Protector #5 (A Navy SEAL Military Romance) Read Online Free PDF

he
replied. “My job requires me to travel, and you’re still in college. You’ve got
so much to do and see and experienced, and I’ve…well, I’ve lived a really
different life.”
    “So you’ll just pack up and leave when this
is over?” I said defensively.
    “I didn’t say that,” he smiled as he held my
hand tightly. “I just said that there were going to be a lot of challenges for
us to face. You sound like you want me to stay.”
    I nodded and then the damn broke and I began
to cry. I cried not only because I wanted him to stay, but because I was tired
of living a life where everyone left. I was tired of being shuttled around from
place to place and having nowhere to call home. I was tired of feeling like an
outsider in my own life. Brian moved forward and pulled me into his arms. He
held me as I cried, sobbed really, just stroking my back and saying “It’ll be
okay” over and over.
    When the tears finally subsided, I felt as
if I’d run a marathon. I was exhausted and hungry. Brian called down and
ordered a huge dinner for both of us and then went into the bathroom and ran a
tub full of hot bubbles before coming out and telling me to go take advantage
of it before the dinner arrived. I stood up and nearly stumbled. Brian swiftly
caught me and carried me to the bathroom where he gently removed my clothes
before depositing me in the hot scented water.
    “Don’t drown,” he warned as he went out to
the living area to set up for dinner. I giggled a little and nodded indicating
that I’d do my best to obey his order. As I lay in the tub, I felt the stress
of the day sliding away and I closed my eyes as I tried to relax.
    I had no idea how this was all going to work
out, but maybe for once in my life things would work out in a way that didn’t
leave me feeling alone.
    *****
    I emerged from the bathroom feeling relaxed and drowsy
and found Brian setting up the dinner dishes that the room server had
delivered. It was a veritable feast, and my mouth watered as I looked at the
plates full of crisp field greens mixed with bright red tomatoes and pale green
cucumbers next to dinner plates containing perfectly grilled filets, baked
potatoes bursting out of their skins as they dripped butter and sour cream, and
pan-fried asparagus stalks coated in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. I
wouldn’t have known all of this had Brian not handed me the menu that
accompanied the meal.
    “Madame,” he said with a big grin as he
pulled out a chair for me and motioned me to sit down. I laughed and sat. The
smell of the food made my stomach growl as I remembered that I’d not eaten
anything since breakfast.
    “This looks amazing,” I complimented him.
“Perhaps I should let you order all of my food from now on.”
    “Nah, I’m a one trick pony,” he joked. “I
can pick out meat and potatoes, but the rest is beyond my skill level.”
    “You’re hilarious,” I said dryly shooting
him a grin as I put my napkin on my lap and picked up my knife and fork. “But
seriously, this looks delicious.”
    “I aim to please,” he said with a mouth full
of baked potato as he sawed at his filet. He ate like a man who had a limited
amount of time to ingest is food before it was taken away.
    “Slow down, we’re not in a race, sailor,” I
laughed. He gave me a sheepish grin as he lowered his utensils and took a sip
from his glass of water. We were quiet as we ate, but Brian watched me with a
questioning look and I knew he was itching to ask something.
    “So, I have to ask you,” he said on cue.
“We’ve been together for almost a week now and there have been some harrowing
moments that I’ve reported back to HQ, but something is puzzling me.”
    “I know,” I said. I’d been prepared for this
question from the first day. “You want to know why my parents never call me, right? ”
    “Yeah, actually, that was my question,” he
said amazed that I’d somehow read his mind. It wasn’t so much that I’d read his
mind