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“Okay, baby. How about we just start off with me sleeping on the couch then, huh? Ease into sleeping together in a bed.”
“Probably best, since I might have been going to dream about punching someone in the balls.”
Yeah, he didn’t really want to be sleeping with her when she had that dream.
Cries woke him up in the middle of the night.
Brick was instantly awake. Racing into her bedroom, he found her tangled up in her bedding, crying out.
“Duchess. It’s okay. You’re okay.” He leaned over the railing but she cried out, shying back. Shit. Was she still dreaming? More asleep than awake?
“Duchess, it’s me. It’s Daddy.”
More cries.
“Baby girl, you’re all right. I’m here.” The noises were heart-breaking. He wanted to wrap her up in safety, hold her tight, but he was scared of terrifying her more. Her tears kept coming, shudders wracking her body. She was gasping for breath. She sounded like she was going to hyperventilate.
Shit. Fuck.
Okay, calm. Think.
Would she be better off if he left? If this happened to her every night and she coped . . .
But fuck, she shouldn’t have to cope on her own. Not when he was here to take care of her. This was his job. He was damn good at whatever job he took on. He wouldn’t fail his girl.
Not when she was the most important thing in his life.
“Baby girl, it’s Daddy.”
“Go away. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.”
Those words were a kick to the stomach.
She’s upset. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’s still stuck in a nightmare.
“Baby—” He reached out to touch her, but she smacked his hand away with a pained cry as though she’d physically hurt herself.
“Juliet, listen to my voice. It’s Daddy. I’m not going to hurt you.” He tried again. This time she shied back so hard that she thunked her head against the rungs of the cot.
Fuck. Fuck.
“Okay, baby girl. I’m backing off. I’m just going to sit here. I’m not leaving, but I won’t touch you.” He sat in the beanbag chair he’d sat in earlier when reading her book before bed. She’d sucked on his fingers while he’d read. Maybe she wanted his fingers? Would that help?
“Do you want to suck my fingers?”
Another whimper.
Fuck. Fuck.
Small cries filled the room. He couldn’t take it. He wasn’t a man who sat around and waited for something to happen. He was a fixer.
Doing nothing when someone he loved was hurting was killing him.
And he did love her. He didn’t know when it happened. He didn’t care how quickly it had happened.
All that mattered was that the girl he loved was sobbing and afraid and he couldn’t do anything.
He had to let out a deep breath.
