Password to Her Heart (The American Soldier Collection 9)

There were acres and acres of property as far as her eyes could see. A much smaller, almost identical house sat in the distance from the main house. There were horse stables, and some sort of garden with a pathway. Everything was done up with intricate landscaping with use of lots of paving stones and grand materials indigenous to the area.

Lee took her hand and guided her up the large stairs and open porch area. The home had to be worth millions. As they entered the front door, she was greeted by an open floor plan with high cathedral ceilings and a massive stone fireplace. The bright light from the sun shining through the large floor-to-ceiling windows cascaded over the entire main floor as well as the entrance to the formal living room and the kitchen.

“Welcome home, Shawna. Feel free to look around,” Mercury said as Lee released her hand and both men headed toward the kitchen. Shawna couldn’t believe she was standing in such a magazine-worthy home. It was like something she saw on TV or on a show where movie stars let cameras into their homes to see how the wealthy lived. But the men decorated it in such a way it was warm and welcoming, not cold and delicate. She chuckled to herself as she ran her hands along the huge sofa and glanced at the extra-large flat-screen television on the main wall in the living room. It had to be seventy inches wide. But the men were all big men, they would need lots of space. She spotted the painting on the wall, the Texas and American flags with the Marine Corps flag in the center. It had to be custom designed.

She turned toward the kitchen and could see Tex and Lee placing some things on the island, probably getting ready for lunch as she continued to explore. As she walked down a small hallway off the living room, she spotted the six sets of cherrywood French doors that led out to a grand patio and a swimming pool. She felt her chest tighten. Children she went to school with had swimming pools. She ne

ver really wished for one. She only wished that her parents stopped drinking and wouldn’t hit her. She shivered from the memory and she thought about Keith.

They would sneak off to the swimming hole during the summer. They snuck onto the Palmer’s property to do it but they were desperate to cool off and home just wasn’t safe the way a home should be. No child should have to live with such fear and such pain. It just wasn’t fair.

“Do you know how to swim?”

She gasped and turned around to see Lee standing there leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She held her side and shook her head.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He looked so attractive and sexy standing there. His bulging muscles peeked out from beneath the tight T-shirt he wore. The green somehow brought out the hazel color of his eyes. She licked her lower lip and turned away. She had been caught off guard deep in thought. Why was she remembering her past so much? It was nothing but painful memories. He moved closer. She felt him behind her, and then he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Was that a yes or a no about knowing how to swim?”

“I haven’t swum in years.”

“Well, we’ll get you a bathing suit and make sure you know how to swim. I can teach you.” He gently squeezed her shoulders. She closed her eyes, and loved the feel of this big, strong, capable man behind her. She wanted to lean back, to give in and allow him to comfort her. But she made a promise to herself to be strong, not weak. She needed to take care of herself. Once Keith healed, they would talk about their future and where they would go to live. She stepped from his hold and wrapped her arms around herself. She walked further down the hallway and around the corner.

“Shawna.” He said her name and she stopped. She didn’t turn around to face him. He was just so damn handsome and she knew she would have a hard time stepping away from him again.

When his arms wrapped around her from behind, she gasped and tried stepping away, but he spoke softly to her against her hair.

“Don’t push me away. I promise that you’re safe here. I’ll protect you. We all will.”

She turned in his arms and pressed her palms against his hard chest.

“You’ve done so much already. I’m used to doing things on my own, and that hasn’t changed.”

He smiled softly then reached toward her face and cupped her cheek. His large palm covered her cheek and upper neck he was so much bigger than her. She stared up into his eyes, her head tilted back to nearly her shoulders.

His thumb caressed her lower lip.

“You’re not alone anymore. We want to protect you. We want you to feel comfortable and trust us.” His eyes zeroed in on her lips and the thought of him kissing her flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes a moment, trying to hold on to the fantasy that there were real feelings here and not ones brought on by his loyalty to Keith. But then she felt his lips against hers. He was gentle but then the kiss grew deeper. The sound of voices echoing through the house had her pulling from him, but Lee’s hold was firm. He smiled at her.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you.”

She swallowed hard. “At the compound?” she asked.

He shook his head. “The moment we found a picture of you after Keith contacted us. You’re so beautiful, Shawna.”

She shook her head and stepped from his hold. “I shouldn’t have let you do that.”

He was about to respond when Tex walked toward them. “Hey, lunch is ready. Did you get to look around a bit?” Tex asked as he approached, smiling. She nodded her head and avoided looking at Lee, who appeared upset.

“The house is big. I only made it this far.”

Tex took her hand. “Well, I’ll give you the full tour after lunch, and then we’ll show you your room. We hope you like it.”

They headed out of the room toward the kitchen and she looked back toward Lee, who ran his fingers through his hair and appeared upset.

Could he really have feelings for me, and a real attraction, or is he feeling obligated because of Keith?

Chapter 9

“What’s wrong with you?” Tex asked Lee, noticing his change of attitude since Shawna headed upstairs to lie down. The poor woman was exhausted after Tex had shown her around the house. They never even made it outside. But there was time for that.