Page 26 of Protected Hearts

He groaned.

As if she got the rise out of him she wanted, she whirled off to browse the shoe section, leaving Shiloh alone with Oaks.

Out of the corner of her eye, she shot him a glance. Each step she took, he matched with his own.

She wasn’t going to ditch him and get any privacy. Which meant she had no choice but to shop for undergarments with him in tow.

His presence consumed her thoughts. The cedar scent that seemed to surround him in a faint, rugged, sexy way was far too prominent in her nostrils.

She reached the intimates section of the store and stepped up to a rack. He stood a foot behind her as she selected two pairs of the style of silky panties she preferred, both in black. When she moved to the red ones in the same style, a choked noise came from Oaks’s vicinity.

So this was why Layne had teased Oaks by making that comment about his brother. He did seem fun to annoy.

Aware he was watching Shiloh’s every move, she purposely grabbed the red pair of panties and a matching bra with lace.

When she strolled up to the counter and set the undergarments and other items she carried on the counter, Oaks slapped down his card without looking at her.

On their way to the exit, she sent him a glance. His long, rough fingers were wrapped tightly around the rope handles of the shopping bag, making her wonder if it bothered him that he was carrying her panties.

She let her gaze linger on his face. She’d woken up in his arms.

And he’d been sporting morning wood.

That thick length teased and tormented her body even though she’d never touched him that way. But she’d been inhiding for the past six months. Was there something worse than a drought? Because she was living it.

He caught Layne’s eye and twitched his head toward the door. She lifted the boot box, indicating she was headed to the checkout.

“C’mon,” he said gruffly to Shiloh and led the way to the space in front of the exit. As they waited around for Layne, she found herself alone with him for a moment.

She met his gaze. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Oaks.”

He dipped his head in a nod. The cowboy hat he wore made him look even more rugged and dangerous, and it did little things to her body that had never happened before.

“Did you get everything you need?”

His serious question had her mind switching gears from her personal needs to something else.

She nibbled her lip. “Can I ask for one more thing?”

She needed her own computer. She couldn’t keep asking to use the security agency’s device.

The protection she’d placed on her files required a renewal of credentials every day or else they’d automatically send to all the news channels, journalists and the heads of the FBI and CIA. She’d spent months compiling the list of people who would receive the dirt on William, but she wasn’t ready for the world to know what she’d found.

First and foremost, she had to make sure she was completely safe from her ex. If she sent the intel now, he’d only come after her harder. And there was no doubt in her mind that he would kill her.

“Of course. Whatever you need.”

She chewed at her bottom lip again. When she noticed Oaks staring at her mouth, she released her jaw. “I don’t have a phone. And I need a computer.”

He looked at her sharply. The glint of steel vanished as quick as it appeared. Her insides twisted a little.

He was on to her. He knew she was up to something, and that glint in his eyes said as much. She may not know Oaks well, but she knew enough to know that he was sharp. Little got past him.

They had that much in common.

She could scoff off her request but sheneededaccess to tech to do what she needed to do.

He eyed her for another beat and then gave her a single nod. “We’ll hit the electronics store after this.”

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