Her Protector: A Braxton Brothers Romance

by Meyer, Anne-Marie

  “It’ll be a few minutes,” he said.

  Layla nodded as she made her way into the kitchen and leaned her hip against the counter. Silence engulfed the room. James glanced around, not sure what to do. He wanted to talk to Layla. He wanted to get to know her more.

  But there was something holding him back. A giant, flashing neon sign above her head that said “She’s your best friend’s ex, you idiot.”

  And if he’d learned anything from Afghanistan, it was that you only get one chance to do the right thing. And this time he was going to do the right thing.

  He just needed to be strong enough to push down the feelings that rose up every time Layla smiled at him. Or when she let her guard down. The desire to pull her into his arms was taking over his common sense.

  The shrill whistle of the teakettle sliced into his thoughts. He jumped as he turned and pulled the kettle from the stove. After the mugs were filled, he held out one for Layla to take.

  “Thanks,” she said as she smiled up at him.

  James tried to ignore the flecks of gold in her eyes and the light splash of freckles across her nose. He also tried to ignore how soft her skin looked. He inwardly growled at himself to get his mind straight. To focus on anything other than how much he wanted to kiss Layla right now.

  “Porch?” he asked, nodding toward the back door.

  Layla nodded and followed after him as they rounded the side of the house and made their way to the front. They settled into the rocking chairs, and James felt a bit better. The sun had set behind the trees, causing a soft darkness to surround them. Both chairs faced the road, making it easier for James to focus on something other than his feelings for Layla.

  They rocked and sipped their tea in silence. It wasn’t until Layla set her mug down on the wood floor that she turned to smile at him. His heart instantly picked up speed.

  “It’s beautiful here,” she said as she leaned her head back.

  James’s gaze slipped down to her neck. Then he scolded himself and stared down at his tea. “It is. Life moves slower in Honey Grove.”

  She brought up her feet to rest on the edge of the chair, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. “I think slower is exactly what I need right now.”

  James peered over at her. “Really?”

  She closed her eyes, and James studied her profile. She looked calm but sad. His heart squeezed at the thought. She deserved to be happy.

  “I guess I’ve always pictured what my life would be like by this point, and running from whatever trouble my ex got into wasn’t a part of the plan.” She squeezed her eyes and scrunched her nose like she was thinking about something unpleasant.

  James glanced around. Of course. She was on the run with a man she didn’t know. That wasn’t what anyone pictured for themselves. “I’m sorry. I wish I could change things for you,” he said. The depth of his voice surprised even him.

  Layla peeked over at him, and he wondered if she’d noticed it too. He hoped she wasn’t reading too much into it. She was studying him over her mug, which she’d tipped toward her lips. Her eyebrows were drawn together.

  After she took a sip, she set the mug down on the armrest. “You really care about him, don’t you?” she asked.

  James ran his hands through his hair. His chest felt constricted. What was he doing? Why was he allowing himself to feel these things for Layla? He knew she couldn’t ever be his.

  He must have taken too long to answer. She leaned in closer. “James?” she asked.

  The softness of her voice sent shivers down his back. He glanced up to see her only inches from him. It wouldn’t have taken any work to lean forward and press his lips to hers.

  Idiot.

  Needing to get out of there, he stood and walked over to the railing, resting his elbows on the wood. How could he have let this happen?

  Hadn’t he learned?

  His ears perked at the creaking of a rocking chair. He heard her footsteps as she made her way over to him. His senses were heightened whenever she was around.

  She leaned her back against the railing next to him. Her arms were folded and her legs were stretched out in front of her.

  Realizing that he looked like an idiot, having this emotional breakdown in front of her, James turned, leaning back against the railing with his legs outstretched. They stood in silence as the warm South Carolina air surrounded them.

  “It’s hard for me not to feel loyalty to the guy who basically saved my life,” James finally said. He peeked over at Layla to see her staring at the porch floor.

  Her lips were pinched and her eyes narrowed as if she were trying to process what he was saying. “Juan was a good guy,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just wish he’d made some different decisions.”

  James felt like an idiot. What was he doing? Why was he really trying to get closer to Layla?

  “Sometimes, people need to hit bottom before they realize where they were or what they lost.” Right now, all James could think about was how Juan was a moron to let a girl like Layla slip through his fingers. How could he just walk away from her?

  James didn’t understand.

  Layla was watching him when he turned his attention back to her. Her expression had softened as she chewed her lip.

  “You’re nice,” she said.

  James studied her as a heavy feeling settled in his gut. No, he wasn’t.

  Not wanting to face his past, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and pushed away from the railing. He made his way over to his mug and picked it up. He needed a good night’s sleep before tomorrow—or maybe he just needed to get away from Layla. She was confusing him.

  “We should head to bed,” he said, picking up her empty mug. He avoided eye contact as he motioned toward the door. “Big day of birthday partying tomorrow.”

  Layla’s soft laugh surrounded him and filled him with so much peace, it made him seize up. This wasn’t what he was supposed to be feeling. He’d hurt people. He didn’t deserve the contentment that being around Layla brought.

