Page 24 of Protected Hearts

But it was still glaringly clear that Shiloh had secrets she didn’t yet trust him with.

Chapter Six

Shiloh cracked her eyes, adjusting to the low glow of dawn streaming through the translucent blinds. Shadows played peekaboo in the unfamiliar space. She stirred, cocooned in warmth. A strange but comforting weight pinned her in place.

All at once, everything came rushing back. Her eyes snapped open, and her gaze fell across the man next to her.

Oaks lay on his back with one arm around her and the other crooked under his head. In the dim light, his face appeared more rugged thanks to the dark hair sprouting on his jaw and across his upper lip.

She sucked in a breath through her own nose, pulling in the cedar scent and male musk mixed with leather.

She darted her gaze down his body. He was fully clothed in the same worn jeans and black T-shirt. The cloth stretched over his broad chest, drawing her attention to his sculpted pecs.

Tanned skin snaked out from under the sleeves, tracking down his biceps to his thick forearms. His flesh looked warm. Like it would feel like velvet wrapped around the steel she knew his arms to be.

She turned her focus to herself. A glance down revealed the slope of one bare breast where the robe gapped open. The belt had loosened in her sleep—unsurprising since it was usually fitful—also revealing not only her thigh but the crotch of the cotton panties she’d thrown on in her haste when William showed up in her apartment.

Oh god. William.

He had her devices. How deep could he dig into her files? By now, he must have discovered the level of security she used to lock down the incriminating evidence she had on him.

Oaks’s big chest beside her face rose and fell, and the rhythm of his breathing changed.

His eyes popped open and fastened on her, totally clear. Had he even been asleep or only feigning?

He was military. He probably slept with one proverbial eye open.

She gripped the front of her robe and yanked it over her breast even as she shifted her legs in an effort to make the fabric cover the rest of her. Racking her brain, she tried to piece together everything that happened the previous night.

A kiss. A single kiss.

No tongues involvedthattime.

She knew exactly how Oaks’s body hummed with lust from their encounter in the bathroom, and though their kiss the previous night lacked that intensity, he still awakened her senses the same way.

She’d felt the desire harnessed in Oaks’s firm body and his stiff cock against her thigh.

Oh god.He had morning wood.

Boy, did he. The front of his jeans were distended by a thick, impressive length extending all the way to his belt.

To say she was in a dry spell was an understatement. She’d describe it as more of a drought.

Quickly, she rolled away from him and jumped out of bed, scuttling to the bathroom.

A minute later, she heard the bedroom door shut with a loud, purposeful click—Oaks letting her know he’d skedaddled.

Shiloh washed her face and rummaged through the vanity drawer. She came up with a brand-new toothbrush meantfor guests and a few toiletries. She used these and then contemplated her clothing predicament.

She only had the borrowed sweats from Layne. She could make do with the outfit again, but soon she’d need clothing. Problem was, she had no money at all. No phone to use a digital wallet either. Being in hiding, she had used only cash as a way to stay under William’s radar.

After being with William, Shiloh understood how important it was to have her independence, but in this case—and since she was presently in the country—she could declare that she was up the creek without a paddle. She was completely reliant on her bodyguard and the kindness of his family.

Compressing her lips, she tried to forget the feel of his hard yet soft mouth against hers and made up her mind to ask for help. In this case, she needed clothes.

After dressing in the sweats again, she opened the bedroom door and made her way through the house in search of Oaks. The scent of food made her stomach rumble, and she followed her nose to the source.

The kitchen was a mix of old and new. A retro wall oven somehow worked with the new granite countertops and dark wood cabinets. She looked around and spotted her bodyguard standing at the counter, a coffee mug in one hand. He bowed over a computer tablet, one long finger moving on the screen as he scrolled.

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