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“And on that note, you need to get some sleep.” He turned her and led her to the bed. “You go ahead and snuggle in. I’ll take the couch.”

“But…” Her protest was interrupted by another yawn.

“Get to bed, young lady. I’m on guard duty tonight.” He tucked her in, then leaned down to kiss her forehead again.

But his shy temptress wasn’t so out of it as he’d thought. Just before his lips touched her skin, she lifted her head and pressed her mouth against his. Her kiss was soft and beseeching, and he eagerly gave her what she asked for, what he wanted to give. He opened his mouth over hers, slipped his tongue inside and tasted her minty sweetness. His fingers tunneled into her thick, loose waves of hair and held her mouth beneath his, taking what he wanted, giving what she needed. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over her—her hands clinging to the back of his neck, sliding over his shoulders and back—when he realized just how hard and quickly his body had responded to her sensuous touch.

Knowing she was an innocent in so many ways, and knowing she needed her rest more than either of them needed to get naked together, Daniel reluctantly pulled his lips from hers and stood. Her groan of dissatisfaction echoed his own. He feathered his fingers into her hair and smoothed the long locks away from her face in a gentle caress. “What you do to me, Sunshine…”

“It’s the same for me, Marine.”

He thumbed over his shoulder and started backing away, despite the allure of that sleepy smile on those slightly swollen, kiss-stung lips. “Couch.”

Leaving her wasn’t chivalry—it was survival. If he was going to keep things decent, and keep his head in the protection game, he needed the distance. He was also going to forgo changing into his regular sleep outfit. Somehow, a pair of gym shorts and nothing else might make for an embarrassing moment if they ran into each other in the middle of the night.

“Get some rest,” he told her, pausing at the door.

“You, too.”

He nodded, turned off the light, closed the door most of the way, and went back to the living room. He peeled off his sweater, unsnapped his jeans and untucked his T-shirt before lying back on the couch and pulling the blanket over him. Pirate curled up on the rug beside him, and Luna snuggled close to her new best friend. The house settled into a soft, shadowy quiet that allowed Daniel’s thoughts to grow louder in his head.

Sleep never came. His mind kept replaying the sight of Polly’s face in the lamplight at Barb’s, the tremor in her voice, the way her fingers had clung to his when he’d walked her to his place. He vividly remembered the kisses they’d shared, the way she curled her body into his and savored his hugs. She seemed to know when to push him, and when to let him have his space. He wanted her safe.

But God help him, he also wanted her.

She seemed to want him to be the one—her first. And damn, if he didn’t want that, too. Polly was everything good and clean and hopeful that he’d lost in his life, and he desperately wanted to be a part of that. He hadn’t thought about being with any woman since he’d been injured. He hadn’t wanted to.

He was trying to do the right thing here. Keeping his distance. Keeping her safe.

But he was just a man. A man whose body and heart and soul wanted to claim all that was Polly Cooper for himself.

“Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t feel right, Travis. You follow the mission, not your heart.”

His CO had always given him good advice on tough missions. But damn, if it didn’t feel like he’d left his heart sleeping in his own bed down at the end of the hall.

“Yes, sir,” he muttered before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

AN HOUR OR so later, he was still awake, his arm thrown over his eyes, the demons in his head quiet—although he expected them to come roaring back with a vengeance if he did more than lightly doze—when he heard the creak of the floorboard. Pirate heard the noise, too, and raised his head. For a split second, Daniel tensed. Had someone gotten into the house and snuck past him and two dogs? But Pirate laid his head back down, telling Daniel there was no threat, that they could both relax.

Then Polly was there, standing at the end of the hallway. She paused, leaning against the wall. With her feet covered in his big socks, he wouldn’t have heard her at all, except for the creaking floorboard and her soft sigh from the shadows.

Even in the half-light, with his T-shirt hanging down to her thighs and one hand holding his sweatpants up at her waist, she stole his breath. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders like dark gold waves. And while his oversize clothes masked her figure, they forced his brain to imagine the decadent curves hidden underneath.

Daniel sat up and dropped his feet to the floor. “Can’t sleep?”

“You’re not sleeping, either. Are you still upset about what happened earlier? About losing control with Tate? Or him or whoever breaking into my apartment?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “Not really. I may have overreacted, but it could have gone a lot worse. As far as the break-in? Yeah, a part of me feels like I should have been there for you. But I also know I might not have done you much good with my thoughts all scrambled like they were.” He shrugged. “If worrying about me is keeping you up, don’t. My meeting at St. Luke’s helped. And spending a quiet evening with you and Barb helped a lot, too. Pirate’s sticking by my side. Right now, I’m okay.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Because if you weren’t feeling okay, then what I want to ask would be really selfish.”

“You couldn’t be selfish if you tried,” he teased, but meant it.

“I was in there, thinking through everything. And I decided that I wanted to stand by you and be with you, no matter what. I care about all of you, Daniel. The wounded parts. The sexy parts.” He raised his eyebrows at that comment, but she continued. “The broken parts you think need fixing and the parts I know are stronger than you believe. It’s all part of who you are. Maybe you used to be someone else, and you’re having a hard time reconciling who you are now with that man.” She hesitated, tucking her hair behind her ears. “But who you are now is the man I know. The man I need. Could…” Her voice was small, trembling but clear. “Would you sleep with me again? Hold me? Make love to me?” She straightened, hugging her arms tightly around her middle. “I’m afraid I’m never going to find out what the fuss is all about. That he’ll somehow steal the opportunity away from me.”

Daniel pushed to his feet. “He won’t hurt you.”

“Whether he does physically, or whether he’s getting off on tormenting me the rest of my days, I don’t want to be so scared that I’m not brave enough to go after what I want. I’m already shy, and being assertive isn’t my best thing.” She took a step closer. “I want you, Daniel. I want to belong to you in every way possible. I need you. Please.”