Her Soldier (That Girl #3) Read Online Free Page B

falling off the deep end for this man. I try to remind myself to not get tangled up again in my masochistic cycle of pain and torture that always involves men.
    “C’mon.” His hand cradles me as he easily carries me to the couch. “Am I hurting you?”
    “No.”
    Beau gently places me down on the sofa, now covered in a blue plaid fleece blanket with matching sheets. I know these weren’t here before because the thick material covering the couch was irritating the skin on my arms.
    “Thank you for all this.” My hand mindlessly brushes over the soft blanket.
    “No problem.” Beau turns around, heading for his bedroom.
    My eyes flash toward the large set of windows, seeing nothing but a black sky with a few streetlamps lighting the way. It’s night. He’s going to bed.
    “Beau.” The word escapes my mouth before I can even process my next move.
    He stops dead in his tracks, not turning to me, but with this back facing me while his hands are perched on his hips.
    “Will you stay out here with me?” Tears threaten to pool up again as I ask the question, and my voice trembles.
    He says nothing, standing still in the doorway as I cringe with fear and anxiety.
    “Never mind, I’ll be fine.” I pause, searching for more words and hating the awkward silence mingling between us. “Um, thanks for making me this bed.”
    Beau begins to move again, stepping into his bedroom, flipping the light on, and I can hear some rustling. I take his movement as a no, so I decide to make myself as comfortable as possible on the couch. Balanced at the perfect angle on my left side, I find a position that allows me to breathe easily, and I even let out a slight cough without causing too much pain in my ribs.
    The light remains on in Beau’s room, and I can hear each of his movements while he gets himself ready for bed. The sounds of a running faucet, him brushing his teeth, and then some sounds coming from his bathroom. I even hear him let out a little growl and then turn on the shower. The apartment is very tiny, and I swear I can practically smell the steam from his extremely hot shower.
    I analyze each one of his moves and try to picture them as he completes each step of his bedtime ritual. Finally, he flips off the light to his bedroom, and my heart deflates a bit. I’m not sure what I was hoping for, but just hearing him move about his space was distracting enough for me not to focus on any other parts of my seriously fucked-up situation.
    Moments later, I hear his feet padding across the room. I look up and see Beau standing in the light pouring from his window. He’s clothed in flannel pajama pants with no top on. I only stole a glimpse of him shirtless before, and that was in a sleep and drug induced state. Now, only beginning to feel the effects of painkillers, I have a much better view. The sight of bare, tan chest makes me smile. My eyes not so discreetly follow the line of muscles down to the top of his pants, and yep, he has the perfect outlined V.
    “Jenni.”
    “Beau, please stay with me.”
    This time I don’t hesitate or act ashamed of my question. I force my voice to be strong and demanding. The truth is I need to be held by this man tonight.
    He lifts his hands from his hips and slowly drags them through his wet hair, contemplating my question. His hands finally rest on the back of his head while he stares me down.
    “This is a slippery slope, Jenni.”
    “I’m sorry.” My fingers pick at the edge of the dainty seams on the blanket. I avoid looking at his face. “I need you now, Beau.”
    In a series of movements, Beau climbs onto the couch, and not the way I expected him to at all. He’s covering my body with his. I removed the hoodie sweatshirt I was wearing and am left in a white tank top, braless. His upper torso presses into my exposed skin. He’s thoughtful and puts all of his body weight into the couch instead of on me.
    “Can I kiss you?” Beau drops his forehead to mine, softly brushing his