Page 22 of My Cowboy Bodyguard

Leo

Searching. Longing. Fearing. Aching. Those were the way my years were spent until I found her again. She’s by my side where she’s meant to be. She’s mine and I’m hers. Everything is alright now.

The sky begins to darken, and I immediately sit up. I’ve been caught out in enough Texas storms to know how quickly the weather can get dangerous.

“Let’s go.”

My heart jumps when Amanda blinks away tears.

“Did I hurt you?” I’m horrified by the thought I caused damage of any kind to her.

She shakes her head. “It’s just seeing your back again. Those scars…and it doesn’t matter what you say, I know I’m the reason…”

I stop her. “Those aren’t scars to me honey. They’re marks of a warrior who went to battle to fight for his woman. And won. You hear me? He fucking won. Because we’re together.”

A smile curves her lips, and she lifts a brow. “Your woman?”

I blink. It never occurred to me that she might not think the same. “Aren’t you?”

“I am. Isoam.” She smooths her hair back. “I didn’t think you…I mean…I’m a little awkward, I guess. I don’t know how to be…I don’t…”

I lean in for a quick kiss. “You don’t have to be anything or do or try. All I need is you by my side.”

I pass her change of clothes to her. “The storm might get nasty. We need to hurry home.”

She squints up at the sky as she dresses. “I’ve never had a home.”

“Yes, you have. Me. And you’re my home.”

She smiles. “How did I get so lucky in life?”

“I feel the same way, now move that sweet ass.” I push my feet into my boots, pack up our stuff, then help her onto her horse before I swing up into my own saddle.

We ride hard back toward the house and reach the barn as the storm clouds open up.

“Rest,” I tell her, guiding her to the loft. “We’ll dart to the house after the this slows down.”

I take care of the horses, then stand at the door to look outside. The rain falls down in sheets, drenching the land.

The loudness of the storm drowns out sound and Amanda and I are cocooned in a world of our own. My brothers are all busy with other tasks and won’t disturb us. My cock starts to harden again.

I shouldn’t want Amanda again this soon, but I do. I turn to head toward the ladder leading up to the loft then feeling uneasy, I stop.

Years of watching over others honed my senses. There’s a certain pattern to rainfall even in a heavy storm. When the pattern is disturbed, it means something is moving through the rain, throwing it into discord.

A man, short and thick-waisted, his hair receding away from his scalp, darts into the barn.

I take him to the floor and pin him in place with my arm against his throat. I wonder if he’s the fucker who’s after Amanda. I press harder.

He taps my arm and makes a gagging sound.

I ease up a little.

“Michael Yorkman,” he wheezes. “I’m the investigator your brother Flint hired.”

“Uh huh.” Flint hadn’t said a word to me about hiring anyone, especially with money being so tight around here.

I keep him in place with one hand and take out my cell to call my brother. When he confirms he did hire the man, I let him up.

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