by Aliyah Burke
She got up slow from the table. “Outside.” Hand outstretched for the food, he passed it along and trailed her out the door.
There was another bite to the wind and he allowed his gaze to skim over her once more. She still only wore the clothing he put on her. He approved of her this way.
Her dog stood beside her patiently although he had to be starving. She unwrapped the chicken and offered it to the dog. She muttered a word to low for him to pick up on but the dog obviously knew it.
He took the food and Simon swore it was gone seconds later. She walked by him to return inside.
“He’ll be okay out here for a bit.”
Closing the door on the cold evening, he passed her as she went to the sink to wash her hands and added a bit more wood to the fire. Then he went to the bedroom and snagged a pair of sweats for her and a shirt for him.
“They’ll be a bit big but it’s better than being cold.”
“Thank you.” She used the back of his temporary bed to pull them on, rolling the waist down until they didn’t drag on the floor. “Do you have a phone here?”
“Nope.”
Expecting some comment about how was it possible for him to live without a phone he was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t push. She sat on the arm of the sofa and did some neck exercises. He read in her expression how she hated feeling weak and she was trying to recuperate as fast as she could.
“Tell me about you.” He moved to the loveseat and stretched out his legs. “Like maybe a name?”
“How do you not know my name? I know yours. I think I do anyway. It’s Simon, right?”
Fuck, he shifted on the seat to hide his cock’s instant reaction to his name falling off her tongue.
“Right.” Sure sounded like a sexy frog there, not.
“Geri. I’m Geri.”
“Nice to meet you, Geri. What the hell are you doing up here?”
She moved around to sit facing him. Back straight, cross-legged, eyes closed, and she even had her palms facing up on her knees as if she were about to start meditating. There were several deep breaths before she pinned those dark amber eyes on him once again.
“I was visiting a friend and when I left him, Lars and I were going to do some hiking.”
His gut soured. A him.
“Who is the friend? Husband? Boyfriend?”
She nodded and he wanted to hit something. “He’s a husband. I worked with him a few times in the Army and when he got out he came out here. I had an open invite to stop by so I did. Met his wife and some to the other men he works with. It was near Eagle Rock but I don’t remember how far away that is.”
“It’s a fair distance.” His curiosity was up, he was on the other side of the Crazies from the small town of Eagle Rock. “What’s the business called?”
She closed her eyes again. “Brotherhood Protectors.”
Well shit, he’d heard of them. Heard of the man to who started it all. Hank Patterson. “How do you know Hank Patterson if you were in the Army and he was a SEAL?”
He heard the light scratching at the door and he hopped over the back of the loveseat to get the door for Lars. The dog walked by him as if he wasn’t even there and lay down near Geri.
“You know Hank?” she asked softly.
“How do you know him?” he countered. Question is, do I really want to know how they are acquainted?
“Right, sorry. You did ask me that.” She gestured to her head. “I worked communications in the Army and was tasked a few times with helping out his Team.”
“And you went out for drinks after missions?”
“No, but I met him a few times when he came in. I liked him, good guy. Smart. Great head on his shoulders. Damn good at his job. What about you? Where did you meet him?”
“Never did in person. Only heard rumors.” He rubbed his palm on his thigh. “Is he expecting you back?”
“No.” She looked down to Lars and he saw the sadness up until then she’d been hiding.
“What is he, a Doberman/shepherd mix?”
She blinked a few times. “Lars? No, he’s a Beauceron.”
“Military dog?”
“Nope. He belonged to a friend of mine who recently passed away. I got Lars and so we were sort of just out spending time for the two of us. Traveling, exploring, that kind of thing.”
“He’s very protective of you.”
“That he is. He’s a good boy. Thank you for taking him when you grabbed me.”
Simon chuckled. “I didn’t have much choice, he made it perfectly clear he was coming along.”
“He’s good that way. He’s five and just hitting his stride I think.” She rubbed him with her foot.
“Have you remembered anything else before those men began shooting at you?”
“Nope, tried but I keep coming up with nothing. I mean, I’m not a cop, I’m not here on a story. I was just out walking my dog. It’s not hunting season and even if it was, I don’t exactly look like something that should be shot, stuffed, and mounted on a wall.” A small shrug. “At least, I don’t think so.”
He agreed with most of that, but he could do with mounting her. That would be fine by him. And against the wall would be acceptable. Or the couch, his bed. Hell, even the kitchen counter.
“What else about you. Do you have a husband or children who will be looking for you?”
“No, not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
She worried her lower lip then pushed to her feet. Simon tracked her as she went to the kitchen and filled the tea kettle and set it on a burner. He went after her.
“Geri?”
“It means that I had a husband, once. But he decided he was happier without me.”
The pain in her voice tore at him. He nearly went to touch her and offer comfort but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure it would be welcomed.
“Then he’s an idiot.”
“My sister didn’t think so since she’s the one who went with him.”
“He left you for your sister?”
