Page 9 of Her Guilty Protector
She taps her pant pocket. “Yes. I’ll see what I can find for a simple dinner. Maybe just sandwiches and soup. That okay with you?”
“Anything is fine with me.”
After thirty minutes I head back to the cabin. I would have liked to have been able to do a more thorough search of the area, but it will be dark soon and I want to be with her. We can study the security screens together.
One bed. One bed with the woman I’ve wanted for years. What the hell was Vance thinking. Shit, did Evie pick the safe-house? She’s sharp as hell. Did I let something slip? Did she sense my possessive feelings? Damn.
I text Laney that I’m on my way back and get a smiley face, thumbs up, fork, knife, and plate. I smile. She’s such a light in my life. The one bright spot. But she’s a fighter, too. She will survive this.
Looking at her, being isolated with her while wanting her the way I do...Your best friend’s little sister. Do not pass go.
CHAPTER 6
Delaney ‘Laney’
I watch Hawke disappear into the woods on the security feed. He’s not a little man, tall and broad, but he moves like a ghost. There one moment, then gone the next. Frank said in war zones Hawke always went in first to take out the sentries, even when he was the commanding officer. He feels accountable for everyone, and he carries the weight of any losses in the field.
He feels responsible for what happened to me. I suspect that’s why he’s put an imaginary wall between us.
Even though I dated before my injury, every boy or man always came up short compared to him. I’ve loved Hawke since the first holiday he spent with my family. After meeting perfection, how do you choose less?
When I finally accepted that Hawke would never see me as a woman, I persuaded myself to get out of my shell. Unfortunately, my first real attempt, I ended up with Allen, the abusive loser. Me refusing to have sex with him is what pushed him over the edge. That was the night he left the marks on my throat that Hawke saw the next day.
And now, I am even more in love with the man who refuses to see me as more than the teenage girl he first met. His best friend’s little sister. Why can’t I get him to see me? The woman.
Mom would say let him see your confidence, your strength. Don’t be afraid to meet his gaze, let him see your interest. A gentle touch goes a long way to letting a man know you’re attracted. A hand on his back, a brush on the shoulder. Nature will take over from there.
And feed them, she’d say. There is a lot of truth to the adage of ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. It’s the same for women. Basic instincts look for mates that can and will provide.
Is that why I’m so drawn to Hawke? Because I know he can and would protect me with his life? Has protected me when things got rough.
No, it’s more. I see the goodness in him. The way he always tries to help everyone. He’s a protector through and through. Putting others first before himself.
All Frank knows about Hawke’s past is that he was raised by a single mom, no dad in the picture, on the rougher side of Chicago. He enlisted as soon as he turned eighteen. I wonder if he’s ever had anyone take care of him.
Digging through the refrigerator, I come up with ham, Gruyère and cheddar. Damn, I don’t have my pouch that I used at home to carry stuff from the refrigerator to the counter. Tossing the meat and cheese onto the counter, I go in search of a bag. I find a reusable cloth one under the sink and use it to gather the Dijon, pickles, milk, margarine and sourdough bread. My favorite chips are in the cupboard and there’s tomato soup. I’ve been given a few days to make him see me without my brother overshadowing everything. Time for some old-fashioned inspiration and honest conversation.
I have everything prepped and ready to heat up when my phone beeps.
Hawk:
I’ll be there in ten minutes. I’ll knock twice so you know it’s me but check the camera.
Laney:
Roger that.
Thankfully, the counters and appliances are high enough for me that I don’t have to bend. I turn the burner on to warm the soup and start the sandwiches. Coffee is done, plates on the breakfast bar, And I’m a nervous wreck. Just the two of us, alone. I have his total attention.
Two accidents—make that two attempted murders, could have cost me my life. Now I want to live, really live. Go after what I want and not just take the fleeting crumbs that come my way.
You’re taking a chance. He might reject you.
I’m not the same as I was. I’m stronger. This time I’m going after the man I’ve loved for years. I’d rather be rejected than never try. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
Two taps, I glance at the camera feed and the door opens. He walks in with a handful of wildflowers. “Thought you might like these.”
This is why I love him. Smiling, I reach for the bouquet. “They’re beautiful. I haven’t had flowers since... well, since the last time I saw you.
