Page 57 of My Secret to Protect

‘Jen, I promise you, Arlo is the one thing that is helping right now.’ I release her but hold her gaze. ‘And I haven’t moved in. It’s just an extended sleepover.’ I grin, but she doesn’t, and I see she doesn’t buy it. ‘I like him, Jen. I really, really like him.’ I smile wide. ‘He’s kind and generous, and he cooks. My god, he can cook, and he gets me out of the house on walks and rides, and at night, we sit out on the back porch and listen to music while we talk and cuddle, and, well, you don’t need any more detail about the nights.’ I press my lips together, and she shakes her head. ‘I know it seems real fast, but really, I just want to be close to him right now. He makes me feel better.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise, this is where I want to be.’

She takes a deep inhale and blows it out. ‘Okay, well, in that case, damn girl, that is a real man right there.’

I laugh loudly and hug her again.

‘You are not wrong, Jen.’

As she walks down from the porch, she turns to face me, and my heart drops, as I wonder what she’s going to say.

‘Later, boss.’

Nodding, I turn and head back inside to find Arlo standing in the living room waiting for me, his huge arms folded across his chest.

‘What?’

‘Pack a bag, short stuff. We’re getting out of here for a few days.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me fine. You said it yourself. You need to soak up the sun and fresh air, so that’s what we’re going to do. Pack some things, let’s hustle.’

‘Arlo, what are you…’

‘Breanne Michaela Campbell, do I need to repeat myself, or are you going to get your behind upstairs and pack up your shit?’

I stare at him, dumbfounded. He full-named me. The smirk that curves his mouth tells me he knows he shocked me, but I don’t question him further as what he said really sinks in. We’re getting out of here, and nothing sounds better.

I’m Here, Bree. I’ll Do The Fighting

Arlo

I’monedgeaswe approach the cabin. It sits alone on the sandy shore at the opposite end of the lake, far enough away from town that it’s quiet down here, close enough that it hasn’t taken us long to get here.

Bree’s reaction when I told her Nick had given us the cabin for a few days was not at all what I was expecting. I didn’t tell her until we were on our way, and I wasn’t expecting her watery eyes and soft, grateful smile. She thanked me and held my gaze before I returned my attention to the road and sending that text to Nick became one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

We came in my truck because of Beans, and Bree’s soft, tanned thighs in her jean shorts have tortured me for the entire drive. The air conditioning is on but the temperature is rising as my fingers itch to reach over and hold her there as I drive. Jesus, I can’t wait to get out of this fucking tin can.

Putting the truck in park, I jump out and call Beans down as Bree climbs out on the passenger side. She looks insanely fucking hot today, and I hate myself for my resolve to stay away from her. I’d love nothing more than getting her to kneel in the sand, in her chucks and shorts, and getting her to su…

‘I love it here.’

Her voice has me shaking my head,What the fuck, Arlo?

‘Hmm.’ I grunt, taking a look around as she moves toward where Beans is already splashing around in the water.

‘You don’t like it?’

She turns to me and pushes her sunglasses up onto the top of her head, making her long brown hair, which hangs loose today, frame her face in a stupidly pretty way.

‘I don’t like how exposed we are.’

‘The cabin is secure. Nick put up a perimeter fence and made sure it was safe for Jonah and Missy. Doug helped, so I trust that.’

‘I’m going to check it all out.’ I step away as she drops to sit on a log, and I notice she pulls out the burner phone, since I made her leave her cell at my house, to take a photo of Beans.

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