Page 37 of Unexpected Hero

And that doesn’t take into account who she is, her age, and the innocence permeating the air around her.

Definitely not a match.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket, shaking me from the trance she’s pulled me under. With a tip of my head toward the door, I begin moving us along. “I’ll walk you out.”

When she’s seated in her car with the bag of snacks on the passenger seat, she asks for my number.

After she’s typed my personal cell number into her phone, she fires off a text so I have her number too. Entirely unnecessary, but she doesn’t know that.

Instead of checking the text, I spend the last few seconds taking in her beauty before she drives away.

I can’t have her, but there’s nothing stopping me from wanting her.

And I do.

I fucking want her.

As she reverses from the parking space, it dawns on me that I’m waiting for the moment when I’ll catch her laughing at me. Or maybe mocking me for daring to think I’d have a shot with a woman like her. Once she no longer needs my assistance, she’ll likely move on.

But what if she finds another asshole like that fucker Toby? She could get hurt because she’s too damn innocent and trusting. I’ll need to keep an eye on her.

For her protection.

A solution pierces my consciousness almost instantly.

Maybe she can work the reception desk at the club. All the Doms will look after her if I ask them to. They’re protective of the staff and treat the subs with the utmost respect. The only place she’d be safer is at Redleg, but that’s out of the question for obvious reasons.

And I’ll be there to keep an eye on her, ensuring she doesn’t get mixed up with any undesirables. Maybe one of the other girls needs a roommate, and we can get her out of that shitty hotel. Whoever ends up rooming with her can keep an eye on her for me outside the club.

This is perfect.

Then again… is a BDSM club the best place for someone as innocent as her?

There’s only one way to find out.

As I head to my car, there’s a slight pep to my step that I normally don’t have. Once I’m inside my vehicle, I check the text she sent. My chest tightens, and my lower lip makes its way between my teeth as I read it.

Lettie

I’ve saved you in my phone as Dominant James with the Big Heart. So it’s only fair you tell me what name you save me under in your contacts

I save her as Off-Limits as a reminder to keep my heart and dick in check. But my reply isn’t exactly truthful. At least my dishonesty is consistent.

Me

I’m considering making you Sugar Bear with the Southern Twang.

Chapter 8

Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby

LETTIE

The scent of stale smoke greets me as I enter my hotel room and toss my purse on the top of the dresser. Ugh. I hate that smell.

I’ve wiped down the walls and every available surface with lemon-scented disinfectant wipes, but it does nothing to get rid of the funk. The grungy carpets don’t help either.

That odor is part of this place. Perhaps it’s the walls.

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