Liberated by KaLyn Cooper

Author:KaLyn Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub

CHAPTER 11

The minute Heath picked her up, she knew she was going to break. She could feel her strength shattering, one fractured chip at a time. As her mother had taught her, she’d suppressed her fear and soldiered on…with a smile. She’d kept it buried all day, locked tight in a vault that she could ignore, as they played ridiculous games without either of them knowing how close she was to falling apart. When he laid her down on his bed, it smelled like him. His strength and masculinity oozed from the sleeping bag mattress.

She was safe.

Heath was strong. She no longer had to be the strongest one.

He would never let her fall to a kidnapping again. Secure in his arms, she purged the tears filled with fear and the loneliness of four days in the kidnapper’s cabin. Ali had no idea how long he’d held her, rubbed his large powerful hand tenderly from the top of her head down her arm and repeated it time and time again while he whispered soothing words to her. “I’ve got you now. You’re safe. I’m here and I’m going to protect you.” She cried herself to sleep.

Ali woke to complete silence and shadows caused by the lantern in the bathroom tent. She must’ve rolled over in the middle of the night because she was facing Heath, tucked into his broad chest. Listening carefully, she heard…nothing...except Heath’s steady breathing and slow heartbeat. For the first time since they’d entered that cabin, it was quiet.

“The storm passed about an hour ago,” Heath grumbled and pulled her in tighter. “Go back to sleep. We’ve got another couple hours before we’re expected to check in.”

“I’m sorry…about…this. If you want me to move, I’ll go back to my own bed now.” Not that she really wanted to leave. He was big, and warm, and she felt protected in his bed.

“I like you right there.” He kissed the top of her head. “Go back to sleep. Going to be a big day tomorrow.”

“Don’t you mean today?” she sassed.

“No. As far as I’m concerned, it’s not tomorrow until I wake up,” Heath mumbled.

“But you’re awake now.”

“No, I’m not. I’m still sleeping.” His big hand rubbed the length of her backbone and pushed her head into his chest. “And you should be too. Now, go back to sleep.” She felt his lips on the crown of her head, the protective way you would a child.

She scowled at the thought of him treating her like a child. She was a grown woman. Embarrassed because she’d acted like a small child who’d been sent to her room on a sunny Saturday, grounded, not allowed to play with her friends. Sulking and feeling sorry for herself. Bad things happen to people every day. She should be thankful that she was alive and that her father had sent Heath to rescue her. She needed to suck it up, lift her chin, and square her shoulders. She was a Frantz.

Fuck. That sounded just like something her mother would say.

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