Page 33 of Protected Hearts

He gestured to the table, and she carried her coffee to it. He set the food down and grabbed a couple plates and some silverware. Shiloh poured him a mug of coffee too. The simple act gave her a funny feeling, like she was living another woman’s life.

“How do you like your coffee?” she asked, setting it near his place at the table.

“With cream.”

“I’ll get it.” She strode to the refrigerator and pulled out an old-fashioned glass bottle. “Is this milk?”

“Yup. We keep a few dairy cows around. Some of the guys in the therapy ranch go through the process of milking and pasteurizing.”

“Wow. I’ve never had fresh milk before.” She brought it to the table and trickled a little into both of their mugs. The white cream swirled into the rich, dark brew. She took a seat and reached for the fork to spear two pancakes, then added a scoop of scrambled eggs.

“You made a ton of food. Isn’t anybody else around to eat it?”

Using a set of tongs, he picked up half a dozen strips of bacon and dropped them on his plate. “I thought Carson and Layne might be around, but they left early. It’s all good—I’ll just eat their portion.”

Judging by his size, she guessed he could pack away calories and never gain an ounce.

She poured a copious amount of syrup on her pancakes and took a bite. The taste of sweet heaven spread across her tongue, and she couldn’t stifle a moan.

Oaks’s stare latched on her face, watching intently as she chewed the bite.

“It’s been ages since I had pancakes.”

“How long is ages?”

“More than the six months I’ve been evading William.” She issued a sigh. “I shouldn’t be talking about my ex. I don’t ever want to think about him again.”

“Well, wearemarried now. You can tell me anything you want.” He bit off a chunk of crispy bacon and smiled at her as he chewed.

Her stomach fluttered. “Do you think our marriage is actually binding? You didn’t use your real name.”

“But there was a priest.”

“A dirty one.” She stabbed into her pancake too hard and the fork tines screeched on the dish. She flinched and tried to calm herself.

“We’ll figure this all out, honey. I promise.”

His tone eased her, but his use of the endearment flooded her with memories of him calling her that while in the throes of ecstasy, knotting her up again.

They ate in companionable silence as he worked his way through two pancakes and all of his bacon. When he reached for more, she snagged two off the baking sheet.

“I’m not going to let you hog it all.”

His teeth flashed white in a grin. “Guess I’ll fill up on pancakes.”

Eyeing him, she stabbed a third and flopped it onto her plate. His eyes crinkled at each corner, and he let out a low chuckle that sent just as much liquid heat between her legs as the deep, throaty growls she’d heard from him in bed.

“What about your family? Do they know what’s happening to you?”

His question threw her for a loop. Staring at the table, she set her fork down. “No.”

“You mentioned a sister.”

She had, out of desperation when she learned a man she didn’t know and had just been forced to marry was putting her on a plane.

She shook her head. “My sister does live in Brooklyn, but she doesn’t know I was ever in the city. I dropped all contact with her as soon as this all went sideways with William.”

“That’s rough. I’m sorry, Shiloh.” He paused in eating and watched her carefully. “And your parents?”

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