beach, but this house suited him just fine. He was tired of apartment life. He hadn’t had a roommate in years. Maybe he was just renting, but it made him feel more settled having a small house to spread out in and a backyard. Growing up in Florida, he’d spent time outside every day of the year. Now he had training and missions, but hell if he didn’t love having a house to come home to.
“It’s not beautiful,” he chuckled. “It looks like a bachelor pad—no paintings or decorations. No knick-knacks. No feminine touches anywhere.”
“But it’s sunny and open and beautiful,” she said, walking away from the skylight and over to the window. “You’ve got palm trees and a great yard. A nice little patio.”
“We can have Ghost and Hailey over tomorrow for dinner. I’ll grill some food, and we’ll just hang out and relax. Their place is closer to the beach, but we can drive to a different one that’s near my house if you want to go for a walk one day.”
“Yeah, I’d love to.” She turned to face him, looking up with worried blue eyes. “I know you weren’t expecting a houseguest until later in the week,” she hedged. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” he assured her. “I love that you feel safe enough to come stay with me.”
She nodded, her eyes growing watery. “I’m sorry for freaking out back there. It’s just—somehow the darkness of the room and the light coming in when Hailey opened the blinds…. I thought for a second I was back in Afghanistan. It was so weird and real; I swore I could even smell the mountain air and smoke from the campfire. Everything came back in that instant.”
“You’re safe here,” he said, taking a step closer. The look of fear on her face slayed him. He knew she wasn’t afraid of him. It was her memories that terrified her. He wanted to kill all the bastards who’d taken her and caused her even a moment of harm.
“I know,” she reassured him. “The flashbacks just freak me out when they come out of nowhere.”
Ethan frowned.
“I’m okay,” she said, resting her delicate hand on his chest. He covered it with his own, feeling strangely protective of her. He wanted to haul her into his arms but also didn’t want to freak her out. Instead, he lightly caressed her hand with his thumb, holding it to his chest. “I feel safe with you, Ethan.”
“You’ll always be safe with me.”
“I know I’m in the Army Reserves and should be able to protect myself but—”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “You did everything right. You were kidnapped from a goddamn secure military base. My team has rescued people from all over the world—men, women, children, fellow soldiers and SEALs. It doesn’t matter. Everyone needs help sometimes.”
“It’s hard to imagine someone like you needing help.”
Ethan chuckled, taking her hand from his chest and holding it as they crossed his living room. “Well, that’s where you’re wrong. The guys and I train together daily. I’m closer to them than anyone. I couldn’t just rush in somewhere alone. I trust them to have my back, and we work together. Always.”
“Yeah, I get it,” she mused. She kept hold of his hand, and Ethan resisted the urge to grin. It was nice to feel needed. He hated what she’d gone through, but knowing a woman like Kim put her trust in him made male pride swell within his chest.
“Come on. I’ll show you the rest of my place.” They walked into the kitchen, and he told her to help herself to anything if she got hungry.
“I know its early for dinner on west coast time, but I actually am kind of starving.”
“Then I want you to eat,” he said with a low laugh. “After not getting enough food for months, we’ll eat dinner twice if you want.”
She smiled, flushing. “I can have a snack if you’re not hungry yet.”
“Nope. Let’s eat dinner. What are you in the mood for? We can get carryout if that works. I’m guessing you might not feel up for going out.”
“Carryout sounds perfect. Italian?”
He grinned. “There’s an awesome Italian place near here. They actually deliver, so we can just relax and hang out after we order. It’s nice enough that we can eat on the patio if you want.”
She nodded, looking around as they walked back out into the living room. For the first time, he wished it were a little more inviting.