“Yes.” She gave a small smile. “At least it wasn’t for my brother.”
Simon stepped close to her and brushed the back of his hand along her cheek. “You have a wonderful outlook.” He leaned in. “For what it’s worth, I still think he’s an idiot.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek and reached out to him, plucking at the rich green of his long sleeve shirt. His heart thudded against his ribs at the simple gesture.
αβ
Geri had this overwhelming urge to rest her cheek against his wide torso. She couldn’t quite figure out why he’d helped her. Most people would have gone on by and left her to deal with her own trouble. At least that had been her experience. But not him. He not only saved her but he also allowed Lars to come along with her. Of course with him, he probably didn’t give him much choice.
Right now, she wanted to be held. To have someone wrap strong arms around her and let her know that whatever she’d managed to fall into would be okay and she’d be safe. A sob welled up in her throat and she struggled to keep it contained.
“Thanks.” Her voice was raspy as if she wasn’t sure if she was going to cry and had been doing so for the last few hours.
“We’ll go find a phone for you to use tomorrow. Let you call your friend.”
Was it wishful thinking that she heard a slight bite of jealousy in his tone when he mentioned Hank? Had to be, this man had no reason to feel jealousy toward her in any regard. Still, it didn’t hurt to want it. Her own private thoughts were just that, hers.
“Thank you. And I know I’ve said it before but thank you for risking your life to save mine.” Her dog snorted. “And Lars’ life.”
She stepped back so he no longer touched her and that hurt on levels she didn’t even want to think about. Right now, she had to focus on figuring out what it was she’d stumbled on or rather into for her to get some people trying to snuff out her life.
“You should get some sleep.”
She nodded. “Agreed.” Turning slowly, she walked to the sofa and sat on it. “Good night.”
Simon stared at her. His expression blank for a moment before he laughed. Deep and sexy it had her mind going down a road, she truly wished it wouldn’t go down or she would most likely embarrass herself.
She swallowed hard. “What’s funny?”
“That you think I’m going to make you sleep out here on the couch.” He jerked his thumb toward the bedroom. “Off you go.”
Geri shook her head. “There’s no way this is comfortable for you. I’m much smaller than you and will fit on the couch. It’s your bed. You should use it.”
“This isn’t up for negotiation. You were shot, you need a good night’s sleep and I’ll be damned if I let you sleep between me and the door when there are men looking to finish what they started.”
You won’t see this man again and may as well be forward, make your wishes known. Her brain’s encouragement to go after what she wanted nearly had her blurting out an offer for sex. Somehow, she managed to clamp it back at the last moment. No need to look desperate.
She stood and made her way before him, stopping when her toes were brushing against his. “You want me in there, you have to share with me. I don’t feel right about taking your bed from you.”
His gaze darkened as he raked his gaze over her. “Deal.”
Her knees buckled and he had to grip her arms to keep her from hitting the ground. Okay, hadn’t expected him to take her up on that. His fingertips swiped along her skin, shooting sparks through her that she wanted to expound on.
“I’ll take Lars out once more, you go to bed.”
He released her and once she’d turned around she allowed the lust to spread over her face, it wouldn’t have done for him to see the lust in her expression. She padded through the small cabin and got herself ready for bed.
One by one the lights went out and she stiffened when she felt him standing over her. The bed dipped as he joined her, his weight causing her to roll slightly toward him. She fought the action and ensured to stay on her side of his double bed. There wasn’t a ton of room but she didn’t care. In fact, she’d love for there to be less.
Lars flopped on the floor beside her. Without being able to see, she was still sure he was facing the door, ready to get between her and any danger coming her way. She closed her eyes and did her best to fall asleep.
When she woke later, she was no longer by herself on her small portion of the bed. Not even close. She lay sprawled over the man who’d saved her life. Simon had no give anywhere on his body. All hard muscle covered by warm skin. More heat radiated from him than she got from the blankets.
She had her legs straddling one of his powerful thighs, her ear resting against his chest, above his heart. The steady dub-dub of it soothed her raw nerves. Along her hip, she couldn’t ignore the hard length of his cock. All he wore was a pair of sweats and she wanted all skin on skin. From head to toe. Nothing else between them.
Her arms one on each side of his torso while his were wrapped around her, keeping her tight to him. Not that she was complaining about where she lay.
She shifted her lower body slightly and his grip flexed along the shirt that she wore. For a moment, she thought about all she’d gone through lately and realized this was the first time she’d felt more than safe with Lars. She felt protected and cared for. Enveloped by that feeling, she closed her eyes once more, too tired to do anything other than that.
When she woke in the morning, she was alone in the bed and not even Lars was in the room with her. She pushed up, brushed the hair out of her eyes and scanned the room. Not a single sign that he’d been in there all night with her.
Padding to the window, she peered down and frowned over the thick frost on the glass pane, sure the design was beautiful but all it did was remind her how much trouble she would have been in had she been fending on her own.
