Page 9 of My Cowboy Bodyguard

I bound through the bedroom and into the bathroom, bracing myself, ready to destroy the danger.

The shower door is open, and she’s flattened herself against one of the shower walls, her breathtaking body glistening beneath the droplets of water.

“A spider was on the ceiling. I noticed it when I was touching myself and?—”

She stops and ducks her head in embarrassment as she uses her hands to cover her beautiful body.

There’s so much I want to say to that but if I want to remain in control of myself and my thirst for her, I can’t go there.

Instead, I tear my gaze away from the nipple poking between her fingers to ask, “Is it gone?”

“Yeah, I think it went down the drain.”

I turn my back to her and pull a towel from the rack. Reaching behind me, I hold it out. “Dry off. I broke the front door so we’re leaving.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can stay up tonight and then get it fixed tomorrow. So don’t trouble yourself to?—”

I face her, thankful she has the towel now covering that dream body. “We’re leaving.” I give her the stony face I used to give clients who didn’t realize that the first part of staying safe is getting to a secure location.

She steps from the shower, and I watch a line of water caress a path along the soft skin of her shoulders. It runs below the towel, traveling to a destination I want sprawled out before me warm and willing.

Swallowing hard, I shift my stance so my cock isn’t prominently showing.

“Okay,” she concedes, “but I don’t want to be a burden.”

No one wants a kid like you around.You’re a burden.As the words staff from the Home used flash through my thoughts, I frown. “Why would you coming with me be a burden?” I ask.

She chews her lip. “I mean we’re strangers yet here you are taking care of me.”

I can’t tell her that though I once protected others as a job, I feel like I was born to protect her. And maybe because Amanda reminds me of her, in some way I’m trying to find penance for the guilt I feel for failing to protect a broken angel. I’d promised I’d stay by her side and couldn’t.

“Pack what you need,” I instruct. “I’ll arrange for your place to be secured.” I step out of the bathroom to make some calls to my brother, Flint, and then to Rio Fairway.

He once did time to protect the woman he loves and like me, he’s been through some bad shit. He’s a cowboy who can be counted on to have my back in the middle of a tricky situation.

I don’t know exactly what Amanda is dealing with, but whatever it is, judging by the fear she exhibits, it’s bad.

By the time Amanda finished gathering her stuff, twenty minutes passed and two of my brothers are at the door.

Wilder rubs his chin when he sees the damage, but like Flint, he doesn’t ask questions. They get to work using the boards they brought to prevent access to her apartment.

Amanda exits as Wilder hammers in a nail, and she quickly sidesteps, moving closer to me while watching my brother’s every move.

“He won’t hurt you.” I take her hand in mine and ignoring Flint’s raised brows, say, “She’ll be staying at the ranch with us for a while.”

Amanda pulls against my hold, but I don’t let go.

“Leo, I can’t impose, and really, once the door is fixed?—”

“Save your breath,” Wilder interrupts. “Arguing with Leo is like trying to get a fence post to agree with you.”

Flint grunts and nods his agreement, then because he’s always thinking of what needs to get done, claps my shoulder and adds, “First thing tomorrow fix the side of the barn. Marshall’s horse kicked through the stall because River’s damn crazy rooster spooked him.”

River has a habit of rescuing injured or unwanted animals. He’s got a knack for doctoring them back to health and then they stick to him, following him around like he’s their daddy.

I grab the handle of Amanda’s suitcase with my free hand. “We’ll see you back at home.”

Except for a pitiful streetlamp, the apartment parking lot is nearly pitch black. I make a note to get someone on that.

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