“No, you don’t get it. Her dad was military. And he died—some classified op—and she’s still wrecked over it. I can’t do that to her.”

Ham nodded, his eyes on him. “That sort of sounds like her decision.”

Maybe, but Colt had seen her tonight when he’d pulled up to the dock. Racked with worry. And then there it was again, “I just can’t love a man who is going to . . .”

“She’s brave, but she was completely unraveled tonight, and it sort of . . . honestly, it freaked me out. I never thought—”

“That someone could love you that much?”

Ham’s words landed like a punch to his chest. Colt nearly put his hand over the wound, looking for blood. “No, um . . .” Sheesh, his entire body hurt. “She doesn’t really love me. It’s just, you know, adrenaline.”

“Women don’t fall in love like men. They don’t need the thrill, not as much. They see the potential, the future in a way we can’t.”

“That’s the problem. There’s no future here.”

“But you kissed her.”

The way Ham put it tightened his breath. “Yeah?”

“You might need to put the kibosh on that if you’re not planning on making this anything serious.”

Right. And yep, Colt knew that, at least deep inside. The part that he tried not to listen to.

“Unless you think you might love her back.”

And just like that, Ham’s words wrapped around his chest and squeezed.

No. No . . . shoot.

What was he doing?

“No. That’s not happening. You’re right, this is a bad idea. I need to do right by her and shut this thing down.”

“Colt—”

“Listen, any woman who loves me is going to get hurt, because, yeah, I’m that guy who kicks the door down. And not because I have a death wish, but because that’s just how I’m built. And I’m never going to change.”

He didn’t mean for his voice to rise.

Ham just considered him. Finally, “And having someone love you means you’d have to care what happens to you.”

“Now you sound like my father.”

“I’m not saying that you’re reckless. We all need the guy who isn’t afraid to lead. But what if she does love you? How is that so terrible?”

His chest hurt again. “I gotta get some shut-eye.” He stood up.

Ham also rose. “This isn’t about her loving you, is it? It’s about you loving her. And that’s what has you freaked out.”

Colt glanced toward the kitchen, to the light streaming out into the black. “Like I said, no girl in her right mind should love me. Because at the end of the day, I’m only going to break her heart.”

“Or she’ll break yours. And that’s what has you running.”