Read Online Master Unchained (Stealth Guardians Book 2) by Tina Folsom - Free Book Online Page A

fridge.”
    She pasted a smile on her lips and lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. “Pasta sounds great.”
    He served them both, then took the seat next to her. Tessa started eating quietly, and he did the same.
    “Do you do this often?” she suddenly asked.
    “Do what?”
    “Cook dinner for your clients?”
    “Not really.” In general, his clients, or rather his charges, didn’t even know he was there.
    “Hmm.” She fell silent again.
    He wanted to bridge the silence with something, but was afraid that any mention of the incident at the center would upset her again. Searching for a safe topic of conversation, he went through the obvious subjects in his mind. The weather—nothing to talk about there. It was neither too warm, nor too cold. Current events—not a safe topic considering Tessa was running for mayor and the current events included riots and demonstrations, events fraught with danger. Her appearance—women liked compliments, but he was staying far away from that minefield, particularly since it was nighttime, they were alone, and Tessa was dressed rather enticingly. She might interpret his words as a come-on, which was not his intention.
    This left precisely nothing to talk about. Nothing but the food.
    “I hope the pasta isn’t too hard. I like it al dente.”
    “Me, too.” Her voice was barely audible. She continued eating until her plate was empty. When she pushed it aside and turned to hop off the barstool, Hamish glanced at her. His eyes caught a splash of red on her white robe.
    “Oh, some sauce splattered onto your bathrobe.” He took his napkin and stood up. “Let me get some water.” He was at the sink, wetting his napkin, when he heard a sob behind him.
    He whirled around and saw tears streaming down her face. “Tessa, what’s wrong?”
    She pointed to the red spot on her bathrobe and sobbed. “Everything. Everything is wrong. I almost died tonight.”
    He dropped the napkin in the sink and rushed to her, pulling her off the barstool and into his arms without thinking. She clung to him then, shaking, so he lifted her up and carried her to the couch, sitting down with her in his lap.
    “I’m sorry, lass,” he cooed and stroked his hand over her hair. “I’m sorry you had to experience that.”
    “If you hadn’t been there—”
    “But I was there,” he interrupted her, refusing to let her finish that thought. “And I’m here now. Nothing is gonna happen from now on. I promise.”
    “How can you be so sure?” she asked through her tears.
    “Because I won’t let it happen.” He drew her closer to underscore his promise.
    Maybe he shouldn’t have, because now he felt her body more intensely. He smelled the sweet scent of her freshly washed skin, felt the warmth of her breath brush against his neck and her hands clawing into his shirt as if her life depended on it.
    “Lass,” he murmured and couldn’t stop himself from pressing a kiss into her hair.
    Instead, he should lift her off his lap and stick his head in the freezer to stop himself from doing something stupid. Anything to distract himself from the delectable woman in his arms. But no distraction was forthcoming. And with every second, his willpower to stop this madness waned. When she lifted her head and looked at him with her tearstained eyes, he couldn’t resist wiping the moisture away with his thumb. But what was meant as a gentle, soothing gesture, one he’d often used on his friends’ children when they’d gotten into scrapes, was anything but innocent now.
    “Hamish?”
    Had she just whispered his name, or was he hallucinating?
    He blamed his long abstinence from women for what he was about to do. Blamed rasen and all it entailed. He even blamed Cinead for having chosen him to protect Tessa. But he couldn’t blame her, because all she was looking for was a place to feel safe. She would be safe in his arms. But would he be safe in hers?
    Despite the fact that the answer to this question eluded him, he