Page 42 of Command and Control: GHOST Operative

I tuck my chin, barely offering a nod because I should be saying no. I should find someone else to keep her. Somewhere she’ll be even safer than she is here.

Because Julieanne is only half safe with me.

Her eyes move away from me to skate around the space. "You're letting me sleep in your room?"

I tuck my chin again, helpless to stop myself from continuing to make these wrong choices. Because no matter what I do, I can't seem to keep my head when it comes to her. The second I stepped on that plane to Nashville it was over. I was never going to be able to go back to who I was. I wanted to think I could, but I can't.

She’s fucking ruined me.

Julieanne's lips press together. "How many bedrooms does this house have?"

"One." I built it knowing I would never need more. That I would never have guests. That no one would everinhabit this place but me. There was no need for a second bedroom, so I used the space in other ways. Ways I'm not sure Julieanne will understand.

"Okay." She drags the word out, eyes going back to the king-sized bed facing the line of windows. "So we’ll be sharing a bed."

If I were a good man, I would say no. I'd volunteer to sleep on the sofa in my office. Crash in the spare bedroom of the guesthouse where Vera lives.

But, regardless of what Julieanne believes, I'm not a good man, and right now I don't want to pretend to be. "That's right."

I keep trying to pretend I don't know what I'm doing, but now that she's here, wearing my clothes, standing in my home, the peace that settles around me proves what a fucking liar I am.

Deep down, this was always the goal. I wanted Julieanne the second her sweet face flashed onto my computer screen. While I was able to fight it for a while, I'm a big enough asshole that it was only a matter of time before I hunted her down and took what I wanted.

And thank fuck I did, because if I hadn't been there when—

Julieanne's brows pinch together as she continues meeting my gaze, concern etched into her beautiful face. "What's wrong?" Her palms flatten against my chest before sliding down to my waist and wrapping around my back.

"Nothing. I'm fine." I haven’t been comforted by another person in so long, I don't know how to handle it. How to accept something I decided I would never have or need.

Julieanne snorts out a little laugh, eyes rolling to theplanked ceiling of my bedroom. "Whatever." Her arms grip tighter and her head comes to rest against my chest, the smooth skin of her cheek pressing against my heart. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be fine. I may not know everything about you, but I do know you’re capable of handling just about anything."

I didn't know I needed to hear that. That I needed someone to believe in me again. I've always believed in myself enough that everyone else's opinion didn't fucking matter.

But the past six months have made me question everything about myself.

Julieanne’s head tips back, her chin resting against my sternum as she gazes up at me. "You know what else I have complete faith in your ability to do?"

"What's that?"

"Feed me.” She smiles. “I'm freaking starving."

I laugh, surprised yet again by the woman I’m accidentally holding tight.

Julieanne's eyes widen. "You just laughed."

I share her shock and force my lips to flatten out. "Did not."

She gives me another of those smiles that dragged me across the country. "Yes, you did. You laughed. I heard it."

I force my expression into a frown. "I don't laugh."

An oddly hopeful expression crosses her face. "Really?"

I shake my head.

"So you don't laugh, and you don't smile."

I'm not sure what she's getting at, but I’m confident it's going to be a problem for me. "That's right."

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