Her Sensual Protector: A Navy SEAL Romance (Night Storm Book 5), Caitlyn O'Leary [uplifting book club books TXT] 📗

“I really think I am, Doug. But that’s got to be for her to decide, now doesn’t it?”

“Yep, I like you.” Doug clinked his glass against Leo’s.

“Ouch,” she mumbled. What in the hell was digging into her shoulder?

Daisy sat up and realized it was her satellite phone. She’d been sleeping on it. How had that happened?

God, she was hot.

She pushed off the covers and realized she was stark naked. This was so not how she normally slept. She looked around the room and it took her more than a minute to remember what happened. She looked down at the end of the bed and saw a black T-shirt waiting for her. She knew immediately it was Leo’s.

Looking over at her duffel and backpack, she could see how empty they were. He must have sent out her laundry to guest services. She turned on her satellite phone. What time was it? For that matter, what day was it?

Getting out of bed, she slipped on the shirt and then grabbed her vanity case out of her bag and took it into the bathroom. After she was done in there and her teeth were actually brushed she felt halfway human. It was ten in the morning. There were still bruises underneath her eyes, but now she didn’t look like a zombie, so score one for sleep.

She grabbed one of the bottles of water that the hotel had provided then sat back down on the bed and started to scroll through her messages. Her team had handled almost everything that she had been contacted about. She loved these people. She had almost finished her bottle when her phone rang. It was Leo.

“Hello.”

“You sound much better. You’re not even slurring your words.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

“I feel much better.” She put down the bottle, then switched ears with the phone. “I really appreciate your help yesterday.”

“It wasn’t any problem. I was just glad to help.”

Daisy felt her cheeks heat. “You mean you would have done that for anyone?”

“I probably wouldn’t have cuddled one of my teammates in my lap, no.” Leo chuckled.

If she blushed anymore, she’d suffer from heatstroke.

“You still there?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“You’re blushing, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“You know, for someone who runs an international charity, you sure do like one-syllable answers.”

This time it was her turn to laugh.

“I’d really like to see you today, Daisy.”

“I have to go back to the camp.”

“The others, including Rayi, have already left.”

“They what?”

“You snooze, you lose. Everybody figured you could use the extra sleep.”

“But I need to show them around.”

“Annie already talked to the head man at the Red Cross and arranged for a tour. They’re set for today. Doug said to tell you that tomorrow you can set up a tour with the ladies you want your team to meet.”

“Goddammit, Leo. I don’t like this. I wanted to go.”

“Daisy, you have to admit you’re burnt out. According to Doug, he’s never seen you like this, not even when you first started. You know you need to cut yourself some slack.”

Her gut reaction was to fight back and tell him he was wrong, but she took a moment to really think. “I’m not sure that I can,” she whispered. “I’ve gotten so many things wrong. What if how I’ve been running things has been wrong? Maybe I’m too hands-off? I sit in my office, moving chess pieces around on the board, playing God. How can I possibly do that without walking in their shoes?”

“I’m coming upstairs.”

“What are you talking about? I’m fine, Leo.”

“You better damn well open the door when I knock.”

“Leo, I don’t…” She was talking to thin air.

19

The door opened before he even knocked on it.

He stared down at her shining, beautiful face and glared. “Tell me you looked through the peephole.”

“I just wanted to prove you didn’t even have to knock.”

“Daisy,” he growled.

She held up her hands. “I looked, I looked.” Her eyes were twinkling. Well, that was better. He’d been worried that she’d been spiraling. Oh, who the hell was he kidding? He was still worrying.

“Leo, don’t look at me like that, I’m going to be just fine. And why is it that you always have to find me in hotel rooms when I’m falling apart?” She damn near flounced to the bed and sat down. He noticed that her linen pants and white shirt were clean. The laundry service had really come through.

“You never fall apart. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”

“Bullshit. You’re a SEAL, you hang around with SEALs. I cried all over you because of fucking daddy issues. Don’t tell me I’m strong.” She shot back up off the bed and started to rip off the blankets and tugging up the sheets.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m making the bed. I always make the bed. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.”

Leo went to the other side and started pulling up the sheet.

“Stop it. I can do it myself.”

Leo ignored her and continued to help.

“You’re not going to listen to me, are you?” she asked.

“I will when you tell me something worthwhile.”

“What, you think the whining I was just doing over the phone was worthwhile? Me being upset because I can’t figure if I should or shouldn’t be at the camp? Whether I should or shouldn’t be working in the States? Sure, Leo, who the hell wants to hear that load of crap?”

She grabbed the comforter off the floor and swung it over the bed. Leo grabbed his side and then let it waft over the bed.

“I want to hear that crap.