Page 146 of Protective Heroes

But something stopped him, held him back, toeing some invisible line between them. Invisible because she sure the hell didn’t see a speck of anything between them.

She slowly stepped back and out of his reach but caught the flash of anger her words caused. Or was that pain she saw in his eyes? In the low light she couldn’t tell, but she knew well enough what his silence meant.

Her shoulders dropped and she turned to apologize. Before she uttered a syllable, he brought down a wall, effectively closing her out. Arms crossed and jaw set, Nathan stood there, his stance no longer filled with challenge.

Annnnd, just like that, the fire was doused. This was how it always ended.

With him impersonating a snowman, leaving her hands itching for a blowtorch. Anything to turn up the fucking heat and melt the polar ice caps that had become his emotions.

Willa hated when he did that to her. Shut her out completely when she hit a little too close to home. Must be nice to have the ability to shut down the way he did.

When her brother died, she’d wished long and hard for the ability to block out all the pain. Maybe things would be different for her now somehow.

Fat chance, she guessed.

Ignoring her heart only got her so far, that much she knew. Proof stood two feet in front of her and she was the one suffering from being so damn soft-hearted.

As for Nathan, no doubt in her mind his ability to switch his emotions on and off had saved him countless times while out on a tour of duty with his Recon unit. Here in her world, it just infuriated her. Right now she didn’t care if her words sliced to the core. He wasn’t the only one hurt by the death of loved ones. About damn time he realized it.

Words meant to slip the knife a notch deeper poised on the tip of her tongue. He closed the space between them before she could speak. He placed his hands low on her hips and hoisted her up to sit on the trunk. With his big hands he parted her thighs and slipped between her spread legs. With one tug he pulled her into his warm muscled body, her pussy snug against the ridge of his hard cock with only a few pieces of clothing between them.

His eyes narrowed on her a second before lowering his face next to hers just enough so his day-old scruff scraped seductively against her cheek. He spoke close to her ear. “Sweetheart, it’s time you learn the truth about how I feel about you. Make no mistake, by Christmas morning every inch of flesh on your beautiful little body will ache with pleasure from knowing my touch and my cock.”

Every single word pelted her nerves and struck her core, forcing her eyes shut. Her whole body clenched from the growled promise of his words. Every heartbeat sent a hammered pulse through her body until her clit throbbed with the need to orgasm long and hard.

His lust-roughened voice, or the brush of his soft beard—probably a combination of all three—caused warm liquid to wet the strip of silk between her legs in anticipation. Anything she was going to say now lay crumbled in the corners of her mind, forgotten.

Her breasts grew heavy, and with every breath Nathan took, the light caress sent a lick of fire straight to her clit.

She shoved against his chest, but he didn’t budge.

Right. Solid wall. Remember, you like that kind of thing.

“Step back and let me down, Nathan.” She didn’t have time for games. He should know that by now. “Don’t play with me.”

His dark eyes on hers, he eased back enough to give her space but not lose contact. His warm hand engulfed hers where it still rested on his chest, his thumb gently smoothing the skin across her knuckles. As if he wanted to calm her when it had been her who’d hurt him with her words just moments before. He was always thinking of others. It was what she loved about him.

Willa raised her gaze from their linked hands. So many questions ached for a voice, but the look in his eyes begged her to accept what was happening between them. How could she fight that when she wanted the same? Wanted this reaction from him like she wanted to breathe?

Nathan cupped her cheek with his free hand and tilted her chin higher, his eyes ablaze with a fire she felt in her veins. “Fuck, Willa,” he groaned low. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” she asked quietly, her breath lodged in her throat.

“Like I won’t fuck you and make you mine.”

And just like that, her panties were drenched. He had her in his arms and the door to his cabin kicked open before she could decide if she wanted the Marine quick and dirty on the hood of the car or long and slow in front of a roaring fire.

Three

The smell of pine hit her on a draft of warm air tinged with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla the second they were inside. Her favorite Christmas combination. Candles, the source of all the holiday scents, she assumed, scattered the parlor tables filled with memorabilia, their placements just as she remembered. He must have worked fast to bring a sense of cheer to the home. Did he do it for her?

Nathan sat her down and closed the door behind them.

A kaleidoscope of fond memories of her, her brother, and Nathan flitted across her mind in an array of vivid color, like no time had passed at all since their last gathering around Nathan’s table for one celebration or another. The Grant family was vast and losing the patriarch wouldn’t be easy for any of the people she’d come to consider her own family.

Tall wooden beams supported an open layout lit with low lights and a large fire in the hearth. How could he still live here and be sane? True, he was rarely home, but still… Everywhere she looked she saw her brother’s wide smile and handsome face mingled in with the rest of the Grant family. How did Nathan find comfort where she only found pain?

No wonder he’d called her over tonight. He’d rather work than be alone.

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