From the front drifted the scent of eggs and more. She took a quick shower and changed into a clean shirt of his and dragged on the same sweatpants before rerolling them so she could walk.
His blue eyes pinned her the second she stepped into view and she gave him a slightly embarrassed smile. Not sure he was happy waking with her sprawled over him as if he were her own personal pillow. His hair fell forward over those amazing eyes, driving her to fight the need to push the strands back, so she could see that blue once more.
“Come eat. We’ll head down after.”
Her gut fell. He was ready to get her out of his hair and get back to his life. Forcing the smile to remain, she nodded.
Lars lay near the fire, sprawled on his side, tongue lolling. Traitor dog.
“Right, don’t need to keep you from your stuff any longer.” She made her way to the table, the warmth surrounding her when she woke, now gone leaving behind a chill she wasn’t sure would leave.
Chapter Three
Simon drove through the Crazies, heading for the nearest small town to him. It took a while unless you wanted to drive like a fool and risk killing not only yourself but any of the other cars—no matter how few there were—on the road because you couldn’t handle a corner. A quick glance in the rearview and he saw Lars lying down on an old blanket he had back there. From there, he moved his focus to the woman beside him on the bench seat.
Geri. Her ballcap pulled once more low over her eyes.
When she’d curled up to him in bed, he’d nearly forgotten she was recovering from a head injury. Her curves drove him crazy as she pressed against him, using him like he was her own personal body pillow. He didn’t have any problems accepting that role.
Silken skin. Warm curves. And a temptation like he’d never experienced before. He’d known the moment she woke and pretended he wasn’t, to see what she would do. If she’d try to escape from his arms or what. But after she tensed, she settled back against him and soon fell asleep once more. The only sound she made was about how she finally felt safe.
He had no intent of allowing her to be injured and when he caught up with the fuckers who’d shot her, they would pay. He was no longer unarmed. Beneath the seat he had a thirty-aught-six. Resting comfortably against his back, tucked in his waistband was a SIG Sauer.
There were more weapons in the back of the vehicle. The fuck he was going to be caught unaware. He highly doubted they were going to have given up on locating her. Yes, it had been dark so they wouldn’t have been able to see his Bronco but he wasn’t an idiot, there were only so many people living up here and if they knew their vehicles, they would be able to figure it out.
He rubbed the scar on his lower right jaw. Even though it was covered by his scruff, he could still feel it as if he were still cleanshaven. In his periphery, Geri sat up and looked around.
“What?”
“I feel like I should know this place.”
“It’s where I almost hit you because you came flying out of the trees.”
She rubbed her arms as she continued glancing about. “So wherever I was I was up from here.”
“Would be a logical assumption.” The road had been cut into the hills, so she would have been going down. He thought about the area and recalled an out of the way road that headed up in that direction. Perhaps she had parked up there. He shook his head.
“What are you shaking your head about?”
“Just thinking about where you could have been running from. There’s another old road up that direction. But you’d said you fell down, so chances are you parked farther up in that direction before you fell.”
“Maybe Hank can track my car.”
Simon really disliked hearing that man’s name on her lips but he kept that to himself. This wasn’t about him, but her and making sure she was safe and out of danger.
“Of course,” he said. “If they found it first, they’ve got all the information they need on you to find you wherever you live.”
“I would hope when they realize I’m not a threat to them they will leave m
e be.”
“We both know that’s not likely. They tried to kill you but you got away. They believe you saw something or overheard it and they need that silenced.”
“Great.” Frustration tinged her tone.
He got it. It wasn’t ever fun having to deal with people who wanted to kill you.
“You have Lars to keep you safe. And you have me.”
She angled her head toward him. “Do I?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t look at her right now or he’d kiss her and willingly follow that action down the rabbit hole to whatever happened next. “I’m not leaving you alone until this gets handled.”
“You have your own life.”
“And when we’re done, you’ll have yours back.”
He took easy breaths, content with his decision to ensure she get her life back.
Geri reached across the seat and grasped his forearm. “Thank you. For everything.”
Simon met her gaze and nodded. “You don’t have to thank me, Geri.”
“I do.” She released him and settled against the door.
He noticed how she continually glanced back to where Lars lay, unconcerned with all that was going around him. Especially the increasing sexual tension between his owner and Simon.
They passed the rest of the ride in silence. He was glad she wasn’t the kind of woman who felt the need to always hear her own voice. One of the reasons he was where he was had to do with his craving for quiet.
The small town popped up and he slowed as he pulled into the gas station. There wasn’t much around. Tiny diner for those traveling through to grab a bite at. Good food in his opinion. A few other small shops, including a grocery store, and the one gas station.
He climbed out as Lars rose. Geri opened the door on the other side and with a small hand gesture had called the dog to her side. Simon filled the tank while she and Lars walked around in front of the station. He was glad she didn’t go in without him. Although, she had a damn good protector at her side with that dog. He would have sworn it was a military trained dog but she said he wasn’t. Simon wasn’t used to civilian dogs behaving in such a way.
