Page 63 of Protective Heroes

The pad of my thumb stroked over the backside of her hand. Soft, delicate. Fragile. So damn fragile for a rough asshole like me.

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and damn if I didn’t want to lean across the table and take over that job for her like old times.

When she didn’t respond, I arched an eyebrow and sat back in the chair. Never dropping her hand from mine, I stretched my legs out under the table. My calf brushed against hers and a sizzle, like a quick shock from an electrical outlet, burst through me.

She gasped and her teeth lost their claim on her lip. My calm faded as I stared at that mouth. A low rumble surged up from deep inside me, but before I could act on the pulsing urges to have a taste of those pretty lips, the woman’s eyes grew wide and she hopped up from her seat, dropping my hand.

“Excuse me, Trevor. Um…I just…remembered…I have to…” Before she managed to get out a coherent sentence, she fled from the room.

Fuck.

Hardwired instinct demanded I get up and go after her. I stood, but before I managed a single step, the men who booked my services for the morning started filing back into the room.

I held back the desire to bare my teeth and mow down the men now standing between me and Kami.

Dave gave me a couple of rapid-fire smacks on my back, but I didn't look at him. Five seconds and I could have her in my arms again. I could have her against a wall, her mouth on mine and…

And what, asshole? She hates your guts.

“Looks like Mrs. Morgan’s pretty new guest didn’t stick around long. What did you say to the poor thing?”

No shit.

I finally managed to tear my attention away to pin my gaze on him.

“Do you know if she’s staying here awhile?”

Dave shrugged and offered a jovial smile. “Not sure if she’s staying awhile, but from what she and Mrs. Morgan said over breakfast, she’ll be here at least until the weekend.”

His words were sufficient to drop my heart back into my chest. Something told me from this point on I better stop wasting time or she’ll be gone before I can get a meaningful word out of my mouth.

Dave stood next to me, his eyes expectant.

Damn.

“You guys about ready to do some fishing?” I asked.

Dave grinned and let out a sharp whistle. “Let’s head ‘em up and move ‘em out,” he called to the men.

I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. I’d had fun with the group during the week. Most of them were avid outdoorsmen. Like me, they liked nothing more than to find some adventure and sport in the wilderness or on the water.

“I tried to convince Mrs. Morgan’s new guest to come along and fish with us,” Dave said as we headed out to the dock where the boats were moored.

His words caught my interest immediately. “Was she interested?”

The words came from me so fast, I winced. Jeez. Was I really going to pump some guy I barely knew for information about my mate?

Mine.

I’m not letting her leave this mountain without hearing me out. I have to.

The blow to my midsection shot the air from my lungs as surely as if I’d taken a hit from the heavyweight champion of the world. I clenched my jaw and only by the strongest effort of will did I manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There was no other way to explain my reaction to seeing Kami again.

Mine, my mind growled and I listened. Having her hand in mine again stirred to life feelings I thought I buried.

Even thinking of her being so near again sent a combination of relief and possession surging through me.

“No, man,” Dave said with a chuckle, “she might be pretty to look at, but that girl’s got high maintenance written all over her. From what she said and the face she made, I’d say she doesn’t venture many places that don’t have a spot for her to plug in her hair dryer.”

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