Read Online Protect Me: Protectors at Heart by Joellen Lee - Free Book Online
Authors: Joellen Lee
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Chapter 1
M ac’s eyes widened as he watched the woman tug on her dress as she tried to release the material caught in her cars door. The wind was not her friend today as she struggled to keep her modesty intact while clutching a large purse and computer bag.
Intending to help her, he sat his coffee cup down and slid out of the booth. By the time he pulled the café door open, she was free and trying to shake out the wrinkles from where the door had held her in its clutches. She almost dropped her computer bag in her vigorous attempt.
He couldn’t help but smile when he heard the blonde beauty cuss like a sailor under her breath as he strode over to offer a hand.
“It’s a bit windy today, I’m glad to see you didn’t get any skin caught in that door when it slammed shut.” Mac stood nonchalantly next to the hood of her car, not wanting to get too close and spook her. “Need some help?”
She looked up, squinting against the sun’s bright rays, and that’s when his entire body went on alert. Her sunglasses had slipped down her nose and she was trying to push them back up while still holding on to all her baggage. Her left eye was a mass of red and purple, clearly the result of blunt force trauma, such as a fist to the face.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” She brushed off his help and turned to go into the café.
Halting her progress by blocking her, he stood casually with his thumbs resting in the loops of his fatigues. He knew there was no way she wouldn’t be frightened since he stood six and a half feet tall and his smile tended to be more of a grimace.
He should step back and let her go on her way, but he simply couldn’t. That one glimpse of her sad eyes and hunched posture had him in protective mode, wanting to bundle her up and tuck her away somewhere safe.
He leaned against her car trying to lessen his menacing presence, but still close enough to stop her from leaving. “You’re not fine, you’re hurt. Someone used you as a punching bag, and I want to know who it was so I can kill the fucker.”
Even behind the sunglasses he could see her eyes widen in shock, but she gathered her armor like a cloak surrounding her, refusing to let anyone in.
“It’s really none of your business.” Her shaky voice didn’t convince him.
“Listen, you must be hungry since you stopped here. Come inside and sit with me. I’ll keep you company while you eat and we’ll get to know each other.” He held his hands up in surrender, even though he had no intention of letting her get away without some answers.
“I don’t want company,” she snarled.
“Yeah, sometimes you want to be alone, and yet all the little shits in your life won’t let you be. I get it baby, but in this town we take care of our people, especially the women. So come on inside and we’ll have a nice lunch while you relieve me of my concerns.”
What was it about this woman that made him want to wrap her up and take her home? He never took women to his house, his fortress of paranoia, as his friends called it. Yeah, he liked the security, traps and little surprises his place had hidden around the property. Some called him paranoid. He called it seriously fucking secure.
He still wanted her in his house. Yeah, he’d take care of whoever hurt her, but the passion bubbling below the surface was what interested him. A visceral emotion he’d never felt before. He knew she felt it too, but would she admit to it?
----
S he found herself in a booth sitting across from an extremely large and ungodly handsome man with short brown hair. Brown was too ordinary though, since she could see a slight auburn tint that looked silky to the touch. A very pushy and charismatic man too. She wanted to call him a bully, but that wouldn’t be fair. More like a steamroller that pushes and pushes until you just give in. Yet, his hand in the small of her back guiding her into the booth had felt strong and comforting.
Why would this stranger want to take on
M ac’s eyes widened as he watched the woman tug on her dress as she tried to release the material caught in her cars door. The wind was not her friend today as she struggled to keep her modesty intact while clutching a large purse and computer bag.
Intending to help her, he sat his coffee cup down and slid out of the booth. By the time he pulled the café door open, she was free and trying to shake out the wrinkles from where the door had held her in its clutches. She almost dropped her computer bag in her vigorous attempt.
He couldn’t help but smile when he heard the blonde beauty cuss like a sailor under her breath as he strode over to offer a hand.
“It’s a bit windy today, I’m glad to see you didn’t get any skin caught in that door when it slammed shut.” Mac stood nonchalantly next to the hood of her car, not wanting to get too close and spook her. “Need some help?”
She looked up, squinting against the sun’s bright rays, and that’s when his entire body went on alert. Her sunglasses had slipped down her nose and she was trying to push them back up while still holding on to all her baggage. Her left eye was a mass of red and purple, clearly the result of blunt force trauma, such as a fist to the face.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” She brushed off his help and turned to go into the café.
Halting her progress by blocking her, he stood casually with his thumbs resting in the loops of his fatigues. He knew there was no way she wouldn’t be frightened since he stood six and a half feet tall and his smile tended to be more of a grimace.
He should step back and let her go on her way, but he simply couldn’t. That one glimpse of her sad eyes and hunched posture had him in protective mode, wanting to bundle her up and tuck her away somewhere safe.
He leaned against her car trying to lessen his menacing presence, but still close enough to stop her from leaving. “You’re not fine, you’re hurt. Someone used you as a punching bag, and I want to know who it was so I can kill the fucker.”
Even behind the sunglasses he could see her eyes widen in shock, but she gathered her armor like a cloak surrounding her, refusing to let anyone in.
“It’s really none of your business.” Her shaky voice didn’t convince him.
“Listen, you must be hungry since you stopped here. Come inside and sit with me. I’ll keep you company while you eat and we’ll get to know each other.” He held his hands up in surrender, even though he had no intention of letting her get away without some answers.
“I don’t want company,” she snarled.
“Yeah, sometimes you want to be alone, and yet all the little shits in your life won’t let you be. I get it baby, but in this town we take care of our people, especially the women. So come on inside and we’ll have a nice lunch while you relieve me of my concerns.”
What was it about this woman that made him want to wrap her up and take her home? He never took women to his house, his fortress of paranoia, as his friends called it. Yeah, he liked the security, traps and little surprises his place had hidden around the property. Some called him paranoid. He called it seriously fucking secure.
He still wanted her in his house. Yeah, he’d take care of whoever hurt her, but the passion bubbling below the surface was what interested him. A visceral emotion he’d never felt before. He knew she felt it too, but would she admit to it?
----
S he found herself in a booth sitting across from an extremely large and ungodly handsome man with short brown hair. Brown was too ordinary though, since she could see a slight auburn tint that looked silky to the touch. A very pushy and charismatic man too. She wanted to call him a bully, but that wouldn’t be fair. More like a steamroller that pushes and pushes until you just give in. Yet, his hand in the small of her back guiding her into the booth had felt strong and comforting.
Why would this stranger want to take on
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