Chapter Fifteen
It wasn’t that late, but Ashes and the crew that had gone to rescue Miranda had left before dawn.
They knew roughly where they were going and had gotten to the area just as the sun had peeked over the horizon.
He’d planned it that way, in case they encountered problems. Since the rescue had been pretty straightforward, they’d ended up back earlier than he’d planned.
Still, he was exhausted and he was sure Miranda had to be too.
A lot had happened today. Far more than she was used to.
Even after her nap earlier, he could see she was dragging.
He wished he knew what Winter had said to her.
Honestly, he didn’t care about most of the conversation, but he wanted to know what had put the unhappy look of introspection on Miranda’s face. Maybe if he knew what Winter said, he could figure out what to say to pull Miranda out of the funk. Then again, maybe not.
“Want another shirt?” he asked as they stepped into his room and he closed the door behind them.
“I’m good with this one. Do you need the restroom first?” She waved one hand toward the bathroom door.
“No. You go ahead. I’ll grab a couple things and take my turn while you get settled into bed.
” He watched as she closed the door then he turned to the closet.
He pulled out a pair of sweats as well as a blanket.
He’d wear the sweats, so she didn’t freak out on him, though he’d rather sleep in nothing, or even just his shorts.
Still, he was trying to make Miranda comfortable, which was an easy thing to do.
It probably wouldn’t be for more than a couple of weeks anyway, at least he hoped.
He wouldn’t throw her out or anything, but he hoped it would take her more than that to feel safe around here.
After a few minutes, Miranda emerged and Ashes took her place.
He took his time, wanting to give Miranda plenty of time to do whatever she needed before he was Johnny-on-the-spot again.
The sweat from his interrupted workout itched, so he turned on the shower before stripping then steeped under the still icy spray.
He stood under the cold water and wished it worked to ease the throbbing of his erection.
Then again, maybe his inability to forget Miranda was in his bed only a few feet away, wearing only one of his shirts, and maybe, maybe panties.
Just the thought was enough that his cock wouldn’t calm the fuck down.
He shook his head and did his best to ignore it.
He finished in the shower, dressed, then quietly opened the door a crack.
The main bedroom was dim, with only the light coming from a window high on the wall, and that dim from the angle.
He tiptoed to the recliner where he lifted the blanket in front of himself before sitting down then easing the footrest up.
It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep but it wasn’t the worst either. He could make do for a while.
Ashes closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind so he could sleep.
He shifted a couple of times before settling, and he was drifting off to sleep when a sound jerked him back to consciousness.
It wasn’t a normal sound or at least not one normal at this time of day, or his bedroom. He thought he heard someone sniffling.
He froze, listening with everything in him. If someone was crying then it had to be Miranda. He hated that she felt like she had to hide her feelings. Especially from him. He’d almost decided he’d imagined it when he heard it again.
“Tiny Warrior?” he called, his voice soft. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond at first. Then after a moment, she spoke.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” The nasal tone of her voice told him she was lying and it was her crying he’d heard. Ashes put down the footrest, not bothering to keep quiet. He stood and went to the bed, taking the blanket with him.
“Scoot over a little,” he said, then sat on the edge of the bed.
“Tell me what’s wrong?” He laid one hand on her back, feeling her warmth through the blanket she’d pulled up to her chin.
He heard the rustle of the sheets and saw just enough movement in the dim light coming from the window to know she was shaking her head and pressing her face into the pillow.
Ashes sighed. She was going to be difficult about this.
He shifted until he could lay beside her, tossing his blanket over them both as he stayed over the covers she was under.
He hoped she understood he was trying to keep from freaking her out as he curled against her back and wrapped an arm around her.
She might not be ready to share, but she wouldn’t deal with it all alone, not if he had anything to say about it.