Page 13 of Cooper

Unless he’ll consider leaving the military.

We’ve never talked about anything like that, though.

He loves his country and the men that serve under him, so I wouldn’t be comfortable making a suggestion like that. Besides, even if he did leave, it’s not like he’s going to find a job in Limaj. Unless… it occurs to me he could become a Royal Protector, but I’m not sure he’s down for making that kind of commitment. There’s a lot involved in becoming one of us.

The doubt and negativity frustrate me because I just want to see him.

Touch him.

Make sure he’s okay.

Even if I can’t have him, I need to know he’s going to be all right.

Everything else will work itself out.

Or it won’t.

But since I can’t control it, I’m going to put everything out of my mind and enjoy the hours we have together.

Otherwise, I might drive myself nuts.

FIVE

Cooper

I sleepfor almost twenty-four hours. I’ve been debriefed and stitched up and fed and cleaned up. Then I sleep like the fucking dead. I almost think I actually died because the next time I open my eyes, the most beautiful girl I know is standing in the doorway of my hospital room. It takes me a minute to realize that not only am I still alive, but that Natalia is really here.

“Well, hey there, beautiful.” I smile.

“Hi.” She looks gorgeous in a pair of faded jeans and a Star Trek T-shirt. Her hair is down, swept over one shoulder, thick and shiny, and her big brown eyes shine with excitement.

“Come give me a kiss,” I say softly, holding out my hand. She reaches me in two long steps, resting her hand in mine. Then she presses her lips to mine and they linger for several long, decadent seconds as our eyes lock.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers, her eyes getting a little misty. “I was really scared.”

“I hate that it impacted you.”

“I hate that you were captured.” She pauses. “Tortured.Hurt.”

“I’m okay.”

“We both know it’s not that simple.”

“It has to be.” I lace my fingers with hers. “I don’t have the luxury of letting it impact me.”

“It’s going to change you whether you think it will or not. I know this first-hand.”

“Are you still fighting your demons, baby?”

“Being back at the palace is harder than I’d anticipated,” she whispers.

“I figured it would be. I’d been planning to reach out but, you know, kidnapping and torture and all that kind of screwed everything up.”

“I thought you’d ghosted me.”

“Aw, baby, you should know me better than that. If I hadn’t planned to stay in touch, I would never have done what I did in that storage locker.”

“We did that together.”

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