Page 4 of Hidden By His Side

“If you don’t want your life, let me have it.”

She struggled up until she could look into his eyes. The moment she did, the tension leaked out of her body, as if she became so light, she’d just float away.

Her smile formed for the first time, changing her face into something so beautiful he had no words for it. Her hand settled against his bearded cheek, stroking.

“Oh,” she breathed. “I get it now. I already jumped. This is heaven.”

Her fingers and words sapped away every thought in his head. No one had ever looked at him the way she was looking at him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was so weak.”

“You’re wrong. You’re not weak.” He rubbed his cheek against her hand. “But you want someone to take care of you? I’ll fill that role.”

“You’ll take care of me?” she whispered. Her lashes fluttered closed, and she rested against him. He preferred her head tucked under his chin anyway.

“Nothing can stop me from taking care of what’s mine,” he promised her. “And you’re mine now. You wantto be mine, don’t you?”

“This feels like a dream,” she mumbled. “I never have dreams anymore, only nightmares.”

Ramiro had never been anyone’s dream.

He gathered her in tighter, his large arms easily lifting her body as he shifted them away from the edge. “I’m Ramiro. What’s your name, baby girl?”

Her body completely melted against his, letting him take care of whatever happened next. “I’m Summer,” she mumbled.

Of course she had a name like that.

Her breaths fluttered against his neck as he stood with her in his arms. He finished crossing the bridge, her body adding no weight to his steps at all. Instead, holding her made them lighter than they’d been before.

Chapter 1

Ramiro looked away from his computer screen only to be sideswiped by Summer’s smile. It was like a punch in the gut, but one where he didn’t mind losing his breath.

She crossed his office, the smell of his favorite sandwich mixing with her lavender scent. That had become his favorite scent as well, the lavender one, not the food. The food just proved that after ten years, she still tried to take care of him.

He loved it and hated it at the same time. Didn’t she yet realize that he was the one who was supposed to take care of her?

“Spoiling me with my favorite again?” He reached out, his finger grazing her hand as he took the wrapped sandwich. He could allow himself that small of a touch. “Didn’t realize it was lunchtime already.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Summer’s smile widened, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was forcing it again.

Which meant her current prick boyfriend needed to be taught a lesson.

Encouraging her to date other men had been the right thing to do, but he still regretted it. Summer seemed to attract all the worst men. After the married one and the one scamming her out of money, Ramiro had background checks done on anyone she was interested in. The latest one had nothing pop on his history. On paper, he was clean-cut, with a decent office job.

He still wasn’t good enough for Summer, but then no one was.

Especially not Ramiro, who’d done more nasty things than she even knew were possible, including killing his own father.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, setting his sandwich down on his desk.

Her smile just grew wider, teeth flashing. “Everything’s fine.”

He hated those words. She’d said them a lot over the years, and they were never true.

Ramiro forced his voice to soften. He was a big guy with a big voice, but Summer never handled raised voices very well. “Please tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” she insisted, but her hand rubbed against her neck, something she only did when she was anxious.

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