The Bosun: A Military Romance (Love is Blind Book 3) by Harlow Layne (ebook reader play store txt) 📕

“Why not? You can meet my dad and see where I grew up.” He said it as if it all made sense to him. “It doesn’t have to be difficult. I like you and everything I’ve learned about you this last week. I hope you feel the same. Since we don’t know when I’ll be done here, I think we should continue getting to know each other and see how we feel when the time comes.”

I already knew I didn’t want him to leave, but I couldn’t ask Remy to leave his dad behind. I knew how important his dad was to him.

Snuggling closer into his body, I asked. “What do you want to do once you leave California?”

“I want to be a full-time firefighter, but first, I have to take and pass my test. I’m not worried about that part of it, though. What I don’t know is where I want to work.”

“Do you get to put in a request for which station you want to work at?” I really had no idea how becoming a firefighter worked, but I guess I always thought he’d work at the station he’d trained at.

“Nothing like that. I guess I should have been clearer when I spoke. I don’t know if I want to be a firefighter in Florida or in California. I like the guys here, and the station house has an energy about it that speaks to me.” His hand moved to start tracing circles on my lower back as he spoke. “While I’ve known for some time that being a fireman was what I wanted to do, the station I trained at in Florida never felt like home. Not that I don’t like the guys there, but I guess I never felt like I fit in, but I’ve felt the exact opposite since the moment I stepped foot into station nineteen.”

“So, you’re thinking of staying here?” I tried to tamp down my excitement in case I’d heard him wrong.

“If they’ll have me. And maybe a certain special woman I know will also want me to stay.”

Pressing my lips to his, I smiled and licked along the seam of his mouth before I spoke. “I do want you to stay. I just wasn’t sure we were at the stage where I could ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking. I want to be here if you and the station will have me.” I couldn’t contain my smile. “Our relationship isn’t normal. We didn’t start out normal, and that’s okay. Normal is overrated. Our relationship will go at our own pace. I may be younger, but I’ve been through things you can’t imagine. Through all of that, I’ve learned a lot about myself and to trust my gut. My gut is telling me I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. “What is yours telling you?”

It was amazing how by opening up to him, Remy was able to push all of my fears to the side. In the short time we’d spent together, I knew I was already falling for him. “That I need to not be afraid of my journey with you, and I can open up to you, and you won’t go running for the hills.”

“Nothing could make me run from you.” His hand started to rub up and down my back while the other played with the loose strands of my hair. It was soothing. Remy St. James was the perfect mix of the tattooed bad boy who was a beast in bed and then a gentle lover afterward.

“That feels good,” I murmured sleepily. With each pass of his hand, I could feel my eyes droop a little more until I couldn’t hold them open. Each night Remy had to go back to the station, and I never got to sleep in his arms. I only wanted to experience it for a moment, I told myself as I let myself fall asleep.

Startled awake, I blinked as Remy thrashed beside me, moaning in his sleep, sounding hurt and afraid. Placing my hand on his chest, I tried to gently wake him up with no success. I had no idea what to do in this situation. Was I supposed to let him wake up on his own or save him from his dream?

Sitting up on my knees, I shook him harder and was about to throw a glass of water in his face when Remy stopped moving. The sound of his ragged breathing filled the otherwise silent and dark room.

I started to rub my hand up and down his arm, trying to soothe him when Remy jumped out of bed. He seemed lost as he walked around the room a few times before he disappeared into the bathroom. I started to get up to see if he was okay or needed any help, but the click of the door lock had me getting back into bed. Turning on the bedside light, I moved to rest against the headboard and rubbed at my tired eyes while I waited for Remy to come out.

It was hard to calm down, wondering what happened as I worried about him and adrenaline pumped through my veins. More than once, I wanted to get up and knock on the bathroom door, but I held myself back.

Ten minutes later, Remy came out of the bathroom with dark circles under his eyes that looked haunted. “I called an Uber to take me back to the station. It should be here in a few minutes.”

Of course, an Uber would get here fast when I didn’t want Remy to leave. At least not without first talking to me about what happened.

“I could have driven you back.” I sat up straighter against the headboard, clutching the sheet to my chest. “I still can if you want to talk.”

Not looking at me, Remy dressed without saying a word. I didn’t