Read Online Shelter for Elizabeth (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 5) by Susan Stoker - Free Book Online

they worked together emptying the bags. The only thing Cade thought should be chucked was the chicken. Everything else seemed to be okay.
    Once everything was put away, Cade grabbed her hand again, pulled her behind him to the couch and sat. Beth looked at him curiously. He actually looked more relieved than she was to be back inside her apartment. “You gonna be all right?” she asked him in a serious voice.
    He smiled at her. “Yeah. You?”
    “I’m good, now that I’m safe at home, snug as a bug in a rug.”
    Cade grinned hugely at her. He let go of her hand and Beth couldn’t stop the pang of regret that moved through her. It lasted only a nanosecond as he took her head in both of his hands and leaned in. She felt the puffs of air from his mouth as he spoke.
    “I want to kiss you, Elizabeth Parkins.”
    “You do?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Why?”
    “Why?” Cade asked in confusion, but he didn’t pull away from her.
    “Yeah, why? I just had a major freak-out. I’m still all sweaty, and I’m sure you have somewhere you need to be.”
    “You are sweaty, but so am I…and I’m not afraid of a little sweat. Just wait until you see me after I get back from a call. A fire especially. Our turnout gear might look sexy, but it’s hot as fuck. I’m usually drenched by the time I get back to the station. And trust me, you do not want to smell the bunker room; it’s downright rancid sometimes. And to answer your question, I’ve got nowhere I need to be until tomorrow when my shift starts at ten.”
    “And the freak-out?”
    Cade sighed and pulled back a fraction so she was looking into his eyes. “You freaked out, but even knowing it was likely, you didn’t stop me from doing what I needed to do.”
    “No one else was around to do it.”
    “I get that, but you should know, if you’d told me you couldn’t handle it and asked me not to leave you…I wouldn’t have.”
    “Cade!” Beth exclaimed in shock.
    He shrugged. “It’s true. You don’t realize this yet, but all you have to do is crook that little finger of yours and I’ll come running.”
    “I wouldn’t do that to you. That woman needed you more than me. I knew in my heart of hearts that I was safe in your truck. Even if my brain sometimes forgets and zones out on me, I know you and Pen wouldn’t let anyone get me.”
    “Damn straight.”
    “I still don’t like that you had to see me like that. I want you to see me as any other woman.”
    “Too bad. I don’t see you as any other woman.”
    Beth’s gaze dropped from his and she tried to pull away. He wouldn’t let her and tightened his hold.
    “You could never be any other woman, Beth. You’ve taught yourself something that people typically take years of schooling to understand. You’ve helped Penelope deal with what happened to her and I know she’s doing as well as she is in part because of you. And now that I think about it, you’re probably doing stuff behind the scenes that neither of us know about when it comes to her, aren’t you?”
    Beth didn’t respond, but she could feel the heat bloom in her cheeks.
    “Yup, I knew it. I don’t want to know what it is, but thank you. She’s settled down a bit now that she doesn’t constantly have to fight off the tabloids and crazy stalker people who only want to get a glimpse of the Army Princess.”
    “Stupid-ass nickname.”
    “Agreed. As I was saying, yeah, you freaked out. But you reached down inside and pulled yourself up by your bootstraps. I liked that. If you haven’t noticed, I like you , Beth. Now can I kiss you? Please?”
    “I don’t know much about you.”
    Cade sighed in mock-exasperation. “If I tell you more about me, will you let me kiss you then?”
    “Maybe.” Beth smiled to take the sting out of her words. Oh, she wanted this man’s kiss, but he was fun to tease, and she really did want to get to know him better. Locking lips with a man she’d so recently met, even if he was the brother of one of her closest