Damaged Read Online Free PDF

home.”
    Seth ignored her protest as he pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the car. Her gaze followed him the entire way around the front of the vehicle until he was pulling her door open. Holding his hand out for her, he motioned with his head. “Let’s go.”
    She didn’t budge. “I can’t. Please, I can walk from here.”
    “You can come in for one cup of coffee,” he said, his arm still extended. She stared at his hand for a moment before her gaze flickered down the street like she was calculating her escape. Seth shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. Get out of the car.”
    Hell , even if she did run, he’d probably let her go again anyway. She was skittish as a kitten, and he needed to treat her as such. Relief washed over him when she finally pushed the bag from her lap, and placed her small hand in his. God, she was tiny. His hand enveloped hers completely when she finally stepped from the vehicle. She was tense, and he could practically feel the fear pouring off her.
    Shutting the door behind her, he held onto her hand until they entered the diner, and slipped into a booth near the back, away from the crowd. She still had the hat on, with her hood pulled over it, and he was dying to know what she was hiding underneath.
    Trying to make her feel more at ease, he shrugged his coat from his shoulders and placed it on the seat next to him. She watched his every move like a startled rabbit, and damn if that didn’t make him feel like the big bad wolf. “Why don’t you take your jacket off? It’s warm in here,” he suggested, sitting back to drape one arm over the back of the booth.
    “Why?” She said the word so quietly he had to strain to hear her.
    “Look, I already told you I wasn’t going to hurt you. Relax. You’ll get home safe and sound. Promise.” Those honey brown eyes flickered around the diner once again, but her hand went to the zipper of her sweatshirt. Slowly, she unzipped it, but hesitated when her hands went to the hood. She met his gaze and swallowed.
    He waited silently, not wanting to rush her. Trust was something she obviously didn’t give out freely. God, what had she been through to leave her so cold, hardened? It made him sick to even think about the things she’d endured, but they’d get to that eventually. He needed to gain her trust first.
    Seth held his breath when she slid the hood from her head before pulling the jacket off. A long sleek, black pony tail spilled from the back of the hat. She was even smaller without the sweatshirt, but still curved in all the right places. She was beautiful, it was easy to see, but he wanted to see more. The bulky ball cap was still pulled low, masking most of her features. “Take the hat off too.”
    Her eyes snapped to his once more, and he could practically see the protest on her lips. “Please, just humor me,” he crooned, hoping like hell she would just take that damn hat off. And she did. It took her a moment to mull it over, but finally she pulled the ball cap from her head, giving him the first real look at the woman he’d been nearly infatuated with for a month.
    Seth rubbed his hand over his chin, taking her in. She was even more beautiful than he had expected. Her skin was olive toned, flawless but for a small beauty mark on her left cheek. Her eyes were big, her lashes dark and thick. She had an exotic quality to her that had him clenching his jaw against the onslaught of lust that slammed into him unexpectedly. How did such a beautiful woman fall on such hard times?
    Trying to mainta in an air of nonchalance, Seth waved the waitress over. She wasted no time making her way to their booth. With a big, warm smile on her face, the waitress pulled her pen and paper from her apron and propped a fist on her voluptuous hip.
    “Well , hello there, you two. My name is Karen,” she said sweetly, with an added wink. “Special tonight is a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and a slice of homemade