Page 43 of No Mistake

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. My shoulders were made to be cried upon.” He smiled.

Sophie reached for her tea, but stayed next to him on the sofa.

“I don’t know how I would have handled this if you weren’t here. I’m so grateful, yet I behaved like an ungrateful bitch.”

Ryan squeezed her shoulder. “You could never be a bitch.”

“Well, I feel like one and I’m sorry.”

“If it makes you feel better, apology accepted. Did you sleep at all?”

“A little.”

“Why don’t you go back to bed? I can stay here if you want, if it makes you feel safer.”

“I think I’m more comfortable here.” She surprised him by leaning against him, but he sure wasn’t complaining. This was progress.

He squeezed her body to his, loving the feel of her. His cock twitched and he forced the thought of what he wanted to do from his mind. They sat there together in silence. Tempting as it would be to roll her on her back and explore her body with his mouth, he refrained. She needed comfort because she was scared. He’d settle for cuddling. He kinda liked it.

Minutes passed. Ryan felt better than he had earlier, some of the tension leaving his body. No one had reached out to him, not even Dex. Probably furious he stormed off. He tightened his hold, nuzzling her hair. She sighed.

“Can’t sleep?” he murmured.

“No.” She turned her head to look at him. Their eyes locked and it took every ounce of willpower not to crush that mouth. His cock was already hard and raring to go. “Sophie, I’m here for you, you know that. I’ll get you through this, I promise.”

“I know you will.”

“And in case you’re wondering, I still want more with you. But right now, your head is elsewhere, understandably. You’re hesitant; you have doubts about me. I care a great deal about you, so when we have Chloe back, maybe we can see if we both want the same thing.”

She looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“I mean. I would never consider you a one-night stand. I want more with you.”

“You do?” The shock in her voice startled him.

“Yes, I do. I’ve known you a long time. Always loved our conversations at the hospital. Fuck, every time I got injured, it was bearable because it meant I got to see you. It’s like we’ve got to know each other slowly. I’ve never got to know any woman I’ve dated. Well to be honest, I can’t really even say dated. Hooked up with would be more appropriate,” he admitted, a little embarrassed.

Sophie laid her head back down, against his chest. “You do have quite the reputation.”

Yeah, he knew he did, and he wasn’t proud of it. Not anymore.

“I know. But just so we are clear. I have never gone after a woman for a bet or a challenge.” He paused and when she said nothing, he continued. “Initially in the Navy—SEALs—it seemed easier to keep it casual. The deployments were so long, I didn’t want to deal with anything serious. So yeah, I just hooked up in between.”

He paused, not sure how to say the next part, but it was important she understood how he felt, what she meant to him.

“I don’t think I realized how much I liked you, or maybe I did, and I blocked it out. There was no way I would ever treat you as a hook up. You’re very important to me, to the team. So, I satisfied myself with our conversations every time I was at the hospital.” He stroked her hair.

“It was a lot of times.”

He chuckled. “None of them deliberate, I promise. But I’d noticed you. How could I not? The gorgeous, blonde doctor with the sparkling blue eyes and an ass to die for.”

“Yeah, right.” The disbelief in her voice caught him off guard. Why was she so down on herself? He tipped her chin up, looking down on her.

“I mean it. It’s exactly what I thought. You’re fucking gorgeous, Sophie. So damn sexy.”

She looked at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

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