This was what happened when she spent two nights of bliss with a man who knew how to work her body like nobody’s business.Her mind, her book loving, romance adoring, happily ever after craving mind and heart had focused on him like they needed one another to breathe.
“Still living at home, expecting your parents to support your habits, Jorgansen?”
Okay, there was definitely something between them.And it wasn’t nice.She flashed to his admission of how his youth had been growing up here and she frowned, protective instincts flaring.
“Still sleeping in that clapboard house your mother had as a whore house?”
“Excuse me?”Indignation rolled off her and she shoved in front of Ronan.“You don’t talk to him that way.”
Jorgansen, whoever he was, took two steps back from the ferocity in her tone.Long brown hair hung limply from beneath the edge of his ballcap.Also dirty and greasy.Thin pale face with a look of superiority that she instantly wanted to smack away.
“Let the men talk, little lady.”A sneer.“Then again, you’re not that little are you?You seem to be new in this town so let me help you out, you want to get somewhere in this town and you come to me, you want to slum it?You’re in the right place.”
The man behind her growled and moved.She didn’t turn back to Ronan, merely reached back to him and placed her hand on his chest.
“I don’t know who you think you are but you should be ashamed of yourself for talking about this man in such a manner.”
“He’s nothing but a boy who barely made it through class and didn’t have any friends.”He lifted his pockmarked chin.“My parents pretty much own this town.”
People, who had been absent due to the weather, had somehow gotten up their nerves to venture out and had begun gathering around.
“Angel,” he rumbled in her ear.
“Shush.”She pushed on his chest, never taking her eyes off the man she wanted to smack more than anything.“This man is a war hero and you, from the looks of things, haven’t done anything worthwhile.You’re not fit to shine his shoes and either you walk on Jorgansen, or you’ll answer to me.”
“I’m not a man to threaten, lady.”
She realized right then, the only reason Ronan’d stayed back was because he was willing to, not because she had the ability to keep him behind her.Ronan moved her aside like she weighed no more than a feather.
“Keep on in that manner, Jorgansen and I’ll do worse to you than I did in middle school.”
Anger all over his expression, Jorgansen turned his fury from her to the man who’d manhandled her back from the line of fire.
“You can’t just go beating on people because you think you can.”
The growl rumbled up from his chest and she felt it all the way to her core.“When you’re threateningmywoman, I’ll do whatever necessary to keep her safe.Trust me when I say I learned alotof ways to do that in the military.”He stepped closer and reached out to grab him.
Vivyan snagged the back of his dark brown leather jacket, trying to hold him back.
“Ronan.”
He angled so he could look at her but not fully turn his back on what he’d perceived to be a threat.To her.
Damn him for making her weak-kneed again.
One eyebrow rose.
“He’s not worth it.”
“You are.”
If she’d not been in love with him before, those two words cemented it home.
She didn’t beg him not to, merely held his gaze and poured every ounce of her feeling into that look she could.After about five seconds, he huffed and rubbed his knuckles down the side of her face.
“You win, angel.But don’t think this is going to be common.I protect what’s mine.”He put them nose to nose.“And that’syou.”
She couldn’t even attempt to hide the blossoming smile turning up her lips.“And I protect what’s mine, Ronan Milo.And that’syou.”She blinked.“I’ve never claimed a person before I kinda like it.”
