Page 19 of Her Protector Daddies

“You think Marcus stole something,” Tyler interrupted. “Something so important that Andrés wants Selena.”

“Exactly. For Andrés' private team to be involved, we know it’s important. And what’s more important to Marcus than his only daughter?”

“The asshole at the hospital,” Jay said. “He wasn’t there to kill her, was he?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Bailey murmured. “I think he was trying to take her.”

It was too much. I could barely wrap my head around the pain of the day, never mind the revelation that my father likely stole from Andrés Dorame directly. That was surely beyond stupid. No wonder there were jewels amidst the money.

I dragged my exhausted body up the rest of the stairs and followed Jay’s instructions to find the guest bedroom. My eyes were so heavy that the details of the room blurred into nothing and all I focused on was the floral print on the bed.

Sleep called.

And yet, as tired as I was, while I undressed slowly I was unable to shake the strange jitter of excitement that lingered in my heart. I don’t know what was more attractive; waking up to Tyler over me with those stunning eyes and soft smile, the way Bailey rugby tackled the asshole on top of me, or the way Jay was so soft with me in the kitchen that I almost wanted to cry.

No one had ever defended me before, not to this degree and I couldn’t recall the last time someone was as gentle with me as Jay was. Or the last time someone made me tea.

Stripped to my underwear, I slid onto the bed and burrowed down under the sheets, wrapping myself in a cocoon. I pressed my face into the pillows and breathed in the subtlest scent of sweet cotton.

The moment I stopped focusing on the men downstairs, my mind dragged me right back to the apartment when I was bound to the chair and my heart started to race. I’d been so sure in those moments that I would die, and no one would find my body for weeks.

But Tyler did. He saved me. So did Bailey.

An unexpected pulse of want shot through me from head to toe and I opened my eyes, slowly licking my lower lip. All three of them were gorgeous. So much so that it was difficult to understand how they were cops and not spread over the cover of GQ magazine.

I couldn’t help myself. It was a good distraction to picture what each of them would look like on that cover. Naked and oiled up, basking in the hot sun and dressed in little shorts that were tight enough to accentuate the angles of every mouthwatering ridge that existed between their legs.

I replayed the day's events in my head but as my pulse quickened and my temperature rose, I played out a few different details. What if Tyler kissed me after saving me? His lips looked soft and I thought of them trailing over my skin in gentle kisses. His hands were strong and those muscles? I knew just at a glance that he could pick me up without much care.

And Bailey? His attitude was a little rough but the way he had launched himself over me without a care in the world was so fucking attractive. I replayed those events in my head too, only this time Bailey knocked that bastard out with one punch and then scooped me up in his thick arms. I knew his beard would tickle when we kissed but it was so worth it. Just like a rug-burn from him buried between my legs would also be worth it.

By the time my thoughts turned to Jay, my core ached and moisture coated my thighs. At some point, my hand had drifted between my legs and I couldn’t stop touching myself. Jay. So sweet he was with that bright smile. He was slimmer than the other two but I had caught the muscle definition on his arms when he’d rolled his sleeves up to wash.

I climaxed suddenly and had to shove my face into the pillow to muffle my moan. Trembles rippled through my body and settled into my core. I came so hard that for a moment, all pain faded from my mind and I was at peace with my mind filled with all three of them.

Fuck.

It wasn’t that unusual for me to seek comfort in strange men. As soon as I was able, hooking up with guys in bars was the only way I could feel wanted for a night and not have to worry about going home.

But this was different. I knew that, deep down, even as I searched for some tissues to clean myself up. Bailey, Tyler, and Jay? No one had ever saved me before, and that was hotter than anything else.

Maybe hiring Jay wouldn’t be such a bad idea if it meant I got to stay around them just for a little longer.

8

SELENA

Islept for two days straight, woken only by Jay who wanted to make sure I hadn’t died in my sleep. He’d make me drink some water, take some painkillers and then let me fall right back asleep. Something about the tender way he cared for me made me feel incredibly safe, which contributed to how long I slept.

When I finally woke up, we came to an agreement. I would hire Jay to help me and we would work out payment later, although I tried to insist that he let me claim my deposit back on my apartment so I could give him some sort of money. He refused.

Being under Jay’s care officially meant he could start looking into the case from a different angle since he wasn’t restricted by the tape that got in the way of Tyler and Bailey. But first I had to secure some clothes that weren’t stained with blood.

My apartment wasn’t much to write home about. I barely had enough money to pay rent, never mind decorate, but it was the first place I had ever lived by myself and I adored it. Tyler had escorted me here, and he lingered in the lounge while I tore through my closet and shoved what clothes I could into the single pink suitcase I owned. There wasn’t a lot, but I did shove in my nice underwear and a few nice dresses just in case.

My fantasy about all three of those men might live only in my head, but I was determined to catch their eye, even if it was just for a moment.

A girl deserves a distraction after nearly being killed.

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