everything. I think it is all catching up to me. I really didn’t want to go back to the safe house, but I feel guilty for feeling that way.”
    “There’s no reason for you to feel guilty, it’s totally understandable.”
    She rolled over and looked at him, her face traced with tears.
    “I love my parents. I do! So much. But–” She stopped short.
    “You’ve been strong for so many people for so long. It would be my honor if you would lean on me for a little while.”
    “Being on the run with you—leaning on you—is not how I envisioned our time together. If we were ever lucky enough