  She deserved so much better than him. If he cared about her, he wouldn’t allow her to let him in.

  “I’m excited to meet Jordan,” she said, wrapping her arms around her chest and following him back into the kitchen.

  He tried not to read into the fact that Layla was standing right next to him. Or the fact that she was smiling up at him in an open and raw way. He tried to tell his heart to stop pounding, that nothing good would come from falling for her.

  She was untouchable. She was Juan’s. And he didn’t deserve any of the love that was trying to wiggle its way into his heart.

  If he wanted to protect her, he needed to keep her at a distance.

  Chapter Ten

  Soft morning light slipped through the drapes and spilled over Layla. She squeezed her eyes a few times before giving up her attempt to keep sleeping. She sighed as she sat up in bed and pulled the covers up to her neck.

  The room she was sleeping in was small and cramped. Apparently, Mrs. Braxton had a jam making business and stored all the spare jars and lids in this room. Boxes lined the walls except for where the small twin bed was shoved into a corner.

  Even though this space was cramped and chaotic, Layla was finding it hard not to love being here. It was everything she imagined a normal family would be. An overbearing mother who cared only about the happiness of her children. A strong, lovable dad. And siblings.

  She couldn’t wait to meet James’s siblings.

  If they were anything like him, she was going to have a great weekend.

  Realizing that she couldn’t spend the entire morning lying in bed, she pushed the covers off and padded over to the door. Even though the baby inside of her was tiny, she was already feeling the need to pee all the time.

  Hoping she wouldn’t run into anyone while dressed in her satin tank and shorts, she quietly turned the handle and pulled the door open. The hallway was clear, so she tiptoed over
to the bathroom, and just as she reached down to turn the handle, the door opened and James stood there with a surprised expression on his face.

  His gaze roamed over her as Layla stared at his bare chest. Beads of water still clung to his skin, and her gaze slipped down to his abs and the towel wrapped around his body.

  Heat flushed her skin as she managed to take a step back. “I’m so sorry.” She breathed out.

  James looked as startled as she felt. He pushed his hands through his damp hair, causing some of it to stand on end. His tan cheeks hinted pink as he shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m sorry.” He winced like that wasn’t what he’d meant to say.

  Layla shook her head. “I can come back,” she said, turning to make her way back to the bedroom.

  “No,” James said a little too quickly. He grabbed her arm. “It’s fine. I’m finished in here anyways.”

  The desperation in his eyes told her to stay. He dropped his hand, and she suddenly noticed how his touch was sending shots of electricity through her. He slipped past her, ducking his head. Once he’d cleared the doorway, Layla stepped into the bathroom.

  She let her gaze linger on his back as he made his way into the room at the end of the hall. He moved to shut the door, but just before it closed, he glanced up—meeting her gaze.

  Panicked that he'd seen her staring, she dropped her gaze and shut the bathroom door. Now alone, she leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths.

  What the heck was she doing? Why was she staring at James? It was like she was a glutton for punishment. She kept falling for the wrong guys.

  With Juan, it was because he was a bad boy who didn't seem to care about anyone but himself. And with James? Even though he was the perfect gentleman, there was something about him. A part of him that he was holding back, and she wasn’t sure what that was.

  Every attempt she made to grow closer to James was met with him pulling back. He kept her at a distance, and it was breaking her heart.

  She pushed off the bathroom wall, hoping to shove those thoughts from her mind. She didn't need to focus on her growing feelings for the guy whose job was to protect her. He’d made it pretty clear that he was only helping her because of his loyalty to Juan. If her ex-fiancé hadn’t gotten into trouble, she wouldn’t even be on his radar.

  She was ridiculous for reading into everything he was doing. For wanting there to be something more between them.

  After using the facilities, she flipped on the shower and slipped under the warm water. She needed to distract herself, and the relaxing sensation that raced through her body as the water beat down on her was doing the trick.

  After she was clean and dry, she wrapped her hair in a towel and slipped back into her pajamas. It was a straight shot down the hall and into her bedroom. If she was fast, she could avoid running into James again.

  After pulling open the bathroom door, she glanced in each direction. The coast was clear, so she hurried into the guest room. Just as she began to shut the door, she turned to see James standing in the doorway of his room.

  His eyes were wide as they moved up to meet her gaze. She gave him a soft smile—hoping to dispel the tension she felt from his expression. He looked distracted, which she wasn’t sure how to interpret. James just nodded as he pulled his door closed and headed down the stairs. He didn’t look back.

  Layla shut her bedroom door and collapsed on the bed. After a few deep breaths, she calmed her nerves enough to get dressed. By the time she was ready, she felt calmer. Like she could face the birthday party today and all of the strangers that came with it.

  She ran a brush through her hair, applied a bit of makeup, and adjusted her peasant top and shorts. The band of her pants felt tighter today. She pressed her hand to her waist as she turned to the side, trying to picture what she would look like in six short months.

  By then, there was no way she would be able to hide the baby. She wouldn’t be able to hide from the responsibility of being a single parent. The weight of her future bore down on her, causing her lungs to constrict.

  Could she do this? Could she have Juan’s baby?

