by Susan Stoker
Faith sighed again, obviously not mollified by her less-than-believable capitulation.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door and Faith got to her feet. “Stay put,” she told Sidney. “I’ll let him in.”
Sidney nodded again, not all that fired up to see Decker. She knew he was upset with her too, and she wasn’t sure she could face him right now.
In seconds, he was kneeling on the couch in front of her. His hand went to her face and he palmed it. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
Even though she’d told him several times that she was all right, she told him what he needed to hear. “I’m good.”
His eyes went to her lip, and he frowned. Then his gaze went down the rest of her body. She knew he couldn’t see much because of the blanket she had in her lap and the puppy nestled there.
“Where else are you hurt?” he asked.
“Decker, I’m okay.”
“Where else are you hurt?” he repeated. “You said you had scrapes and bruises.”
“Her arm got wrenched,” Faith cut in from behind them. “She told me her side was scraped from scrambling over the fence, and she’s probably got more bruises under her clothes that she hasn’t told me about.”
Wanting to take his attention from her small aches and pains, Sidney held up the puppy. “Look. Isn’t he cute?”
Decker’s eyes landed on the puppy for a nanosecond before he was once more looking at her. “Yeah.”
Stymied at his lack of reaction to the dog—or really, more that her attempt to take his attention off of her had failed—she looked at his face…
And saw what she’d missed when he’d first entered. He looked wiped out. He had dark circles under his eyes and his brow was drawn down into what looked like a permanent frown.
“Are you okay? You look tired.”
“I’m exhausted,” he said immediately, not prevaricating.
Sidney felt guilty. She knew part of his tiredness was because she’d been over at his house until late every night for the past week. She knew he got up early every morning to work out, and that he and his teammates were preparing for some big mission. She hadn’t asked too many questions because she knew he couldn’t answer them, but now she regretted being so selfish. She’d wanted to spend time with him, and she knew he wanted the same. But she should’ve taken better care of him.
The thought startled her. He was a grown-ass man. She didn’t need to “take care” of him…but the phrase wouldn’t leave her mind. Instinctively, she knew he’d do whatever it took to make her happy, and she felt like shit that she hadn’t seen how he’d been burning the candle at both ends.
Holding the dog to her chest with one hand, she held out the other. “Help me up,” she told Decker.
He stood and did as she asked. As soon as she was standing, she walked to Faith and handed her the puppy. “I need to go,” she told the older woman.
Looking surprised, Faith took the puppy from her.
Sidney knew she was acting out of character. Typically, she liked to spend hours making sure new dogs coming into the rescue were comfortable before turning over their care to anyone else. And here she was, only an hour after rescuing this little guy, abandoning him.
No, she wasn’t abandoning him. She was letting Faith, who was perfectly able to take care of him, do just that. Sidney needed to take care of her man. He was at the end of his rope.
“Come on,” she ordered, grabbing Decker’s hand.
He pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist instead. Sidney winced as his arm rubbed against the scrape on her side, but did her best to hide the slight discomfort from him.
Ever observant, he noticed anyway, and immediately changed the position of his arm before turning to Faith. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk. I’d like to get to know you better, as you’re obviously important to Sidney.”
Faith looked surprised again, but her face gentled. “I’m going to hold you to that. Since you’re obviously important to Sidney, as well, I’d like to get to know you too.”
Decker nodded.
Ignoring how happy she was that Faith seemed to like Decker and vice versa, she turned to him and said, “I’d say that I’ll drive us both back to your house, but I know you need your truck in the morning. Are you okay to drive home?”
He gave her a look. “Of course.”
She turned and waved at Faith and ushered them both out the door. After making sure the door was shut behind her, she turned in Decker’s arms and looked up at him. “You’re tired. And stressed. And me calling you and telling you what I did today isn’t helping. I want to get you home, get some food in you, and let you get some sleep. I’ve been staying too late. I know that now, and I’m sorry. You need a full night’s sleep, and I intend to make sure you get it.”
“Sidney, I’m a SEAL. We’re used to not getting much sleep,” he told her.
“You said it yourself—you’re exhausted. So, I’m gonna follow you home, get you settled, then leave you to get some much-needed rest. We can fight about what I did later.”
“I don’t want to fight with you,” Decker said with a sigh. “I’m just worried sick about you and your need to rescue every dog, to the detriment of your own safety and health.” He ran a thumb over her lip, barely touching her, but she felt the gentle caress down to her very soul.
“Are you really okay to drive?” she asked, trying to keep her composure.
“Yeah, Sid. I’m okay to drive.”
“Good. I’ll follow you then.”
He sighed but nodded. “I’ll let you feed me on one condition.”
Sidney rolled her eyes. “What?”
“That you let me take care of you in return. I want to see your injuries. Let me make them better.”
She stared into Decker’s eyes, and realized he needed to see for himself that she was truly all right.
“Deal.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips over the uninjured side of her mouth. “Deal,” he said quietly. Then he took her hand in his once more and led them down the stairs of Faith’s house toward their vehicles.
