Read Online Her Cowboy Protector by Roxie Rivera - Free Book Online
Authors: Roxie Rivera
Tags: romantic suspense
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moving through the area. This used to be coyote territory, one of their trade routes. People still come across here on their own. I think word of mouth leads them along this route."
It wasn't a total lie. This area was notorious for illegal immigrants and the coyotes who moved them into the country. Cruz didn't need to know about the shoes or knife.
"It was probably just someone looking for food or water," Niall continued smoothly. "It was nothing. You're safe." He lowered his hand to the round bump pressed against him. "The baby is safe."
"You're sure?" She gazed up at him with glistening, terrified eyes. Her fingernails bit into his arms as she clung to him. He hated to lie to her but that pleading, panicked look in her eyes convinced him it was the right thing to do.
"Yeah, sugar, I'm sure." He pushed the strands of hair clinging to her wet cheeks back behind her ear. His hand curved along the side of her jaw. He forced down the urge to press his lips to her forehead in a reassuring way. That would have definitely crossed a line.
"I heard the rocking chair creak."
"What?"
"The chair. It moved and I dropped to the floor."
Images of Cruz crawling on all fours in a bid for safety flashed before his eyes. Guilt chewed away at him. "I'm sorry."
Confusion darkened her face. "For?"
"It's my fault you were downstairs." Humiliation turned him cold. He dropped his gaze as the memory of the way he yelled at her trampled through his mind. "I need to apologize for the way I screamed at you."
"Niall." She spoke his name so softly. Her small hand grasped his chin and forced his reluctant gaze to hers. "You're not the first person with PTSD to scream at me like that. I won't lie. It pissed me off. I was just trying to help you, but I'm also a big girl and I know that you can't help people who don't want to help themselves."
Her words rattled him. She'd cut right to the core of it. Niall didn't want help. He didn't want some stranger digging around in his childhood and the secrets of his military career. He didn't want to admit that he wasn't infallible, that there were some things he couldn't fix on his own.
She surprised him by curling her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. It was a compassionate gesture but his body responded differently. Her warm curves felt like heaven in his arms. It had been so long, too long. Lust and need flared hot and wild in his lower belly. When she smiled up at him, he nearly lost control. Every fiber of his being clamored for one kiss, just a few seconds of pressing his lips to hers.
Niall carefully extricated himself from her arms and put a little space between them. It wasn't nearly enough. The smell of her coconut lime shampoo filled the air. Her body heat beckoned him closer. He tried to get a handle on his raging hormones.
This woman is off-limits , he reminded himself. Carlos's sister. Pregnant. Survivor. It wasn't right. It just wasn't right to lust after her like horny teenager. She deserved his respect and needed his protection, not a roll in the sack.
"I need to put some clothes on," he said, fully aware of just how much skin he was showing. Every nerve-ending in his chest and arms tingled. "You need to get some sleep."
Cruz shook her head. "I need to work."
"On what? My accounts? Hell, Cruz, those can wait." He walked to the sink, grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it from the tap. "You've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. You need your rest."
"It's not your accounts, Niall. I found something."
He gulped down the water and placed the glass in the sink. "What do you mean? Found what?"
"I don't know exactly." She gave him a once-over. "You'd better get dressed. I think it's going to be a long night."
Niall watched her leave and wondered what her cryptic comment meant. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried into his bathroom where he'd left his clean pajama pants and t-shirt. Once dressed, he made his way to the office. He found Cruz sitting at
It wasn't a total lie. This area was notorious for illegal immigrants and the coyotes who moved them into the country. Cruz didn't need to know about the shoes or knife.
"It was probably just someone looking for food or water," Niall continued smoothly. "It was nothing. You're safe." He lowered his hand to the round bump pressed against him. "The baby is safe."
"You're sure?" She gazed up at him with glistening, terrified eyes. Her fingernails bit into his arms as she clung to him. He hated to lie to her but that pleading, panicked look in her eyes convinced him it was the right thing to do.
"Yeah, sugar, I'm sure." He pushed the strands of hair clinging to her wet cheeks back behind her ear. His hand curved along the side of her jaw. He forced down the urge to press his lips to her forehead in a reassuring way. That would have definitely crossed a line.
"I heard the rocking chair creak."
"What?"
"The chair. It moved and I dropped to the floor."
Images of Cruz crawling on all fours in a bid for safety flashed before his eyes. Guilt chewed away at him. "I'm sorry."
Confusion darkened her face. "For?"
"It's my fault you were downstairs." Humiliation turned him cold. He dropped his gaze as the memory of the way he yelled at her trampled through his mind. "I need to apologize for the way I screamed at you."
"Niall." She spoke his name so softly. Her small hand grasped his chin and forced his reluctant gaze to hers. "You're not the first person with PTSD to scream at me like that. I won't lie. It pissed me off. I was just trying to help you, but I'm also a big girl and I know that you can't help people who don't want to help themselves."
Her words rattled him. She'd cut right to the core of it. Niall didn't want help. He didn't want some stranger digging around in his childhood and the secrets of his military career. He didn't want to admit that he wasn't infallible, that there were some things he couldn't fix on his own.
She surprised him by curling her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. It was a compassionate gesture but his body responded differently. Her warm curves felt like heaven in his arms. It had been so long, too long. Lust and need flared hot and wild in his lower belly. When she smiled up at him, he nearly lost control. Every fiber of his being clamored for one kiss, just a few seconds of pressing his lips to hers.
Niall carefully extricated himself from her arms and put a little space between them. It wasn't nearly enough. The smell of her coconut lime shampoo filled the air. Her body heat beckoned him closer. He tried to get a handle on his raging hormones.
This woman is off-limits , he reminded himself. Carlos's sister. Pregnant. Survivor. It wasn't right. It just wasn't right to lust after her like horny teenager. She deserved his respect and needed his protection, not a roll in the sack.
"I need to put some clothes on," he said, fully aware of just how much skin he was showing. Every nerve-ending in his chest and arms tingled. "You need to get some sleep."
Cruz shook her head. "I need to work."
"On what? My accounts? Hell, Cruz, those can wait." He walked to the sink, grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it from the tap. "You've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. You need your rest."
"It's not your accounts, Niall. I found something."
He gulped down the water and placed the glass in the sink. "What do you mean? Found what?"
"I don't know exactly." She gave him a once-over. "You'd better get dressed. I think it's going to be a long night."
Niall watched her leave and wondered what her cryptic comment meant. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried into his bathroom where he'd left his clean pajama pants and t-shirt. Once dressed, he made his way to the office. He found Cruz sitting at
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