Read Online The Protector's Heart (Wilde Creek Three) by R.E. Butler - Free Book Online

for snoring? I know you said you were going to
do that once.”
    “No.” She drawled the word out and then
giggled.
    “Brynn,” he sighed, “spit it out or stop
giggling, you’re making me batty.”
    “I can’t, Mal. But I had a great phone call
last night and…it’s going to be a good day, I promise. In fact, I
think I’ll stay in for lunch and you should find something to do
with yourself. Get some fresh air.”
    She giggled again and then coughed, trying to
hide it.
    He groaned. Mia and Brynn had spent the
better part of their younger years driving him nuts, and Brynn
apparently hadn’t grown out of it. Then again, neither had Mia.
    He escorted Brynn into the office and then
went to the room that housed the security system to review the
overnight recordings. He paused when he entered the room and Nila
was standing next to the chair.
    He blinked in surprise.
    “Good morning,” she said softly.
    He noticed that her hair was down today.
Usually she had it up and out of the way while she worked. He liked
seeing her hair down.
    “Hi, Nila.”
    She cleared her throat and her cheeks pinked.
“I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me today?”
    Clarity washed through him. Brynn knew about
this. It’s why she was acting like such a loon.
    “I’d love to.”
    “Really?” She looked genuinely surprised.
    “Of course. Do you want me to make a
reservation at Luna’s?”
    “Brynn already did.” She paused and said,
“You’re not mad, are you? That I talked to Brynn about this?”
    He smiled and closed the distance between
them. He wanted to hug her, but he settled for just standing close
to her. “Not at all.”
    “She said that you aren’t going to be coming
here anymore, and I thought this might be my last chance.”
    “Last chance?”
    “To take you to lunch.”
    “You can see me anytime you want. I’m not
going to be sitting at the reception desk all day long anymore, but
I will be driving her back and forth to work, and taking her out
for lunch when she wants to leave. I could…” he paused, very
certain he was about to cross a line with her, push too hard and
drive her away.
    “Could what?” She edged closer, tilting her
head back to gaze up at him.
    “I could drive you, too.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “I could pick you and Jack up, take him to
daycare, and then drive you to work with Brynn. If you wanted.”
Damn, he wanted her to say yes.
    Something flickered in her eyes, and he
thought for a moment that it was jealousy. She wasn’t jealous of
Brynn, was she? Maybe it wasn’t too far-fetched for her to be,
considering how much time Malachi spent carting her around town.
His mind flickered back to the conversation he’d had with Acksel
earlier in the week about what would happen when he finally got
Nila to agree to be his mate. Acksel said they’d work it out, but
unless someone else stepped in as her personal protector, then
Malachi was stuck. Nila would have to share his time with Brynn,
while Malachi drove her around.
    “I’m sorry,” he said, without thinking.
    “Sorry for what?” Her head tilted, her hair
sliding over her shoulder. He reached out and caressed a lock,
finding it warm and silky.
    “I’m sorry that my pack job means I have to
be Brynn’s guard.”
    “Don’t be sorry for being a male that your
alpha trusts. Besides, this is just lunch, Malachi Slattery. Let’s
not get ahead of ourselves, okay?” She smirked at him, and he
tweaked her chin with his finger and thumb.
    “Okay. What time?”
    “11:30.” Her smirk slid into a full-blown
smile and his wolf grinned like a fool in return.
    She left him in the computer room, and he sat
down heavily on the chair in front of the desk, amazed that things
were looking up for him with his sweet mate.
    Malachi was nervous and watched the clock
constantly. Brynn called him a nutcase for being so twitchy, but he
could tell she thought it was a good thing.
    Before he got ready to leave for lunch,