Page 5 of Wrong Number Right Grumpy Navy SEAL

“Why wouldn’t I want you here?”

“I don’t know.” I push my hair behind my ear. “It’s just… My life just exploded. I don’t know what I should be doing right now. I don’t even know why you’re here.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then his voice softens. “You don’t have to know right now. I’m in the spare room, but give me a sec and I’ll make up Jared’s room for you.”

I start to protest, but he grabs sheets from the closet and then is a man on a mission in my brother’s bedroom.

“Done.”

“Thank you, Cole. I’m just going to hang out for a bit,” I say, frustrated that I feel like I need to apologize for needing space. But Cole doesn’t say anything or make me feel guilty, just nods and leaves me alone.

I sit on my brother’s bed and tell myself this is fine, and try not to cry. How could I have missed Jason cheating on me? Then the weight of dread settles over me, as I think about how I have to figure out how to get my stuff from Jason’s, find my own place, rebuild my life, and start all over again. I’ve done hard things before, but I thought I was past breakups and having to find someone new to start over with.

I hear Cole moving around in the kitchen, then I’m drawn out of the bedroom by the smell of something that makes my mouth water.

Suddenly hungry, I head to the kitchen and find Cole at the stove, the scent of garlic and butter filling the air. I lean against the doorframe and watch the muscles in his back flex as he moves, and all the dreams from last night loop in my brain and I squeeze my legs together.

I haven’t seen this man since high school. I barely remember him from back then—he was just Jared’s friend, older and quiet, someone who existed in the world of my brother and whom I barely saw. I don’t understand how my body lights up and comes to attention when we’re together. Shouldn’t I despise all men right now? But it’s like my body recognizes something in Cole that says, YES, HIM, and there’s nothing I can do about it. He’s dangerously sexy and gentle with me in this careful, unhurried way, and every second of it reminds me of how different he is from Jason. We were together for two years, and if I’m honest with myself, I never felt this way with Jason. Jason was safe.

Cole feels dangerous in a way that makes me want to run straight at him and throw myself into his arms.

My core flames to life, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t have anywhere else to go. Somehow, this has to work. He probably still thinks of me as Jared’s little sister and considers my being here a nuisance. What happens when my brother comes home?

What is wrong with me?

“You cook?” I say from the doorway because I’m aware I’m now staring at him, and I don’t want to make this any weirder than it already is.

“Yeah. You might not think it, but a well-stocked grocery store and kitchen are luxuries when you’re on a mission. I learned to cook and appreciate it when I can.” He glances over his shoulder and looks at me, then back to the pan. “Sit down. This’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

When we’ve finished eating, he asks how I’m doing and doesn’t push when I say I’m fine. He doesn’t offer unsolicited advice or even talk trash about Jason. He just nods, clears the table, and puts the dishes in the dishwasher.

Cole goes out for a while, and I’m pretty sure it’s to give me space. I try to watch a movie, but everything ends up making me cry, and I turn it off. I go to bed and try to sleep, but the last twenty-four hours replays in a cruel loop in my head, and a new wave of anger and sadness crashes over me. Will I always be single? Am I unlovable? Would Jason have left me if I was skinny?

Without realizing I was asleep, I startle awake, and it takes me a moment to realize where I am.

Through the wall, I can hear that Cole is back and that he’s moving quietly. The walls aren’t particularly thick here, so every sound carries.

I’m wide awake now. My mind rapidly cycling between cursing Jason for cheating on me, then fantasizing about Cole.

CHAPTER 3

COLE

When Dahlia gets up in the morning, she’s more relaxed than last night, even if she’s rubbing her neck like it’s tense. But she looks better off than when I picked her up thirty-six hours ago, and that’s the important part.

“So, I need to go to the apartment and get my stuff. There’s a football game today, which means he’s down at Uncle Joe’s, and probably won’t be home until at least five. So if I go now—”

I look at her. It’s unclear if that’s a statement or some kind of question. “Okay.”

“But I don’t have a car,” she says quickly, then looks away. “I mean, if it’s okay, could I ask for you to drive me and help? It’s not that much stuff, but Marisa is working today, and I don’t have anyone else I want to ask.”

That snaps my attention tight. “What do you mean there’s no one else to ask?” There’s nothing wrong with this woman, and I can’t believe for a second that she only has one friend in the world.

“It’s…” She pauses, wiping a tear from her eye, and I feel like an asshole for making her cry, but I have no idea what I did or how to fix it. “The girls I overheard at the party said everyone knew. Marisa didn’t, but I’m embarrassed to ask anyone in case they did. I don’t want people laughing or making it into more gossip than I’m sure it already is. I’m already humiliated.”

I force myself to count to ten to dissipate the fog of red fury that flashed up. I’d be dead if I couldn’t trust my teammates, and I understand what it’s like to not have the backup you thought you did. All I got was a medical discharge, but life off the Teams is disconcerting and lonely as fuck.

I stand and grab my keys off the counter. “Grab your bag. I’ll take you.”