[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I m fine. Just angry. Really, really angry.
I understand. Why didn t you tell me he d been harassing you?
She looked away, feeling guilty. It wasn t harassing, exactly. Just some phone calls and text
messages. I didn t think he d show up here.
Now that he has, I don t want you here alone. Not ever. I understand if you need to let him see the
boys, but I m going to be here supervising.
It s not your job description to be my babysitter.
He shook his head. Are you kidding? Taking care of you and the boys is exactly my job
description. Sheri, what if I hadn t been here tonight? What if he d forced his way in?
She shivered again, not meeting Sam s gaze. I don t think he d do that.
I ve known guys like him. He s not going to take no for an answer. Not from you, anyway. He
needs to hear it from me. Firmly.
He looked so big and dangerous standing there in her foyer with the moonlight glinting on his torso
through the window. Sheri felt her mouth go dry.
I can t ask you to deal with my asshole ex, she said. It s my problem, I should be the one to deal
with it.
He shook his head. Do you ever let someone else help you?
She frowned and toed a spot on the carpet. No.
Try it sometime, he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her around. Like right
now, for instance. He began marching her toward her bedroom, his hands firm and commanding and
so stupidly sexy, she almost tripped over her feet.
Sam, I don t
Enough! You re going to bed. You have a long day at work tomorrow, and you need to rest. I m
going to clean up the kitchen. You are going to get a good night s sleep.
But
No buts. This is how it s going to be, whether you willingly accept help or if I have to tie you to
your bed.
She shivered a little at his words and turned to face him in her doorway. She gave him a tentative
smile. Is this your way of avoiding the awkward conversation?
What awkward conversation?
The one that begins, We shouldn t have done that and ends with It ll never happen again.
Part of her wanted him to argue to insist it should have happened, and it ought to happen again.
Instead, he nodded. Right.
She nodded to herself as though affirming her own words in her mind. Then she looked up at him
and offered a small smile. Good night. And thank you. For everything.
She turned and walked into her bedroom, the word everything echoing in her brain.
&
Sam spent an hour cleaning, careful not to bang cupboards or make any noise that might disturb Sheri
or the boys. The quiet gave him plenty of time to consider the fact that Limpdick had finally made
contact. That he d escalated beyond threatening text messages and had actually shown up in person to
reclaim her. Every molecule of Sam s being was on alert, ready to do whatever it took to protect
Sheri and her boys. This is what he d come here to do.
You didn t come here to sleep with her.
He grimaced, recalling Mac s order for Sam to keep his hands off Sheri.
Okay, so he d screwed that up. He d screwed up a lot of things in his life, but he hadn t meant to let
things go this far with her. What the hell had he been thinking?
He hadn t been thinking, at least not with his head. Not with that head. She was vulnerable. She d
made it clear she didn t want a relationship. He d been a jerk to sleep with her, especially knowing
how angry she d be if she knew who he really was. That he d been lying to her all along.
He gritted his teeth as he folded a dish towel. God, what if he d ruined everything?
No. He could still get out of this. Still do his job without disappointing Mac or ruining things with
Sheri. He just had to keep his distance, to make it clear to her this couldn t happen again. Ever.
Sam moved quietly down the hall, peering in at the boys to make sure they were still sound asleep.
Then he moved to the end of the hall and looked into Sheri s room. She d left the door ajar, and he
could see her lying on her side beneath the flowered coverlet.
He felt his gut twist, and he wondered what it would be like to crawl into bed behind her, pulling
her close to his chest as she tucked her backside against him and curled her body into his. He thought
about breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling her breasts soft against his forearms as he held her
tight to his body.
No, he told himself, and stepped away from the door. No.
He could still save this. He could stay up all night making sure Price didn t come back. He could
stand guard over the boys, over Sheri, protecting them all. Mac never needed to know what had
happened, especially if it was just a onetime thing. It never had to happen again.
He stole another glance at her sleeping form and took a deep breath. Never again, he commanded
himself, and turned to walk back to his room.
He dialed Mac s number, halfway hoping the call would go straight to voicemail.
Mac answered on the first ring. Sam, he said crisply. I got your e-mail about Price s text
message. How s my sister?
Safe. Everything s fine.
Did something happen?
Nothing happened, Sam almost blurted, then realized Mac wasn t talking about what took place in
the shower. Lieutenant Limpdick showed up.
He proceeded to fill Mac in on Jonathan s visit, describing the exchange in excruciating detail.
Mac listened quietly, a silence that could mean anything from thoughtfulness to deadly rage.
So you think he s been in contact more than she s told you? Mac said at last.
I believe so. And I also don t think he s going to give up easily.
Sam started to say something else to point out that no man in his right mind would let someone
like Sheri go so easily but he stopped himself.
Manipulative prick, Mac muttered. Twenty bucks says Limpdick doesn t give a shit about
seeing the boys. He just wants to get to Sheri. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
I m fine. Just angry. Really, really angry.
