A Promise to Protect by Liz Johnson

Author:Liz Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
Published: 2012-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

Matt opened his eyes at the first hint of the morning sun through the mini blinds meant to cover the window. He’d slept very little, rising at every noise and prowling through the house every hour. Burning eyes and aching shoulders weren’t enough to keep him in bed, and he rolled up immediately, making his rounds.

The house slept, each groan of the floorboards and creak of a settling wall a gentle snore. The old house was worn out.

So was Ashley.

They had to wrap this up. Fast.

It would be better for Ashley in every respect if he could just find the guy making these threats and get back to San Diego. Then he wouldn’t be tempted to imagine a life where kissing her every day wasn’t a problem. A time when he could actually convince himself that they could have a relationship with neither of their pasts getting in the way.

Far-fetched as they were, he pictured those scenes and more as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a carton of eggs. His specialty—actually the only meal at which he was competent—was southwestern scrambled eggs, so he cracked them open, pouring them into a bowl and beating the eggs with more vehemence than was technically required.

A life with Ashley, where she made him laugh and he protected her, played across the back of his eyelids, and he whipped harder. Dreams like that didn’t come true for little foster boys like him. He’d learned how to fight hard and fight back. He’d learned how to suffer but endure the worst. The things he’d learned made him a good SEAL, a fearless warrior.

He’d never learned how to care for a woman. As a kid, he’d only seen one man model how to treat a woman well and raise a family.

Ashley deserved someone who knew these things.

He dumped a generous measure of salsa into the eggs and whisked them some more.

It’d be better to spend the morning figuring out their next steps to uncovering the lunatic than battling thoughts of a life that wouldn’t ever be. Greta’s fairy-tale princesses were the only ones that got happily ever afters.

The eggs sizzled as they hit the frying pan, and he stirred them slowly, going over everything he knew thus far.

Joy was safe. She’d been stashed and protected in a place that no one but Ashley knew. And whoever was after her was willing to go pretty far to get her back. Something serious was driving the other man. Serious enough that he was clearly willing to go through a lot of trouble to get his way, and he wasn’t acting alone. The notes only seemed to come from one man—they all said “me” and “I”, not “we” or “us”—but at least two people were involved in the attacks, with one driving the getaway car. Matt wondered if either one was the real villain. Whoever was writing the notes seemed intent on hiding his identity—would he really risk getting caught in the act?

The guy

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