Page 31 of Saved from Deception

I hate hearing the self-recrimination in his voice when there’s no reason for it to be there.

And I wish I could be enjoying sitting next to Rylan, his arm around me, instead of fighting a losing battle with tears and feeling sorry for myself.

“Will you talk to me about something else?” Rylan’s brows draw together in confusion, so I explain, “Just something that isn’t all of… this.”

“Ah.” Comprehension dawns, and he gives me a little smile. “I can do that.” Hesitating, he adds, “Do you mind if I get more comfortable? Just leaning against the headboard. Or is that too much?”

I know he’s trying to be careful with me, but nothing he could do would scare me. “That’s fine,” I reassure him, and scoot back so I’m sitting with my back against the padded headboard.

Rylan joins me, sliding his arm around me again, and starts, “When my teammate, Zane, brought his now-fiancée to hang out at our favorite brew pub, they weren’t together yet. But it was clear to all of us that they both liked each other.”

Amusement tinging his voice, he continues, “Zane had been watching Elle all night, and he finally asked her to play darts with him. Elle didn’t want to tell him how bad she was, so she got up there to play…”

“And what happened?”

Rylan chuckles. “Elle almost nailed a guy in the ass. Like, inches away. Zane somehow kept a straight face, but the rest of us were on the floor laughing.”

I give him a little jab with my elbow. “That’s not nice. She was probably so embarrassed.”

“At first, but it all worked out. Because then Zane had a reason to spend the next hour teaching Elle how to play. By the end of the evening, the two couldn’t ignore how they felt about each other anymore.”

Leaning into his chest, exhaustion sweeps over me. All the adrenaline, the stress, the fear, all catching up at once. “So, they got together after that?”

“Yeah,” Rylan says, and even though I can’t see his face, I can tell he’s smiling. “Pretty soon after, Zane told Elle how he felt. And now she lives with him at Blade and Arrow—we all have apartments on the upper floors—and they’re getting married next summer.”

“That’s nice.” My muscles are sagging; I should probably move, but I can’t seem to make myself do it.

“Are you sleepy?” His voice is a warm blanket wrapping around me. “Do you want me to go?”

I should tell him it’s okay to leave. But I don’t want to. “Can you stay a little longer?”

“Of course, Charlie.” And he turns me into him, so I’m tucked up against his chest, his chin resting on the top of my head. “I’ll stay for as long as you want.”

Sleep is closing in, but I have to ask. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

His soft chuckle resonates through me. “I don’t mind at all. Get some sleep. I’ll be right here.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RYLAN

I shouldn’t have stayed with Charlie for so long yesterday.

Once she fell asleep, I should have carefully extricated myself, tucked her into bed, and left her alone. I could have checked on her while she was napping without actually staying in the room with her. Without holding her in my arms the entire time she slept.

But I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Especially not after I told Charlie I’d stay with her. And more selfishly, I didn’t want to.

Holding her as she slept, feeling her soft curves pressed against me, the whisper of her breath on my chest, knowing the absolute trust she was giving me—how could I leave? Having Charlie in my arms was the most incredible gift, even though I’m not sure I deserved it.

I keep reminding myself of the reasons to keep things platonic. She’s vulnerable. I’m her protector. She could confuse gratitude for affection. I don’t want her to feel obligated.

None of those reasons have changed.

But shit.

I don’t want to be responsible. I want to reach out for what I want. And that’s Charlie.

There’s a connection and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one feeling it. Sometimes when she looks at me, there’s desire in her eyes. When we touch, she leans into me. And there’s this intangible something—like static electricity in the air, waiting for a connection.

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