Page 57 of Burning Truth

Even though he’d taken one shower, it was nice to take another one. The scent of smoke set him on edge, and he certainly didn’t want it in bed with them. The scent of the soap Addie had just used distracted him from the anxiety biting at him.

It had been a long day, and he understood why Addie was so exhausted. He was as well, but he was a little more used to working after an emergency. His tiredness was more physical than mental.

Once he’d scrubbed himself a couple of times, Severn stepped out of the shower and dried off. He pulled on a pair of undershorts and headed into the bedroom. Even as tired as she was, Addie had stayed awake. Lifting the sheet up, she welcomed him into the bed.

17

Addie slept like the dead, only crawling out of the nest of Severn’s arms when she was worried her bladder was going to burst. She went to the bathroom, drank a huge glass of water to replenish, then went back to bed. Even so deeply asleep, Severn roused enough to pull her into his arms again.

They slept for a few more hours, and when Addie finally opened her eyes, it was almost noon. She’d slept the clock around, and it had been glorious. She’d been so exhausted, her body had shut down.

She knew she’d slept so deeply because Monster had been apprehended. She didn’t have the worry niggling at her brain that she was responsible for more deaths, either directly or indirectly. Her conscience was clear. And her body had taken the opportunity to recharge.

When she looked over at Severn, she smiled. He was wide awake, and looking at her. He smiled lazily in response, and Addie moved close enough to kiss him.

Severn was sporting a magnificent morning wood, and she grinned as she rocked her hips into him. “Good morning,” she whispered, her voice husky.

“Good morning to you,” he said, cupping her hip to pull her tight.

“How did you sleep,” she asked.

Something flickered over his expression, but he shrugged. “Not bad.”

Yeah, right. She drew back a little. “That had to have been scary for you yesterday, being in that burning van. And then the fire last night.”

He sighed, rolling onto his back to look up at the ceiling. “It was,” he admitted, his mouth tight. “I had dreams about my guys last night. That was the closest I’ve been to being burned again since I was blown up in Afghanistan.”

“I’d like to know about your team,” she said, wondering if he would tell her.

He rocked his head enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye, then looked back at the ceiling. It took him a long time to start talking. “I was in a five-man team. Blaze was our leader.”

“Blaze? Isn’t that a little trite?” she lifted a brow, but smiled to let him know she was teasing.

Severn grinned as well. “Yeah, if you knew him, though, it was totally appropriate. More balls than sense. The guy knew what he was doing, though. Then there was Ray Sharp. We came up through training together and joined Blaze’s team. Corey Montgomery, a big bear of a man with an adrenaline streak a mile wide, was the oldest character on the team. He would just grin at you with this look in his eyes, like nothing ever got him down. Len Bridger was our fifth. Quiet dude with a dangerous side.” Severn sighed. “They were all good guys.”

“What happened to you?”

He didn’t answer her for a long time, and when he did, she could tell it was painful. “We had been going for a long time, call after call. We dismantled so many IEDs. We were exhausted. Finally got a break in this little town. The Brits had told us about this house. It had been where one of the government officials lived. We could camp out and get some good sleep for the night. They said it even had running water. So, that’s where we went.”

He cleared his throat. “We were traveling with this little interpreter. He disappeared for a while when we were settling in, and we didn’t think anything of it. Blaze got his shower, then I got mine. I was heading downstairs when Ali came back. I heard Blaze scream out ‘no’, and then the world exploded.”

Addie had her hand over her mouth. At some point, she’d sat up beside him, and her other hand gripped his. Severn’s fingers were tight on hers, but she didn’t say anything.

Severn sat up abruptly, his gaze looking into the past. “I remember seeing this ball of fire rolling toward me. Swallowing me. The pain was immediate. I jumped into a side room, but I was already on fire. And then the house came down on top of me.”

Addie gasped, her eyes filling with tears. Severn glanced at her. “A group of Marines apparently heard the blast, and me screaming, and pulled me out. I wasn’t aware of anything for about three weeks. When I woke up, I wished I hadn’t. My entire team was gone, and I was in more pain than I’d ever felt in my life. Investigators told me we’d stopped in Ali’s hometown, but he didn’t tell us. And even though we’d been with him for months, fed him, laughed with him, helped his family out, the ideals he’d grown up with prevailed. He and his family were Taliban, and he died in a ‘divine sacrifice’. I’m sure they were overjoyed. Took me four months to get out of the hospital.”

Severn shook his head, anger settling into his features. Addie didn’t blame him. That was so fucked up. “I’m so sorry you wentthrough that,” she whispered, her throat tight with shared pain. She ran her hand over his back, wanting to wrap him in her arms, but he’d gone a little distant. And maybe he needed to just to put the pain away. She didn’t push him, just waited while he sorted through his memories.

Abruptly, he blinked, and looked at her. “It took a long time for me to recover. They rolled me out of the Navy, though I still go back and teach sometimes. I think the brass just brings me in to remind the punks what could happen if somebody screws up.” He motioned vaguely with his hand toward himself, and it made her mad on his behalf.

“I love you,” she said abruptly, and then blinked. The words had just popped out before she could stop them, but she didn’t regret them. “I’m in love with you,” she continued. “I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, and I’m sure you’ll come up with all kinds of excuses for why this is so wrong between us, but I freaking love you. And I love your scars. They are a part of you, so I love them.”

He stared at her for a long moment, absorbing her words, before he looked away. “I don’t think…”

She held up a hand. “I knew you were going to do this. I also know what’s in my heart, and I want to be with you for real, not just because of some maniac. You are one of the most intelligent, grounded men I’ve ever met, and I love being with you.” She grinned. “You also give me the best orgasms I’ve ever had.”

Severn snorted, his hand reaching for hers. “Same,” he admitted, “but I don’t think we should rush into anything. We’ve been in this house together for a few days, and proximity works on your emotions.”

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