Page 26 of His to Protect

Chapter 6

Declan

Damn, she was pretty. Even thinking it might make me an asshole, but as she sat across from me in the living room, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation we were about to have—one that needed to happen—I couldn’t stop thinking about how pretty she looked when she was still half-asleep.

Freckles dotted her nose, making her seem more innocent and naive than I knew she was.

Legs that were every man’s wet dream.

A chest that was just the perfect, small handful, and lips that could make me think only one thing—how good they would feel stretched around my dick.

I scooted forward, unable to tear my eyes away from Trina’s pretty body and her hesitant look. She wasn’t beautiful in a glamorous way, it was more in the sweet, Southern way.

Based on her accent, I assumed that’s where she was from.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to forget my obvious physical attraction.

I had told her the truth. She was safe in my house and I wouldn’t touch her. I had to stop looking at her that way.

“We need to talk,” I said and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

Her lips pressed together and she looked away.

I continued, for my safety as well as hers.

“You know I want you here and I want to help, Trina, but there’s a few things I need to know.”

Her eyes fixed on mine and her arms crossed defensively over chest.

“I need to know if you’re in trouble,” I began. “And before you jump up and assure me you can leave, I want you to think about one thing.”

“What?”

“Where are you going to go without any cash? I mean, you can sell your car. It’ll give you a nice safety net, but I’m guessing you don’t want the paper trail that will follow, and thenhoware you going to get anywhere?”

“You just have this all figured out, don’t you?” She looked away and that niggling feeling that I was being an asshole returned, but there was too much at risk here for me to stop.

“I’ve asked a woman I don’t know, who could be some major scam artist or in huge trouble with the law, into my home. I’m doing this taking the chance that you’re neither of those things, but you have to understand why I need to know, Trina. I would have asked you this last night when we were talking, but Derrick was here and it wasn’t the right time.”

I forced my voice to soften and leaned back in the couch, hoping I was showing her that I wasn’t a threat. I didn’t mean to turn the tables on her, let her think I’d brought her into my home out of the goodness of my heart just to trap her, but I hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, either.

“I’m not in trouble with the law,” she whispered, and sucked her lip in between her teeth.

“Just running from the man who hurt you?”

She nodded and her chin quivered. I closed my eyes and imagined finding the prick, throttling him with my bare hands, and then beating the shit out of him so he felt more pain than he’d ever inflicted on this woman.

The strength of the protective instinct I was feeling was scary. Even around Mara I’d never felt the overwhelming urge to pummel some asshole for looking at her the wrong way. I had a feeling that the first leering glance some guy gave Trina, he’d have my fist in his face before he could blink the vision of her cute, tight ass out of his thoughts.

“My husband,” she admitted, eyes blinking rapidly. I had figured that out on my own last night. “I left him a week ago.”

“Is he going to come looking for you?”

Another chin quiver, another bite down on her lip as she refused to meet my eyes.

“Not trying to hurt you, Trina. Not trying to push you, either, but I know someone who might be able to help you.”

Her head jerked and our gazes met. “Who?” she drawled, slowly and suspiciously.

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