I understand. Why didn t you tell me he d been harassing you?
She looked away, feeling guilty. It wasn t harassing, exactly. Just some phone calls and text
messages. I didn t think he d show up here.
Now that he has, I don t want you here alone. Not ever. I understand if you need to let him see the
boys, but I m going to be here supervising.
It s not your job description to be my babysitter.
He shook his head. Are you kidding? Taking care of you and the boys is exactly my job
description. Sheri, what if I hadn t been here tonight? What if he d forced his way in?
She shivered again, not meeting Sam s gaze. I don t think he d do that.
I ve known guys like him. He s not going to take no for an answer. Not from you, anyway. He
needs to hear it from me. Firmly.
He looked so big and dangerous standing there in her foyer with the moonlight glinting on his torso
through the window. Sheri felt her mouth go dry.
I can t ask you to deal with my asshole ex, she said. It s my problem, I should be the one to deal
with it.
He shook his head. Do you ever let someone else help you?
She frowned and toed a spot on the carpet. No.
Try it sometime, he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her around. Like right
now, for instance. He began marching her toward her bedroom, his hands firm and commanding and
so stupidly sexy, she almost tripped over her feet.
Sam, I don t
Enough! You re going to bed. You have a long day at work tomorrow, and you need to rest. I m
going to clean up the kitchen. You are going to get a good night s sleep.
But
No buts. This is how it s going to be, whether you willingly accept help or if I have to tie you to
your bed.
She shivered a little at his words and turned to face him in her doorway. She gave him a tentative
smile. Is this your way of avoiding the awkward conversation?
What awkward conversation?
The one that begins, We shouldn t have done that and ends with It ll never happen again.
Part of her wanted him to argue to insist it should have happened, and it ought to happen again.
Instead, he nodded. Right.
She nodded to herself as though affirming her own words in her mind. Then she looked up at him
and offered a small smile. Good night. And thank you. For everything.
She turned and walked into her bedroom, the word everything echoing in her brain.
&
Sam spent an hour cleaning, careful not to bang cupboards or make any noise that might disturb Sheri
or the boys. The quiet gave him plenty of time to consider the fact that Limpdick had finally made
contact. That he d escalated beyond threatening text messages and had actually shown up in person to
reclaim her. Every molecule of Sam s being was on alert, ready to do whatever it took to protect
Sheri and her boys. This is what he d come here to do.
You didn t come here to sleep with her.
He grimaced, recalling Mac s order for Sam to keep his hands off Sheri.
Okay, so he d screwed that up. He d screwed up a lot of things in his life, but he hadn t meant to let
things go this far with her. What the hell had he been thinking?
He hadn t been thinking, at least not with his head. Not with that head. She was vulnerable. She d
made it clear she didn t want a relationship. He d been a jerk to sleep with her, especially knowing
how angry she d be if she knew who he really was. That he d been lying to her all along.
He gritted his teeth as he folded a dish towel. God, what if he d ruined everything?
No. He could still get out of this. Still do his job without disappointing Mac or ruining things with
Sheri. He just had to keep his distance, to make it clear to her this couldn t happen again. Ever.
Sam moved quietly down the hall, peering in at the boys to make sure they were still sound asleep.
Then he moved to the end of the hall and looked into Sheri s room. She d left the door ajar, and he
could see her lying on her side beneath the flowered coverlet.
He felt his gut twist, and he wondered what it would be like to crawl into bed behind her, pulling
her close to his chest as she tucked her backside against him and curled her body into his. He thought
about breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling her breasts soft against his forearms as he held her
tight to his body.
No, he told himself, and stepped away from the door. No.
He could still save this. He could stay up all night making sure Price didn t come back. He could
stand guard over the boys, over Sheri, protecting them all. Mac never needed to know what had
happened, especially if it was just a onetime thing. It never had to happen again.
He stole another glance at her sleeping form and took a deep breath. Never again, he commanded
himself, and turned to walk back to his room.
He dialed Mac s number, halfway hoping the call would go straight to voicemail.
Mac answered on the first ring. Sam, he said crisply. I got your e-mail about Price s text
message. How s my sister?
Safe. Everything s fine.
Did something happen?
Nothing happened, Sam almost blurted, then realized Mac wasn t talking about what took place in
the shower. Lieutenant Limpdick showed up.
He proceeded to fill Mac in on Jonathan s visit, describing the exchange in excruciating detail.
Mac listened quietly, a silence that could mean anything from thoughtfulness to deadly rage.
So you think he s been in contact more than she s told you? Mac said at last.
I believe so. And I also don t think he s going to give up easily.
Sam started to say something else to point out that no man in his right mind would let someone
like Sheri go so easily but he stopped himself.
Manipulative prick, Mac muttered. Twenty bucks says Limpdick doesn t give a shit about
seeing the boys. He just wants to get to Sheri. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]