It was an uneventful ride home. Decker met her at her car when she climbed out and took hold of her hand once more. He let them into the house and Hannah met them there. Her tail was wagging back and forth a million miles a minute. She greeted Decker first, then came over to Sidney to get some pets. She was extra interested in smelling her, most likely because of the puppy she’d been holding.
Decker let the dog outside to do her thing and afterward, Hannah eagerly pranced back inside. Happy that her human had returned, she padded over to her dog bed and collapsed.
Without a word, Decker led Sidney upstairs to the master bathroom and said, “Let me see.”
Knowing she wasn’t going to get any food down him and he wouldn’t go to sleep before he’d seen to her wounds, she did as he asked. Lifting her shirt, she showed him the scrape on her side.
He didn’t say a word, but frowned as he reached for a clean washcloth. He ran the water until it was warm and gently cleaned the abrasion. She had to unbutton her jeans for him to get to the scrape on her hip, but she had no worries that he’d act inappropriately. It was more than obvious he was more concerned about her health than anything sexual. When it came time for him to look at her arm, she guided it out of the shirt she was wearing. Sidney was still mostly covered, the material draped across her breasts, but she still felt naked in front of him.
Decker manipulated her arm, noting when she winced and when movement was uncomfortable. He brushed a kiss against the bruises in the shape of fingers on her upper arm, and helped get her hand back through the armhole.
“I don’t think you need stitches on this lip,” he said once she was dressed. “I’ll go get you some ice packs, one for your lip and one for your shoulder. Do you want to change into something more comfortable? I’ve got a pair of sweats and a T-shirt you can borrow. They’ll be big, but they might be more comfortable than what yo
u’ve got on now, and they’re clean.”
Sidney closed her eyes for a second. He was always so caring. So gentle with her. He should be yelling. Telling her she was an idiot for what she’d done, but he was holding himself back and taking care of her.
“That’d be great,” she said.
Nodding, Decker eyed her for a long moment before leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead. “I’ll put something on the bed. Come out whenever you’re ready.” And with that, he turned and left the bathroom.
Sidney took a few minutes to get herself together. This was why she was so reluctant to leave each night. Why she had no problem talking to Decker until the wee hours of the morning. He had a way of making her feel special. As if there was no one but the two of them in the world, that he had nothing else better to do but sit and listen to her ramble on about nothing in particular.
Knowing he was waiting on her, Sidney forced herself to leave the bathroom and change into the things he’d left out for her. The gray T-shirt with the word NAVY across it was huge on her, as were the sweats. But they didn’t rub against her side and she loved how they smelled like Decker. It was as if she were getting a nonstop, full-body hug.
Looking around his room, she saw that it was a disaster. There were boxes everywhere, and she was standing on particle board. Even the paint on the walls was peeling. The comparison of this room to the downstairs was almost shocking. Recalling the similar state of the bathroom she’d just been in—the lime-green counter, the godawful wallpaper on the walls, and the horrible bathtub/shower combo—she truly understood what Decker had done. Instead of making his own living space more comfortable and modern, he’d solely remodeled the areas Hannah spent the most time in.
She didn’t know that many people who would’ve done the same thing. For a dog. Many people would probably tell him he was crazy. That Hannah was “just a dog.” But he’d done it anyway.
Closing her eyes, Sidney realized at that very moment that she was head over heels for Decker.
It was crazy. She’d only met him a short time ago, but there it was. No one had made her feel as special and cared for. And now it was time for her to take care of him in return. She’d been a pretty shitty girlfriend. Were they even girlfriend/boyfriend? She didn’t know. But it wasn’t going to stop her from doing what she could to make sure Decker got what he needed…food and a good night’s sleep.
When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she immediately saw Decker on the couch. There was a towel sitting on the coffee table in front of him, with two frozen bags of peas. Hannah was lying on the floor, her head on his feet, and Decker’s head was resting on the back of the couch. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep.
It was just more proof that he’d reached his breaking point. The Decker she’d gotten to know wouldn’t have fallen asleep before he’d made sure she was taken care of and comfortable.
Tiptoeing to the kitchen, Sidney opened the refrigerator and peered inside. She saw he had what she needed to make him one of her favorite dishes…homemade mac and cheese. Crossing her fingers that he had pasta, she opened the pantry and smiled. Bingo.
Thirty minutes later, she was dishing up two bowls of creamy, gooey pasta when she heard Decker moving. She looked over and saw that he’d stood up and was headed her way.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes still looking glazed.
“Sit,” she ordered, gesturing to the small table nearby with her head.
She was somewhat shocked when he did as ordered. She put a bowl of the mac and cheese in front of him, along with a bottle of water. She sat next to him and held her breath as he picked up a fork and speared a noodle and brought it to his mouth.
He closed his eyes and moaned, and Sidney grinned.
“Like it?”
“God, yes. Too much,” he told her with a smile. He reached out, put his hand behind her neck and gently pulled her closer. He kissed her. It was a short, gentle meeting of lips rather than anything passionate, but Sidney still felt it all the way to her toes.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“You’re welcome.”
