Page 73 of Damaged Protector

My heart almost split in two when she nodded. “My arms and neck. And my face. It felt creepy as hell. Then…” She swallowed hard. “Then, when I was on my knees, he unzipped his pants. He tried to… to make me…”

Her breath was coming hard and fast, and I sunk down in the bed, dragging her with me so we were lying down facing each other. My fingers traced her face, feeling the dampness of her tears. Each one burned into my flesh, leaving invisible scars there.

“He tried?” I asked, emphasizing the last word.

“I twisted his hand back and then punched him in the face.”

I wanted to whoop with pride. “I wish I could have seen that. Did you make him bleed?”

Mal almost smiled at that as she bobbed her head up and down. “I broke his nose.”

Nuzzling my nose against hers, I whispered, “I’m really fucking proud of you, Bee. Was he prosecuted?”

She stiffened and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. “No one believed me. Not the dean, not my mother, not my boyfriend.”

When a tear slipped down the curve of her cheek, a lump of sorrow swelled in my chest. Finally, her head turned, and she looked into my eyes, searching for something. For someone to accept her story as the truth.

I fucking gave that to her. “I believe you, Mallori. Every goddamn word.”

Her face crumpled in a combination of distress and relief, and I hauled her against my body, holding her while she let all her emotions loose into my chest. I didn’t let go until every sob and tremble of her shoulders was complete, and then I tilted her face up to meet mine.

“You’re the bravest fucking person I know, Bee.” She shook her head in denial, but I pressed a finger against her lips. “Yes, you are. What you did that night and tonight took balls.”

Her forehead creased in a frown. “How can you say that? I sprayed you with pepper spray.”

“I’m almost twice as big as you, and you took me on to save another person.”

“Who didn’t need to be saved,” she retorted.

“But you didn’t know that.” I kissed her lips softly and then rested my forehead against hers. “You’re so goddamn brave.”

Then my lips were on hers again. It was a kiss I didn’t think I was capable of, tender and sweet. Filled with the mixed emotions of the night.

When her mouth eventually slowed and her body seemed to melt into the mattress, I rested my cheek on the top of her head after flicking off the lamp beside the bed.

Breathing in her sugary scent while she slept, I told myself, just a few more minutes, and then I’ll carry her to her room.

Chapter 22

As soon as I woke on Saturday morning, a sense of dread filled my brain. I’d fallen asleep with Mallori in my bed, something that never should have happened.

Fuck, a lot of things shouldn’t have happened last night. I’d kissed her. A lot. And no matter how much I tried to force myself to regret it, I couldn’t. The thought of that sweet little tongue of hers stroking and circling mine had my cock hardening even more than my usual morning wood.

Speaking of that, my erection was wedged snugly against Mallori’s stomach as she laid beside me, her body firm and warm against mine. She was tangled around me, one slim arm slung around my waist and one leg lodged between mine.

And surprisingly, I didn’t hate it, despite the fact that I didn’t sleep—actually sleep—with women, especially not in my bed. I’d let women doze a few times in the Den after a particularly vigorous session, but my actual bedroom was off limits… my refuge. That’s why I had a separate room for my activities now.

I sighed softly. I’d fucked up and let Mallori sleep in my arms all night. I didn’t want to lead her on and make her think this was more than it was—me giving her comfort when she needed it. But strangely enough, I was comfortable too. She was soft, her even breaths making gentle flurries against my chest hair.

My mind went to Cam and the thought of what he would do if he caught his cousin in my bed. He’d go fucking apeshit, and rightly so. I wasn’t the right kind of man for this sweet, young woman.

So young. Almost eleven years my junior. Though it didn’t seem like it when we hung out. But still…

I edged my hips back to remove my throbbing dick from Mallori’s belly, and her eyes fluttered open before widening. Holding my breath, I waited for the awkwardness, but it never came.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, lifting on one elbow. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep in here.” Then she lightly punched my bicep. “For a lump of granite, this makes a pretty good pillow.”

I laughed, and just like that, things seemed back to normal. “Maybe I’ll rent them out.”

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