Page 3 of Fierce Protector

“I’ll take two.”

The bartender poured two drinks and pushed them across the bar. Ledger tossed down some bills and carried the frosty glasses to the booth.

As soon as he stepped up to the table, the woman looked up at him. He saw the groan on her lips, but she was polite enough to swallow it with her sip of lager.

“I brought you another round.” He set the drink in front of her.

Her gaze flicked from the glass to his hand, traveled up his arm and across the expanse of his chest. He was used to women gawking, and this one didn’t disappoint with her quick intake of breath and the delicate flush across her cheekbones.

“Um…thank you.”

“I’ll cut to the chase. I like this booth. It’s the best seat in the house, and I like to drink alone.”

She shrugged as if to say she didn’t give a damn.

He liked her already.

“After the day I had, I’m not getting up.”

He studied her. Brown hair the color of rich honey, skin tanned from the sun and golden-brown eyes. She wore a simple sundress and her toned arms were bare. She gave off girl-next-door vibes but her words were don’t-fuck-with-me.

He could respect that.

He set his beer on the table. “What do you say we share the booth?”

Her gaze flickered over him. “I thought you wanted to be alone.”

“You can be alone and still be surrounded by a ton of people.”

Something moved in the depths of her eyes. Finally, she waved a hand for him to take the seat across from her.

* * * * *

Demi tried to keep her attention riveted on her drink, but her eyes had a mind of their own.

His muscular shoulders took over half the booth. Veins snaked up his forearms, and whenever he brought his drink to his lips, she was rewarded with a rippling display of strong tendons.

He also got her drink right. And if she had to share her booth, at least he was nice to look at.

Okay, hot.

She hadn’t been lying about the day she had. As the only veterinarian in Eden and the surrounding area, she was on call all the time. The first call of the morning, she took while it was still dark, and the only time she’d stopped all day was when she slid into this booth.

What he said about being alone while surrounded by people…she got it. In fact, it was her creed and her reason for coming to Badlands. While everyone knew who she was and how she earned her living, there was an unspoken rule to leave her alone.

He brought his drink to his lips and took a deep gulp. The action drew her gaze to the angled lines of his jaw, stubbled with dark hair.

He was quiet and respectful. Not hitting on her. Long minutes had passed without him trying to make any cringey small talk about their surroundings, or pointing out the girls attempting to ride the mechanical bull who kept falling dramatically on the thick gym mats on the floor.

When Demi slipped her stare back to his face, she found his gaze on her.

Steady.

She’d seen plenty of weirdos here in Badlands and ran across even more of them in her line of work. This guy didn’t seem crazy. He just seemed like a regular guy trying to relax after a long day, the same as her.

“My name’s Ledger.”

His voice brushed over her senses, deep and low. Oddly, she didn’t have to strain to hear him over the loud chatter in the bar.

---