That time is mine. Scar’s words echoed in Shayla’s brain.

She hadn’t gotten home until almost nine. After Torrey Pines, he’d insisted on taking her to Oceanside Beach so they could observe the surfers because he’d decided it was important for her to see it first.

When he’d dropped her off, he’d insisted on coming into the house and doing a check before he kissed her good night. Admittedly, it made her feel better to have him do that, though she hadn’t asked for it.

She’d taken a shower and had seen three missed calls from her mother. After calling her back, they actually had a decent conversation about life and what her brothers were up to. It’d been nice to talk to her mom. She hadn’t told her mother about Scar because, well, she just didn’t want the third degree.

Sitting down on her bed, she began looking at her English assignment. She put on her headphones and pounded out three pages. An hour later, she decided she was starving, so she wandered downstairs to look through her cupboards and find something to eat. She paused there, staring at all the new food, and blinked away the tears. It touched her that Scar would do that. Yes, she knew there was an attraction between them. She could feel it. But there was also friendship and goodness. She loved how passionate he was about helping military vets. It was inspiring.

As she got out some salsa and chips, which she hadn’t had in forever, she heard a noise. Freezing, she took in a long breath and commanded herself to relax, but she couldn’t get her heartbeat to slow down. She was fumbling to open the bag of chips when she heard something else—right next to the dumpster.

Thinking of the cameras he’d installed, she rushed up to her room and grabbed her phone, pulling up the app to see the sides of her house. Someone was huddling on the side of her house by the front door, peeking into the kitchen window.

She dropped the phone, her hands trembling. She thought about calling the police.

She called Scar instead.

“Can’t stay away from me, dream girl?”

Her voice caught, and the words died in her throat.

“Shay?” he asked, already on high alert.

“I heard something, and there’s someone by the front of the house.”

He swore, and she heard things moving. “I’m coming. Call the police.”

Hanging up with him, she dialed the number for the police.

Scar arrived long before they did. Actually, he screamed up in his car about two minutes later. She’d gone down and made sure the door was locked. She sat on her stairs, halfway peeking out, and jumped when he knocked on the door. “Shay, it’s me.”

Running down the rest of the stairs, she flung the door open, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was surveying the area like a trained SEAL. He took off sprinting for the side of the house. “Stop!” he yelled.

Her heart jumped in her throat. She froze in terror. Hating herself, she peeked out to see if someone was knifing her gallant prince.

Cop lights appeared, and she saw Scar walk over and talk to them, pointing down the beach. Another officer met her at the door, and she did her best to answer the questions and tell him what she’d seen on the side of the house.

Scar walked over and listened, looking official. Then he added to her testimony, showing them where the cameras were and explaining he was a friend of hers and she’d been feeling like she’d been watched for … He paused to look at her.

“Since last Monday,” she said, clasping her hands together to stop her shaking.

Twenty minutes later, the police were finished with the reports. She and Scar watched from her small deck as they pulled away.

Without a word, he pulled her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and noticed two things right off. One, she felt so safe with him here. Two, he smelled amazing. She hadn’t noticed before, but now she saw he had on flip-flops, shorts, and a T-shirt.

“Were you working out?” she asked him.

He kept her close, stroking a hand down her hair.

She could feel herself trembling. She knew he probably could too, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

“I already did. I had just gotten out of the shower when you called.”

She tried not to let her mind go to his chiseled chest, even though she was leaning against it and could feel how defined it was. The obvious strength made her feel safer.

For a few moments, he just held her. With the sound of the ocean in the background, she finally felt herself relax.

The thought struck her that she felt a bit like a child, vulnerable and scared. She felt like her parents had left her all alone and not told her where they were going, like what had happened when she was twelve and she’d come home from a friend’s house to find everyone gone.

“Spill it.”

Ignoring the fact he was reading her mind, she said, “Once when I was twelve, I got home and realized my parents weren’t there. I went to my parents’ room. I got in their bed, and I covered myself up to the chin in their blankets.”

“Why didn’t you call them?” he asked, still holding her, now rubbing small circles into her back.

“I did. No one answered.” The memory still left her with residual sadness. Especially right now. “Their phone was dead.”

He simply held her. “I’m sorry.”

She clung to him, hating herself for it. Remembering all of those boundaries she’d set between them and feeling guilty. “It’s so stupid.”

“Don’t feel guilty.”

She pulled back incredulously. “How do you do that?”

The side of his lip tugged up, and his dimple creased. “Because I’m kinda getting in your head.”

He looked so satisfied with himself it made her want to push him away. “I’m fine,” she protested.

“Well, maybe I’m not fine.”

The confession, that he cared so much, seeped into her. It was refreshing.

“How about you come sleep at my place tonight?” he said quietly.

“I …”

“I’ll take the comfy pull-out coach,” he said, cutting off her objection. “But I’m not gonna get any sleep with you here all by yourself and someone out there.”

She thought about wanting to be independent and not be afraid, but the truth was, she was afraid. “I can’t. What about tomorrow night and the next night?” She pulled away. This time, he let her.

Cocking an eyebrow, he didn’t miss a beat. “You stay at my place again.”

The beautiful SEAL is leaving! her mind screamed. She exhaled, realizing she also wanted to protect her heart from another break-in.

He took her hand. “Just for tonight. You stay tonight. Then we reassess tomorrow.” He looked around her place. “I can add more security measures, but I think both of us would sleep better if you came with me.”

Still shaken, she found herself letting him persuade her. “Fine, just for tonight.”

Unlike before, when he’d fist-pumped or acted like he’d gotten a touchdown, he simply nodded. “Pack your stuff.” His lip quirked up. “You can check staying at Hotel del Coronado off your bucket list.”

The idea did excite her, even though it was hardly under the best of circumstances. “Thank you,” she said, and felt her lip tremble. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.” She thought about how she would be terrified and alone and probably going home to Kansas.

“Hey.” He shook his head and pulled her in. “I’m glad I’m here too, but you’re going to be okay, dream girl. You are.”