Page 35 of Billionaire Protector

“Yeah,” he said honestly. “Unless you want to call for help.”

“I’d rather you bring my laptop and a cup of sugar – forget the coffee – and call this my new temporary office,” she grumped. “Okay, do it. But if you touch me for a second more than necessary–”

“Yeah, I know, hair depilatory and stuff.” He didn’t add that it might be worthwhile. “Take a deep breath.”

She did, giving him enough room to undo the buttons on her shirt one by one. And with every button, he felt less like a rescuer and more like a lover, disrobing her in preparation for intimacy. Finally, he reached the last button, and somehow managed to keep his desire from showing. “If you scoot down now, I think it’ll slide off.”

He moved back to give her room, but although she tried, she couldn’t wiggle more than an inch. She sighed. “I can’t gain traction.”

That left only a single option. “I could help you, but it might mean touchi–”

“Just do it.”

This obstacle course was testing his control like nothing else. Reaching under her shirt, he brushed her stomach, fighting to ignore the creamy skin that was as soft as it looked, the luscious curves that never ended. He gently pulled, yet she gave a soft gasp of pain. If he was going to release her from her unwilling confinement, he needed to reach higher.

Inch by inch, he pushed up. He brushed once more by her chest, the smooth skin covered only in lace.Stay in control. Ignore your urges. Do not imagine that beautiful body.Yet it was a near impossibility as he brought his hands down, and with them her, and slowly she began to slide down.

Her shirt stayed behind.

What seemed like hours must have only been a minute, and then he was pulling her out into the open air. He expected her to jump out, but she lay still as the fallen tree. He gently lifted her back. “Are you all right?”

She opened her eyes, but instead of the expected discomfort, she watched him with pure, unmistakabledesire. Now he couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering. Down her flushed face,eyes dilated with need, to her red, rosy cheeks. Over her slender neck, the full breasts barely hidden by pale, pink andsheerlace. “Are you all right?” he whispered again.

She nodded and bit her lip. Looked him up and down.

And then she lifted herself up…

And pressed her lips to his.

She was as sweet as sugar, as soft as rose petals. He tried to be gentle, but she would have none of it. She wrapped her arms around him, pulled him closer and kissed him with all the passion she couldn’t hide. He breathed her in as she tasted him. Then…. he plundered.

Emotion soared. Of course, the expected ones came – desire, need, attraction. And yet far less anticipated ones joined: ecstasy, possessiveness and the feeling that for once, all was right. It was a feeling he hadn’t had in a long time. Not since he’d been deployed.

Suddenly, it wasn’t enough. He wanted more, needed more. Needed to get closer to Sarah, and not just in the physical sense. Yet at that moment, voices sounded, and time was up, at least for now. With enough strength to power the sun, he broke the kiss. She looked at him with languid eyes, before they widened in pure horror. “They’re coming!”

Even if they explained what happened, it would still look suspicious. “I’ll grab your shirt.” He dashed back to the log and grabbed the blouse, reachable now that Sarah was no longer there. He threw it to her; by the time he exited the log, she was fastening the last button. Two seconds later, nearly the entire town of Harmony Creek emerged from the forest.

“Are you guys okay?”

“Is everyone all right?

“What happened?”

“We’re fine,” Cole called to the chorus of questions, moving between Sarah and the arriving horde to give her a few seconds to compose herself. As it turned out, it wasn’t necessary.

“No problem,” she said brightly, the picture of clear composure. “Everything is fine.”

“What took you so long?” Elma Givens, the queen of gossip for their little town, stepped forward. “You both seem flushed.”

The crowd blinked and peered closer, sporting not-so-subtle smiles and knowing grins.Damn.They were getting the wrong – as in right – idea. He hated to embarrass Sarah by sharing details of her adventure, but it was better than them filling in the blanks with their own. “Sarah got stuck in the log.”

The townspeople’s expressions turned from delight to unease in an instant. They pressed closer, flinging out questions about possible injuries, suggestions to call the paramedics. Sarah put her hands up amid the flurry of well-wishers. “I’m fine,” she assured them. “Not even a scratch.”

“We meant for you to go over the log.” One of the festival organizers bent down to peer inside the fallen tree. “Never figured anyone would go in it.”

Sarah bit her tongue. Before she admitted the truth, Cole jumped in. “That was my fault. I thought it would be faster if she crawled through it.”

His partner gave a look of grateful surprise as the people nodded their understanding. She quickly chimed in, “But Cole did a fantastic job of getting me out. He really is a hero.” She regarded him with genuine earnest. “Thank you.”

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