Protect by Laura Wylde

Author:Laura Wylde [Wylde, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-10T16:00:00+00:00

Tanya

I’m such an idiot. I’m beginning to think there isn’t a thing I can do right unless it involves sitting behind a computer. In the middle of a police investigation, I kiss the sergeant. You daydream about these things, but you don’t act on them. I did. He was so close to me, I could hear his heart throb rapidly in his chest and feel his body heat. He smelled of cinnamon and cloves. When he spoke, his words rolled like the crooning of a guitar.

It wasn’t that I was lonely. I live alone by choice. I enjoy my solitary pursuits. If I wanted or needed company, there were plenty of colleagues or friends I could look up. I learned at an early age, the more you depend on others, the greater your chances of falling. All they had to do is walk away, the way my mother did to my dad when I was fourteen, and your happy, secure life is over. My mother left my dad for a wealthier man. It devastated my father and ruined his military career once he began drinking. It’s an old story. Divorce sucks and somebody always suffers. For me though, it was a lesson learned. Never put too much trust in anybody.

There was something about Daniel. He felt solid. He felt trustworthy. He felt safe, so I kissed him. Then he kissed me back and I realized I was tired of standing on my own two feet. I wanted someone to sweep me off them and he had, literally. Now he was doing it metaphorically, until we were interrupted.

I honestly don’t know what would have happened if the other team members had not barged through the door. It was a suspended moment that crashed like a B-52 bomber. I tried to act nonchalant about it. After all, we were all consenting adults, but as soon as I saw the look on Lenny’s face, I felt like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. He didn’t look angry or bitter, just hurt. I never intended to be that person. I never meant to fool around with his heart strings. He was boyish and heroic and a little bit of a rebel. I adored him so much, I wanted to carry him around in my pocket.

They came in to say they had a lead and wanted me to look at some photographs. I pulled my pride and dignity back together as best I could and nearly leaped from the bed to show them it was just a momentary distraction. I couldn’t bear to look into anyone’s eyes, however. It’s embarrassing to appear weak. Weak people feed on sympathy. I didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I wanted a champion and I knew Lenny was one.

I would have told him so many things, but I couldn’t. All I did was cause him pain. I followed the others back down the stairs, wondering what I could say to relieve the tension. Should I just pretend nothing happened? It’s what Jamie was doing.

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