Read Online Under His Protection by Karen Erickson - Free Book Online

much she loved Whitney
Island, how she despised the hustle and bustle and constant
speculation she dealt with in DC. It still hurt that he shipped her
out here, not caring about what she wanted to do.
    But at least here on the island, she could
be herself and not worry what others thought.
    Well, with the exception of Mason. She
constantly worried over what he thought about her. Not that he
cared a whit for her beyond the, “I work for you and I must protect
you” mode. Idiot. Blind, stubborn idiot. He drove her crazy.
    A knock sounded on the front door and then
he appeared, as if conjured up from her imagination. His gaze met
hers, his eyes widening in surprise when he took in her woeful
state. Slamming the door behind him, his long strides ate up the
floor as he approached. He stopped short, just in front of her, his
gaze lingering on her face. “Are you all right?”
    Blake wiped at the tears streaking down her
face with the back of her hand, sniffing loudly. She sounded like a
little kid, but she didn’t care. No one took her seriously anyway,
so what was the point?
    Oh, my. Sometimes a pity party was just what
a girl needed.
    “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” She
hiccupped, not even trying to get her crying under control. “What
do you want?”
    Mason paused, studying her, gauging the
entire situation. His agent mindset was at work, she could
practically see the cogs turning in his brain. She waited
impatiently for his reply.
    “I wanted to check in,” he said carefully.
“See if you have plans tomorrow. I have a conference call at
ten.”
    She shook her head, pushed her hair from her
shoulder. “I’m staying home.”
    “Not seeing your friend?” His lips
tightened. He didn’t like Suzanne, why, she wasn’t sure.
    “We’re getting together Friday.” At least
she had something to look forward to.
    He didn’t move and she gazed up at him. He
frowned, his eyes darkening. “You’re crying.”
    She wiped at yet another tear, taking a deep
breath. She needed to get a grip, needed to control herself in
front of this man. “I’m fine, really.” She smiled but it was
tremulous at best.
    Mason crouched before her, so close she
could make out the gold flecks in his green eyes, the thick, dark
lashes that surrounded them. Those eyes were downright girly,
would’ve give him a feminine cast if not for the raw masculine bone
structure of his face. The harsh lines of his cheekbones, the
strong, stubborn jaw and the slightly crooked nose that he must’ve
broken before, his features were so dear to her.
    “You never cry. What upset you?” he
asked.
    “Nothing. Family stuff.” She shrugged. “You
wouldn’t understand.”
    Oh God, he reached out and touched her.
Those long, strong fingers rested on her knee, giving it a gentle
squeeze. It was as if he squeezed all the air from her lungs.
    “Try me,” he murmured.
    At his urging, Blake began to cry in
earnest.

    * * * *

    Ah Christ, what did he do wrong? He didn’t
know how to deal with a crying woman, especially a crying Blake. He
knelt in front of her, his hand still resting on her knee, feeling
helpless as she balled her eyes out.
    Mason was baffled. She never, ever cried.
He’d seen her angry, frustrated, antagonistic, even a little
melancholy, but he’d never seen her like this.
    He needed to do something, offer her some
sort of comfort. Standing to his full height, he sat beside her on
the couch and awkwardly yanked her into his arms, her head resting
against his chest. Her tears dampened his shirt and she clung to
him, clutched his shoulders with shaky fingers, her face nestled
close against his heart.
    Cradling her, he smoothed his hands down her
back, wanting to soothe her, wanting to stop the heartbreaking
crying. Because it was heartbreaking. She sounded so
desolate. As if it had been pent up within her for months and the
dam had finally broke.
    She didn’t say a word and he didn’t speak
either, just communicated his sympathy for her