  She closed her eyes as she forced herself to take deep breaths. Getting rid of the baby was not an option for her. It was her child and she would love it.

  But she’d never bargained to be alone. That wasn’t the life she’d seen for herself.

  And what about James?

  Her eyes whipped open as that thought tumbled around in her mind. Why was she thinking about James? He wasn’t hers. She didn’t belong to him.

  It shouldn’t matter what he would think about the baby. They weren’t anything to each other. In no time, he’d drop her back off in New York and walk away.

  James wasn’t hers. He wasn’t sticking around. Just like every other guy in her life, once he was finished with her, he would be gone.

  She fought all the pent-up emotions that rose to the surface. Feelings of inadequacy and abandonment were starting to suffocate her.

  She was so close to losing her cool that she doubted she would be able to pick herself up if she allowed the thoughts that were hammering her mind to take control.

  This wasn’t the time to think about the baby. Right now, she needed to relax and enjoy herself. Worrying about what the future would bring would only lead to exhaustion.

  She needed to stop thinking about what her future lacked and just enjoy her time here with the Braxtons. Maybe she could pretend that none of this existed. She could allow herself to be carefree for just a few days. Then she’d face her reality. Then she’d do what she needed to do to pick herself up and take control of her life.

  Was that too selfish?

  There was a soft knock on the door. Layla jumped as she turned, her heart racing.

  “Come in,” she said. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face the strangers downstairs, but she knew she couldn’t hide out here forever.

  The door opened and a woman with dark curly hair and bright green eyes appeared. There was a dash of freckles across her nose.

  “Layla?” she asked, stepping into the room.

  Layla nodded. “Yes.”

  The woman’s smile widened. “Hey. Sorry to bug you, but people down there want to meet you.” She smiled then shook her head as she moved closer and held out her hand. “I’m Tiffany,” she said.

  Layla quickly went through the list of people that James had rattled off. “You’re marrying Jonathan?” she asked, just to make sure.

  Tiffany nodded. “That’s right.”

  Layla smiled. There was something about Tiffany that put her at ease. Maybe it her kind smile. Whatever it was, Layla wanted to stay by Tiffany. Her nerves were too frazzled to get through this weekend alone.

  Tiffany blew out her breath as she glanced around. “Man, Sondra has you smashed in here, doesn’t she?”

  Layla followed her gaze and nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t mind. It’s so sweet of her to have me.” When her gaze made its way back to Tiffany, she shifted her weight.

  Tiffany was smiling at her in an open kind of way, and Layla wasn’t sure how to take it.

  But Tiffany didn’t seem to sense Layla’s hesitation. Instead she waved at Layla and started making her way toward the door. “Come on. If I don’t come down with you soon, they’ll send out a search party.”

  Layla grabbed her sandals and followed.

  As they walked down the hall, Tiffany filled the silence with conversation. It ranged from her wedding plans to her job. When they got downstairs, Tiffany finally paused to take a breath.

  All conversations stopped as Layla walked into the kitchen.

  Mr. and Mrs. Braxton were standing next to the sink with the water running. Mrs. Braxton shot her a wide smile as she rinsed off a dish. Mr. Braxton had his nose buried in a newspaper.

  Like a homing pigeon, Layla found James. He was at the far end of the room, talking to two men that Layla could only assume were his brothers. They had all turned to study her, causing a flush to rush across
her skin.

  Distracting herself, she glanced over to the table, where a thin blonde woman was blowing up balloons with a little boy with dark brown hair.

  They seemed to stare at her as Layla came up behind Tiffany. Not sure what to do, she just nodded at them. Hopefully, they didn’t see her cheeks burning from embarrassment.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Mrs. Braxton said. “Sleep well?”

  Layla nodded. Mr. Braxton grabbed the coffee pot and filled up a mug. He walked across the room and handed it to Layla. She parted her lips to tell him that she didn’t drink coffee, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead he turned and walked back over to the sink.

  The room fell silent until one of the brothers turned to James. “Introduce us,” he said.

  James snapped out of his trance and walked over to Layla. It was awkward how close he was to her without touching. It made sense when she thought about it. They weren’t dating. They weren’t even friends. She really wasn’t sure what they were.

  “This is Layla,” he said.

  There was a cumulative murmur. James reached out and pressed his hand to the small of Layla’s back as he guided her through the room. Shivers rushed across her skin from his touch.

  “You know Mom and Dad,” he said, moving her past them.

  Layla nodded in their direction.

  He waved at the taller one of the two guys who looked similar to him. “This is Josh, my oldest brother. He’s engaged to Beth.”

  The blonde woman stood at the sound of her name. She pinched a balloon closed with one hand while she reached out with the other. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said. Her smile was as soft as her voice.

  Layla smiled as she shook Beth’s hand.

  “That squirt is Jordan, Josh’s son,” James said, jabbing his thumb toward the only child in the room.

  Layla waved to Jordan, who smiled over at her. His mouth was stained from what looked like a blue popsicle. His cheeks were pink and looked kissed by the sun.

  “And, of course, this is Jonathan. He’s engaged to Tiffany, but you met her already.”