Chapter 19
Bean breathed easier once they were on the plane. He would keep Garnet safe. No one knew where they were going or where she would be staying.
During the day, she could be on the base. He would find a way to get clearance for her to come with him, or they would start working from his house most of the time.
This mission might be the most important one he’d ever taken on. Saving Garnet was worth everything. If the terrorists got hold of her again, he had little doubt that she wouldn’t survive.
“Do you think they’ll find me?”
He glanced at Garnet and was caught by the worry in her eyes. He wished he could tell her she would always be safe, but he wasn’t sure. Anything could happen.
“I don’t know. But I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe. We’ll figure out who is after you and take them down.”
She bit her lip, and he swore she was going to say something else, but she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. Warmth spread through him. This was more than he’d felt for any other woman he’d ever dated.
He would keep his emotions in check for now.
The mission came first. After they’d figured out who was behind her abduction and the plot to destroy DC, maybe then he could explore a relationship with her.
She may not want to be in a relationship with him.
His job had crazy hours. The responsibilities foisted on him overwhelmed most. He could handle his work, but could he add a relationship into the mix?
Garnet liked being close to Brady. His warmth made her feel protected. Maybe she was delusional to think that no one could get to her as long as Brady was by her side. She didn’t know what they would do about him going to work or her working, but they would figure it out.
The flight didn’t last long, and they were back at his place fairly fast. When they entered his house, awkwardness twisted through her.
She wasn’t sure what made her feel so weird, but maybe it was being alone with him after everything that had happened, especially the almost kiss.
That shouldn’t have happened, and she was having trouble pushing it from her mind.
“You must be tired,” Brady said.
She yawned, proving him right, then laughed. “A little.”
“You should get to bed.”
“You’re going to sleep, right?”
“Yes.”
“Really, because I swear you’re lying.”
His lips tipped up to one side, and he rolled his eyes. “You know me too well.”
“Maybe I do. But you need sleep.”
“I need to keep you safe.”
She hated suggesting this, not because she didn’t want it, but because she didn’t want him to freak out over the suggestion. “This may sound weird, but I think it might help.”
His eyebrows rose, and his lips thinned. “What?”
“You have a king-sized bed. What if I sleep on the other side of the bed? I promise I won’t try anything. I just—”
“Stop.”
For a moment, she thought he was angry because his expression went blank. She’d pushed too hard.
“That makes the most sense. You can sleep on the side away from the door. We’ll block the door, making it impossible for anyone to get in. The alarm, in addition to you being in my room, is the most secure arrangement.”
“Good.” Her stomach twisted as a new worry took hold. What if she’d read him totally wrong, and he didn’t want her? She wasn’t going to do anything while in his bed, but he might have been totally disgusted by her suggestion.
She wasn’t great at reading what guys wanted.
Recognizing flirting was hard, and knowing when a guy wanted to go out with her was nearly impossible.
There were moments she thought she knew what Brady wanted, but then there were times like this where she had no idea if he was interested in her at all.
Bean had to force himself not to pull Garnet into his arms and deliver the kiss he so wanted to share with her. She would be in his bed, but not for the reasons he wanted her there.
What would she do if he told her he wanted to kiss her? He could hold it together tonight, and every night after this for as long as he had to. Garnet would be safe in his bed. He would make sure of it.
He sent a text to Chase, who suggested that Stanley come over in the morning while Bean showered. That made sense, so he texted Stanley and got a confirmation text in minutes. He was set for bed, except he would be in bed with Garnet, and that was almost too much.
The sound of her breathing after she drifted off made his balls pull up tight. He forced himself not to think of her as he fought for sleep. At some point, he drifted off and woke to his alarm.
Though desire had filled him, her sleeping in his bed had allowed him to get some good sleep.
He was thankful she didn’t stir when he crawled from bed and left the room.
He started the coffee and texted Stanley, telling him he was awake.
Stanley said he was about a minute away.
That helped him get rid of his hard-on fast.
As Bean waited for his buddy to arrive, he was thankful he had friends willing to help. “Have some coffee if you like. I also have eggs if you want any.”
“Thank you. I need to eat breakfast.”
He headed into his room, noticing that Garnet rolled over as he entered the bathroom. He locked the door and stripped off his clothes. Just thinking about Garnet in his bed was making him hard again.
He washed quickly, but had to jerk off so he didn’t embarrass himself. It only took a few strokes before he came. After he finished, he turned off the water and dried quickly. He hated that he had to jack off, but his skin felt too itchy to just ignore it.
After pulling on his clothes, he stepped from the bathroom and saw that the bed was empty. Then he heard laughter in the kitchen. At first, agitation slid through him, but he pushed it away. Stanley wasn’t flirting with Garnet. He was just talking to her.
He stepped out, and Garnet hopped up from the stool at the bar. She had on his sweatshirt, which made heat flash through him. No question, the woman was incredibly sexy, even if she wasn’t trying to be sexy.
“I’m going to shower, then I’ll be ready to go.”
He nodded. “Did you eat breakfast?”
“Yes. Stanley made me an egg. We ate two of your bagels that were in the freezer.”
“Good. We’ll be ready to head out when you’re done in the shower.”
She flashed him a smile, then turned to Stanley. “Thank you for making the egg. That hit the spot.”
Stanley waved his hand that was holding the spatula. “Anytime.”
The door to the bedroom closed, and he turned back to Stanley, who had a shit-eating grin on his face now that Garnet wasn’t in the room with them.
“Shut up.”
Stanley lifted both hands. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
“It’s not like that.”
Stanley moved to the counter closest to him and leaned in. “Only a dead man could sleep in bed with her and not feel something.”
Bean’s lips thinned, and he shook his head. “Really, it’s not like that. We only slept, so you’d better behave and not say anything to make her embarrassed.”
“Okay, if you say so. But I wouldn’t wait too long. That woman is special. Only an idiot would let her walk away without telling her how he felt.”
Bean rubbed his chin. He had to tell her eventually, but not yet. She didn’t need this pressure in addition to all the other crap she was dealing with.
Maybe once they figured out who was after her, he would mention his desire. It would be hard to sleep in the same bed with her night after night, but he would behave for her to be safe. It might drive him to insanity, but he could deal with the desire.