Page 14 of Ethan's Command

“You don’t have to sleep on the sofa,” Brooklyn murmured, her voice soft. For a second, Ethan thought she might be offering him her bed, but she continued, “There’s a spare room.”

He shook his head. “The sofa’s better. It puts me between all the entry points and you two. Mojo will stay with Liam, and as long as you keep your door open, we’ll both hear if anything happens.”

“Fine,” she said brusquely, her tone shifting to business-like efficiency. “That works.”

Ethan nodded, signaling to Mojo, and the two stepped outside. As Mojo sniffed around, Ethan grabbed a couple of weapons from his truck, checking the property with a sharp eye. Satisfied that everything was secure, he called the comms center to confirm the cameras were operational.

A few minutes later, he returned inside. “We’re good to go,"

Brooklyn gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for doing this.” She stood next to the sofa, which she’d already made up with a sheet, a pillow, and a blanket.

“I want you both to be safe, Brooklyn. We will get to the bottom of this.”

She nodded and turned away but not before her eyes started filling with tears. “I’m just going to make myself a cup of tea. Do you want some?”

“Sure.”

“I have cranberry, mango, chamomile…I think I have more, but I can’t seem to find them.” She rummaged through the cupboard next to the fridge.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” He leaned on the counter and waited.

She cleared her throat but kept her back to him and bustled around the kitchen. Finally, she stood in front of the kettle on the stove as if willing it to boil. The sound of a muffled sob reached him and that was all he needed. He went over and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.” He knew it was stupid to promise anything. Too many years in the Special Forces had taught him that, but hecouldn’t deal with Brooklyn crying. The situation was terrifying, and he needed her to know she wasn’t alone in this.

“I…” her voice broke as she turned and rested her head on his chest. He held her tightly as she cried softly, wetting his shirt. She clung to him in a way that hurt his heart but it was also…familiar somehow… As if he’d done this before. And it felt good. Right. As if this was where he was supposed to be. He hadn’t felt like that in a long, long time.

“I’ve got you. We’re not going to let anything happen to Liam. We will get to the bottom of this.” He squeezed her tighter. He breathed in her scent. Vanilla. A small pang of disappointment hit him. The woman in his dreams wore something citrusy. He gave himself a mental shake. Brooklyn was real and she was in his arms. Nothing was better than that. Certainly not some dream that haunted him. The citrus smell was probably his laundry detergent.

Brooklyn sniffed and lifted her head. “I’m sorry I made your t-shirt wet.”

“Not a problem. I know this is hard and incredibly stressful, but hang in there. Liam needs you to be strong. You cry on me whenever you like, okay? I’m right here with you.”

She nodded as her gaze locked with his. A jolt of electricity ran straight through to his cock. Damn, he wanted her so badly it hurt. He leaned down to kiss her, his lips barely brushing hers. She froze for a second and then started to respond. Her soft lips brushed his and then deepened the kiss. Ethan squeezed his arms around her, and she melted against his torso. The piercing scream of the kettle made them jump, and she quickly turned away, avoiding looking at him.

“Here’s your tea.” She gestured to the mug on the counter. “Thanks for staying,” she said and then turned and disappeared down the hallway.

It was still darkwhen Ethan sat up, yawned, and stretched. It had taken him a long time to drift off after what happened in the kitchen. His body ached to hold Brooklyn. She fit him perfectly, but he felt guilty. This was not the time to make a pass at her. She was in a vulnerable state, and he didn’t want her to think he was trying to take advantage. If only she didn’t feel so damn good. If only this all didn’t seem so damn familiar. His mind flicked once again to the woman who haunted his dreams.

Ever since the accident, this mystery woman visited his dreams. He couldn’t make out her face or her voice, but he felt her next to him. Her soft touch on his skin. He wanted her like no one he’d ever wanted before, and in his dream, her long hair smelled like citrus and something wholly feminine. And…was there something about a tattoo or a birthmark? For some reason, that struck a chord within him. Something island shaped, maybe? But his memory was so faulty lately. Part of him hoped she was real. But the other part, the realistic part told him to let it go and deal with what was in front of him. Mooning over some ghost girl haunting his dreams was just plain stupid.

He sprang up, folded everything, and left it on the couch. Quietly, he used the bathroom, gave the house a quick once over, and then grabbed Mojo. They went out and got in his pickup. They drove around the block and found parking down the street. He’d agreed to leave before Liam woke but he wasn’t leaving them alone. The attempted kidnapping had happened during daylight hours so he would stay there until backup arrived. He wasn’t taking any chances.

The rumble of an engine caught his attention as Cooper Harris pulled up behind him. Coop strolled to the driver’s window, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets.

“Long night?” Cooper asked, leaning casually against the door.

“Not too bad,” Ethan replied.

“So, what the hell do you think this really is?” Cooper asked, his tone more serious now. "If they came back to stake out the house, it's far more serious than I think any of us first thought."

“Agreed, and I have no idea. Not a freaking clue,” Ethan admitted. “Teens taking kids for joyrides? No. It doesn’t add up."

"I’m checking on that license plate, but it might be a while. Nova got a phone call early this morning and took off right after. She said she’d let me know when she got the info on the plate, but I’m not holding my breath. Whatever happened this morning that led to that call was serious.” Cooper frowned. “I've asked Bellamy and Rusty to run the plate whenever one of them gets to the comms center, but it won’t be until later today."

Ethan stifled another yawn. "Thanks."

Copper nodded. "You and Mojo head home. Get some breakfast, a shower, maybe even catch some shut-eye.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for holding the fort.”

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