Read Online Fierce Protector: Hard to Handle trilogy, Book 1 by Janine Kane - Free Book Online Page A

deep within, a place which held great patience and love. In one simple smile, he had told her not to worry, that he wasn’t offended, that he enjoyed talking with her, that he liked her. “You’re a sweetheart,” he said simply, and brought a big plate of food into the living room.
    Eva let her head spin for a while and then decided to head to the bathroom and collect herself a little. She breathed deeply and looked at herself in the mirror, trying to will her brain back to reality and away from thoughts of Zack’s muscular arms. How easily, how quickly, she thought to herself, he could have picked her up and pinned her hard against the wall outside while he kissed her . . . Or against the sink she was now leaning on, with her legs wrapped around his waist and his mouth moving hungrily from her lips down to her neck, while his hands slid up under her shirt . . .
    God, girl! Just pee already and get back out there before people start to wonder what on Earth you’re doing in here!
    The Texas Rangers were rallying, she found as she returned, slightly jelly-legged, to the living room. Glued to the TV, literally on the edge of their seats, the three men were willing their team to the startling comeback needed to overhaul the Athletics’ early lead. Eva took her seat next to Zack, who smiled quickly at her before returning his laser-beam focus to the game. Please , prayed Eva silently, let some miracle arrive to make everyone except Zack and me disappear. Was there a patron Saint of hot men, she wondered? Or one who brings comfort to women who think they might explode with desire? And how could anyone smell that good?
    She heard the soft ringtone of her cellphone and scooted into her room, but it was Hank – yet again – and she sent it to voicemail and slid the phone into her pocket. He wasn’t due to call for another three days, and being early wasn’t a good sign. She shut out the inevitable worry that he might be in trouble, and reassured herself that he could take care of his own business, as he somehow always managed to.
    “Jesus Christ , come on ,” whined Mitch as Jeff Baker struck out. “Two lousy runs, that’s all we need. The fuckin’ money these motherfuckers get . . .” Tyler shot him a look. “Shit, sorry . . .” Zack shot him a much angrier look. “Apologies, everybody,” he chuckled nervously, “I just get a bit too passionate.” There was also the considerable stack of empty cans by his armchair; Trish shrugged it off but Zack scowled at his friend, the closest to chastisement she had seen from him. You ain’t in the bar, knucklehead, the look seemed to convey.
    “Don’t worry on my account,” Eva said to him quietly. “I have a brother, and his friends were over a lot at my parents’ house in Illinois. They could get pretty animated about their video games,” she remembered.
    Zack came at the issue from a more traditional point of view; he had never seen a good reason to allow profanity in front of women. “It’s good that you’re OK with of it, but if we all tolerate behavior that damages people, and it becomes normal, and then where are we?” he asked rhetorically.
    Eva’s text ringtone sounded in her pocket. It was Trish, messaging from the kitchen, and it instantly made her laugh:
    He’s hotter than a heatstroke in hell. Seduce him and be happy!
    “Just a high school friend,” Eva said, without actually lying. Zack smiled and then joined the group in another disappointed groan; the game had begun to slip away from the Rangers. With only a couple of at-bats remaining, they needed two runs to win, and it was hard to see them pulling it off.
    Eva sidled through to the kitchen, escaping the tension and despair of the living room crowd, and found Trish cleaning up. “Look, I haven’t dated a guy for a while,” Eva whispered. “I don’t want to rush into anything.”
    “Who said anything about dating?” Trish grinned as she slid plates into the dishwasher. “I