Page 27 of Protect and Serve

“Something I’ve been wondering about,” he said in a low voice.

She edged closer, over the table. “Mmm hmm?”

When he met her gaze, his was intense. “Your brothers said you’ve been hurt by men.”

“What?” She snorted a laugh. “Men have been hurt by my brothers. Maybe that’s what they meant.”

“So you haven’t been hurt?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t cared enough to get hurt.” God. Was she really admitting that? To him? Here? In the middle of Bubbas’s?

And what was that look in his eye?

That simmering…anticipation.

Surely he couldn’t know how she felt about him. Already. It was far too early to let him know the truth of that.

But she had the sinking suspicion he did. The only thing that saved her was the fragile inkling that he felt the same.

Charlie stared at Claire, hope a wild thing in his chest. “Never? You’ve never been in love?”

She looked down and studied the tablecloth. “Not really. I’ve dated a bit. And then there was that thing with Dustin…”

Ah. Dustin. “And why didn’t it work out?” Not that he really wanted to know. But he did.

“Well…” She looked around. Probably to make sure Dustin wasn’t hovering. He had a tendency to do that. It didn’t help that he worked in the only decent bar and grill in town. “Most importantly, I didn’t have those kinds of feelings for him. He was nice and all, but, you know. It just wasn’t there.”

Oh he knew. He’d met lots of women in his life. None of them had made him feel…excited. None of them but Claire.

“Aside from that, he was…a little too possessive.”

“Possessive?”

“Domineering. Bossy. He wanted to control my life.”

Hell. His stomach plunged. “You don’t like dominant guys?”

She snorted. “Not like that.”

“What did he do? Specifically?”

“He tracked me by GPS. Checked my emails. Followed me. Like everywhere.”

“Oh? No…whips and chains?” He didn’t know why he made the joke. This was hardly a laughing matter.

“Thank God no one gave him that idea. I wouldn’t have put it past him to kidnap me and lock me in his basement.”

His gut surged. Every corpuscle sizzled with the urge to protect her. “Would he?”

She huffed a laugh, but it wasn’t sincere. “No. Of course not.” Then she leaned in closer and whispered, “He knows my brothers would kill him.”

“Hmm.” Charlie wasn’t convinced. Dustin hadn’t seemed like a guy who’d gotten the message last night. “Well, if he ever bothers you, let me know.”

She patted his hand. “I will. But he won’t. It’s over.”

“Good to know. So…” He looked down. The words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

She tipped her head down until she could see his eyes. “So…what?”