Protectors Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand away and offered him her bruised
    cheek. He gently pressed the cold peas to the swollen area. “I can’t
    believe that asshole would do such a thing…” he mumbled to himself.
    Sara looked up into his eyes and for the first time realized how
    close they were standing to one another. Her breath caught in her
    throat. Her skin tingled where he touched her. Tyler looked down at
    her. His beautiful blue eyes were warm with compassion.
    “We’re not going to let anyone hurt you ever again,” he promised.
    His left hand was cradling the side of her face, the other gently
    holding the ice pack to her bruised cheekbone. He slowly swept the
    pad of his thumb across her bottom lip, causing her to draw in a sharp breath. The air between them was charged with anticipation.
    Gage, still unpacking groceries, set a glass jar on the counter, and
    the noise brought her to her senses. She jerked back from Tyler as if burned. Tyler’s face visibly fell as she backed away. Had he wanted
    to kiss her? Surely it was just her imagination running away with her.
    “I was just asking Gage if you could take me to get my car,” Sara
    mumbled, trying to diffuse the charged air between them.
    Tyler held up the peas for her to take. “Sure. I got you some
    clothes and some shoes. Why don’t you take a shower, we’ll feed you,
    and then I’ll drive you home.”
    Sara made her way up to the guest room with the clothes that
    Tyler had purchased for her tucked under her arm and the makeshift
    ice pack still pressed to her cheek. Going back to the house was not
    something to look forward to, but it needed to be done. She had
    encroached on the cowboys’ hospitality long enough, and she needed
    to be on her way.
    As she waited for the water to warm, she considered herself in the
    large vanity mirror. When she took away the ice pack, the bruise did

    Protectors
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    look pretty terrible. She’d have to pick up her makeup when she got
    home and try to hide it.
    She peeled the bandage off of her forehead and looked at the gash.
    It wouldn’t be easy to conceal, but it already seemed to be healing. If she laid low for a couple of days in hotel rooms, it might not even be noticeable when she tried to find a job.
    Sighing, she stripped off her borrowed clothes and climbed into
    the tub. The warm water felt wonderful on her sore muscles, but stung in the cuts. She washed gingerly, not wanting to reopen any of the
    scrapes.
    As she watched the soapy water and dirt swirl down the drain, she
    turned her thoughts to the sweet and generous men downstairs. Why
    couldn’t she find a man like that?
    When she’d first met Jeremy, he seemed like such a decent guy.
    Taking into account his profession, she’d trusted him more easily than she should have. He’d used his position to explain away his
    aggression, and she’d fallen for it, believing that all policemen were respectable. She certainly had a different opinion about that now.
    It was different with Tyler and Gage though. She didn’t respect or
    trust them due to their positions. She just felt safe with them naturally.
    They were the kind of men that her mother would have approved of:
    friendly, intelligent, genuine… and as sexy as they came.
    That one brief moment with Tyler was packed with more heat and
    anticipation than Sara had experienced in the whole relationship with Jeremy, and it wasn’t even a moment. I’m pathetic. I’m going gaga over a gay man because was gentle with a bag of frozen peas.
    Cursing herself for her own stupidity, Sara turned off the water
    and used one of the fluffy towels from the rack to dry herself.
    In addition to men, Tyler had excellent taste in clothes. The khaki
    shorts and navy tank top were definitely things that she would have
    picked for herself. Even the sandals, which were a good bit sturdier
    than the flip-flops she’d so foolishly tried to run away in, were
    comfortable and attractive.

    36
    Samantha Blair
    Putting the peas back on her cheek,