Chapter 449
[ 490 words ]
Chapter 449:
When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathing hard. “When we get back, you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying home.”
The long kiss had drained the last of her energy. Her body felt weak, boneless.
She placed a hand on his chest and gave a gentle push. “I’m hungry,” she said, her voice small and breathy.
He looked at her, at her pale face and swollen lips, and the fierce desire in his eyes softened into a look of wry exasperation. The commander was replaced by the husband.
A small smile touched his lips. He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. “I know, trouble.”
He stood up, his movements slow and stiff to accommodate the heavy brace on his arm. Looking down at the broth staining his uniform and the overturned bowl on the floor, he sighed. “I’ll go get you something else to eat. And deal with this.”
𝗥𝘰𝗺𝖺n𝘤𝖾 aո𝘥 𝗉𝘢𝗌sі𝗼𝗻 𝘰ո 𝗀a𝘭ո𝘰𝘃𝖾𝘭𝗌.𝗰o𝘮
He gave her one last, long look before he left, as if memorizing her, before turning and heading out of the room.
The room fell silent after Jarrod left. Caroline’s heart was still racing from his kiss, from his possessive vow. A hot blush spread across her cheeks.
Part of her was terrified by the idea of being so completely owned, so thoroughly claimed. But a deeper, more honest part of her was basking in the dizzying, absolute certainty of his love.
She touched her lips, which still tingled from the force of his kiss. Their relationship had been irrevocably altered by the fire and the fear.
A soft shuffling sound outside the door was followed by a quiet knock.
“Come in,” she said, thinking it was Jarrod returning.
The door opened, and it was her friend, Brenna O’Malley, who stepped inside.
“Caroline! Oh my god, you’re okay!” Brenna rushed forward, her face a mask of relief.
She was about to wrap Caroline in a hug when Jarrod returned, his movements deliberate and guarded as he balanced a tray on his one functional arm, bracing the other securely against his ribs to avoid jostling his splinted right shoulder.
His face, which had been soft with affection when he left, hardened as he caught sight of the visitor. He recognized Brenna instantly—the woman who had been a constant, if sometimes intrusive, fixture in Caroline’s medical recovery. His protective instinct flared, his frustration at the intrusion masking his familiar weariness.
“Brenna,” he said, his voice flat and unwelcoming.
Brenna stiffened, still intimidated by the sheer force of his presence. “Colonel. I—I just wanted to see how she was doing.”
Jarrod’s gaze swept over her, unyielding. “She needs to rest. You’ve seen that she’s stable.”
The blunt dismissal hung in the air, thick and awkward.
“Jarrod, it’s okay,” Caroline said quickly. “Brenna was terrified. She’s my best friend.”
She gave him a pleading look, tugging gently on the edge of his shirt with her free hand. “Just for a little while?” she whispered, a private appeal just for him.
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