With one last glance at her lips, he let go of her neck and attacked his meal as if he hadn’t eaten in days. After finishing the first bowl, he got up and served himself seconds before sitting down and eating that helping a little slower. When they were finished, Sidney carried the bowls to the sink and turned on the water.
“Leave ’em. I’ll clean them tomorrow,” he told her.
Sidney shook her head. “It won’t take me long. I cleaned up the other dishes as I cooked.”
He didn’t protest, but didn’t go and sit back down either. He stood in the kitchen, one hip against the counter, the bottle of water in his hand, and watched as she washed their dinner dishes. When she’d finished washing the bowls, he held out his hand. Sidney took it and he brought them back to the couch. They sat, and he leaned forward and grabbed the peas.
“They aren’t quite frozen anymore, but they’ll still do you some good,” he told her before gently holding one to her face.
Sidney sucked in a breath at the chilly package against her warm skin, but didn’t flinch away.
“Put this one under your shirt on your shoulder,” he ordered, holding out the other package of peas wrapped in a small towel. She did as he asked, and then sighed in contentment when he pulled her into his side.
They sat like that a long time, until the peas became lukewarm. Knowing Decker was half asleep, Sidney didn’t want to do anything to wake him all the way. She threw the peas and the towels on the coffee table and snuggled back against him. He surprised her by shifting around so he was lying flat on his back on the couch, and she was on top of him.
Sidney went to slide off, but he tightened his hold on her.
“I should go,” she said softly.
“Stay,” he countered.
“Decker, you’re exhausted. You need to sleep.”
“I need to hold you for a bit longer. You scared the shit out of me today, Sid.”
How could she deny him that? Truth was, she’d been scared for herself for a while there. Victor had seemed way more pissed than he’d been the last time she’d fought him, and she didn’t want to think about what he might’ve done to her if he’d managed to pull her back over the fence into his yard.
Relaxing into Decker, she let her body go limp.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“I’m only staying for a bit,” she whispered back.
“Okay,” he said.
Loving how he felt under her, how good his arms felt around her, Sidney closed her eyes. She was asleep in minutes.
On the other side of the city, Victor Kennedy was pissed.
Beyond pissed.
Not about the dog. Fuck the dog. He could get another hundred puppies if he wanted. But that the fucking do-gooder had gotten the best of him—again.
That shit wasn’t going to happen a third time.
Ignoring the growls and barking going on in the fight behind him, he tried to think of a way to get his hands on the bitch. To show her that she’d messed with the wrong guy.
As the dogfight got more vicious, a delightful, horrible idea came to Victor.
He knew just what to do. She’d try again, there was no way she wouldn’t. And he’d be ready for her. He’d make preparations before putting another ad on social media. That had to be how she’d known he’d obtained a new dog.
As he absently watched one pit bull in the ring tear the throat out of another, and keep biting and ripping flesh even after the other dog stopped moving, Victor smiled.
Yeah, the bitch would definitely rue the day she stole his dogs.
Chapter Ten
Gumby had woken up several times during the course of the night, probably because he’d fallen asleep so early. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Sidney he didn’t need a lot of sleep. Of course, he needed more than he’d been getting, but ten hours in one night was a little b
it overkill.
He’d loved waking up to find Sidney there with him. She was still lying on top of him, sleeping like the dead. He was obviously not the only one not getting enough sleep. For the first time in ages, he’d slept with a woman without having slept with her. He loved feeling Sidney’s long, slow breaths against his neck and he loved the feel of her on top of him even more.
Not knowing her schedule, and knowing if he continued to lie there, his dick would get the wrong idea, Gumby slowly slid out from under her.
It was still dark outside, and he had to get to PT in about an hour, but he wasn’t going to leave without letting her know.
Grumbling a bit, Sidney turned onto her side to try to get comfortable. Grinning, Gumby covered her up with a blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch. When they’d been sharing body heat, the blanket hadn’t been necessary, but now she needed the extra warmth. He tucked her in, loving how she sighed in contentment.
But seeing her split lip made him frown. He hated that she’d been injured again. Hated even more it had been because she’d been stealing another dog from the same asshole she’d been fighting when he’d met her.
He loved her big heart, loved that she had the compassion to save animals. But despised how she went about it. Her disregard for her own safety. There had to be something more behind it than he knew. Hopefully she’d feel safe enough, and trust him enough, to open up about whatever it was. He had a feeling until she could face her triggers head on, she wouldn’t be able to get past them.
Kissing her forehead lightly, he stood and headed up the stairs to change. If he had his way, he’d stay home today. Hang with Sidney all day. But he and his fellow SEALs were preparing to head off to the Middle East, and currently finalizing preparations. Not to mention, Sidney had her own job to do.
He wanted to talk to her more about the rescue thing. Try to get across to her once more that what she was doing was extremely dangerous. That he had no problem with her wanting to rescue dogs and help abused animals, but stealing pit bulls from suspected dog fighters wasn’t the best way to go about it.