Under His Protection (Protect and Defend 1)

“I’m staying in, though I’ll do one last pass through the house before bed time. Call me if you need anything.” He turned on his heel and exited the cabin, not even giving her a backward glance.

She watched him leave, anger simmering low in her belly. He’d just walked away from her, didn’t even give her a chance to say anything. Dismissing her like everyone else.

It frustrated the hell out of her. Was she so unimportant that everyone forgot her the second they turned away? She hated the way it made her feel. Despised more she allowed it to happen in the first place.

Determination filled her and she went to her bedroom. Rifling through her dresser, she finally found what she was looking for. A cream colored satin and lace nightgown with matching robe she’d bought to wear for an old boyfriend she’d brought to the island long ago. The price tag still dangled from it, an expensive little item that hadn’t deserved to sit in a drawer gathering dust. She’d never got the chance to wear it for her ex. Why, she couldn’t remember.

Blake frowned. Didn’t that just make her feel like a slut? God, she’d been through more men than she’d care to admit, though she rarely had sex with them. None of them had been long-term boyfriends. More like boy toys she hung out with on occasion. Very rarely had she indulged sexually.

Secretly, she didn’t like to let anyone get too close. It scared her, letting someone in. Allowing a man to see all her faults, share her hopes and dreams only for him to laugh at her and tell her she was stupid. Crazy. Foolish.

It was easier being alone. There was no waiting around at a man’s beck and call, begging for his attention. She got enough of that treatment from her father. And yet she allowed Mason to do much the same on a daily basis.

Well, he wasn’t going to be able to ignore her any longer. He wouldn’t be able to after what she had planned. Doubt clawed at her and she pushed it aside. She was determined to make this happen. She needed to cling to her newfound courage and follow through.

Follow through on her seduction of Mason Russell.

* * * *

Mason was exhausted, cranky and horny. And not necessarily in that order.

The long day was killing him. It was almost midnight and he was exhausted. Yet his subject was bouncing around. She was still up, practically every light in the large cabin ablaze.

He’d chosen the bedroom he stayed in so he could keep an eye on her. Even lying in bed, he could stare out the window and watch her. He refused to go to bed until she turned out the lights. His grumpiness level went up a notch with every minute that passed.

The woman refused to go to bed. He knew Blake could be a night owl, but this was ridiculous.

He regretted his earlier behavior, but he’d never admit it. The woman set him on edge every time she came close. He didn’t know what to do with his tumultuous feelings that bubbled just beneath the surface. It threw him, how his emotions came into play when he was with Blake.

Well, not necessarily emotions. More like lusty, lurid thoughts of what he could do to her sexy body for hours on end if given the opportunity.

The hurt in her eyes when he’d left her standing alone in the living room was still etched in his mind. She’d ignored him when he’d returned to check on the place, locking herself away in the little studio. She’d ushered him right out of there when he’d searched it earlier. She’d been short, upset and he’d been rude and abrupt. He was sorry, but he didn’t plan on apologizing.

She’d forget. Just like he’d forget. They always did.

Movement caught his attention and he watched her go from room to room, turning off the lights as she went, not bothering to close the blinds or curtains. A fact he needed to speak to her about tomorrow. Breathing a sigh of relief, he settled his head deeper into the pillows, more than ready to fall asleep.

She entered her bedroom and went to the dresser, her back to him. With quick, efficient movements, she stripped, tossing off her sweater, stepping out of her jeans, until she stood only in her underwear, a black bra and matching pair of black, low-rise panties.

Mason sat up, his mouth gone dry. Anticipation rode hard through him, his exhaustion disappearing just like that.

He could only focus on Blake.

She reached into an open drawer and pulled out a nightgown, cream colored and silky. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked his way and he was tempted to duck and hide but he couldn’t move.

Could she see him? He didn’t think so.

With a flick of her fingers, the bra went flying. He broke out in a cold sweat. Fuck, he wished she’d turn around. Give him a look at her bare breasted. He was desperate to see her like this. Naked and vulnerable and so fucking beautiful, it hurt to look at her.

Blake shimmied into the nightgown, letting it drop over her head, the thin, lacy straps settling on her slim shoulders. Tossing her hair back, she reached for the hem of the gown, gathering it up to mid-thigh before she slid her panties down her legs, kicking them off.

Clenching his hands into fists, he waited, catching the second glance over her shoulder before realization kicked in.

She did all of this for him—a little performance to drive him crazy with lust.

It was working.

Walking to the window, she stood there, reaching out to grip either side of the frame. She stared directly at him and he stared back, mesmerized, desperate to see what she might do next.