Page 8 of Protector Daddy

“You can’t tell Mav. Or Brady. Or anyone. Please,” I begged, disgusted by myself yet unable to stop the plea.

So much for proving no one could control me. That was all well and good when Christian with his massive hands and intense eyes was pressed against me.

Now I was standing on my own two feet and retreating to my old safe Honey-like ways.

“You know what it’s like,” I continued urgently, dropping my voice to a harsh whisper. “You make an impetuous mistake and next thing you know—”

“Next thing you know, he’s going to be your colleague. You’re just finally getting out of your mom’s house,” Vanessa reminded me, as if I could ever forget. It had been all I wanted for so long. “Don’t fuck it all up before you even start your new life.”

She turned back to Christian and raised her fist, shaking some piece of paper. “And what was that Happy Halloween bullshit about?”

Christian’s face was an unreadable mask as he shifted to face us. Michael Myers’ face mask held more expression than Christian’s right now. “What are you blathering about?”

“The ticket you left on my bus.”

“I didn’t leave a ticket. Mav stopped by earlier for a few minutes. He probably did.” Christian smirked. “Problems already in your happy home?”

Vanessa opened up her fist and smoothed the ticket against the wall. Carefully, she rubbed out the creases before shoving it into the zippered pocket of her purse.

I sniffed, surprisingly moved. “Aww, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Saving Mav’s note.”

She scowled at me over her shoulder. “I’m not keeping your secret.”

Panic seized me, and instantly in my head, I was back standing in front of Christian as his big fingers clamped around my throat. Between my legs, I started to throb. “But you have to.”

“I’ll tell them,” Christian announced, his jaw locked as if he was in physical pain.

“Absolutely not. They’re my brothers, and you aren’t to breathe a word of this. All we did is kiss.” I rubbed my mouth, probably smearing my lipstick all to hell. “I mean, basically.”

Vanessa snorted. “Kissing traditionally involves just the mouth. That was clearly second base.”

“Second base? What are you, twelve?” Christian’s voice slashed out like a whip.

“And what are you, abusing your position?”

I hissed out a breath. “I’m not talking to either of you.” On shaky legs, I walked back into the break room to get my cardigan and my purse then I headed out without giving either of them a backward glance.

Then I just kept walking, dodging the pedestrians—in costume and not—filling the sidewalk. I didn’t have a destination. Didn’t have a plan.

What I should do was go to the bakery to help out for the afternoon. But I walked right by it.

Somehow, some way, I felt irrevocably changed from the Honey I’d been when I went to that interview.

I’d always played by the rules. I’d never so much as cheated on a test. In junior high, my History teacher had forgotten the answer key for our pop quiz on her desk during lunch break and even though I knew it was sitting right there, I never so much as peeked.

Today I’d barely peeked. Christian had done the peeking—and I’d invited him to. My only regret was that he hadn’t seen more of me and vice versa.

I just didn’t know why I’d reacted so strongly to him today. Maybe because it was the first time we’d been all alone? Or that I’d seen such…desolation in his eyes?

Or perhaps it had to do with that flask.

With someone else in his position, I would’ve thought he was riding a line that he shouldn’t cross. But combined with his pained expression, it seemed as if it was a temporary crutch. Something to get him through the day.

Besides, let’s be real—a guy his ginormous size would need to drink the contents of a hell of a lot of flasks to even feel the effects. And I’d never heard so much of a whisper that Christian had an issue with drinking.

Something big had happened. I didn’t know what. But I wanted to help ease his pain, even for an hour. I wanted him to smile just for a little while.

Because of me.

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