Under His Protection (Protect and Defend 1)

He’d never seen her with another man since he started working protection duty with her. She flirted, she even went on the occasional date, but she never brought the man back home. Never entertained them anywhere.

And he would know.

“I’m safe,” she whispered, her fingers stroking down his cheek, along his jaw. “Are you?”

“I just went through a set of tests four months ago, right before I began working your protection detail and needed to get a physical.” He shook his head, loving the way she touched him, wishing she would touch him like this everywhere. “I always use condoms.”

“With all of those many girls you have sex with, Mason?” She smirked, but her eyes were filled with worry.

He shook his head, wanting to comfort her. Despite his need for wanting to keep this—thing between them casual, he still cared. “You make me sound like a total player.”

“You’re the one who admitted it’s been a long time since you’ve been with someone.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Is that true?”

“Yeah.” His reply was gruff. He hated admitting that to her.

“Has it been since you started working for me?” Her voice sounded hopeful, not teasing at all, and it was embarrassing as all hell that she touched so close to the truth.

Who was he kidding? She touched right on the truth. Yes, he’d been busy with work, following her everywhere, but since he met Blake Hewitt, no other woman had interested him.

Only her.

“Mason?” She pushed, though her voice was gentle. She was curious and he couldn’t blame her.

“Yeah.” He met her gaze direct, saw the warmth in her eyes. He didn’t say anything else. Just let her think what she wanted to think.

“Oh.” Her lips curved, a little ghost of a smile that proved his answer pleased her. “It’s been a long time for me, too.”

She drew him near, her mouth so close to his, he could feel its every movement when she spoke. “I don’t let just anyone into my life.”

He was silent, unable to resist sneaking his tongue out to lick at the corner of his lips and she kissed him there.

“I don’t trust very many people.”

“I know.”

“I trust you, Mason. I trust you with my life.”

Her words shouldn’t mean anything. She was supposed to trust him with her life, it was his goddamn job. It was the reason he woke up in the morning and went to bed at night. The reason he was with her, protecting her, watching over her on a daily basis.

But her words did mean something. The sincerity in her voice when she spoke, the way she looked at him. He’d told her this was nothing but sex between them, but he lied. He was a complete liar. What was happening between them was so much more than sex.

Fuck, he didn’t mean for that to happen. But he was helpless to it. For once in his life, he was simply letting go.

And liking it.

“I’ll protect you with my life,” he vowed, meaning every single word.

She sighed, the sound so full of longing, it tugged at his heart. “And you’ll protect me by always doing the right thing. You won’t hurt me, Mason. I know this.”

“I would never hurt you,” he whispered, his voice so harsh it hurt his throat when he spoke.

God, he couldn’t imagine harming one single hair on her head. She meant far too much to him to even consider it.

“I know.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her face up, her mouth rubbing against his in a kiss that wasn’t quite a kiss. More of a gentle connection of lips, a brushing of damp skin upon damp skin.

Awareness exploded throughout his body, his cock going on high alert. All from the tentative touch of her lips. “So make love to me without a condom, Mason. I trust you.”

Before he could reply, she reached down, her hand closing over his erection, smoothing over his denim-covered length. She undid the snap of his jeans, drew down the zipper and dove her hand in. Since he wore no underwear, she cupped him, her fingers curling around his cock. He jerked against her hold.