Password to Her Heart (The American Soldier Collection 9)

“Nothing.”

“Nothing my ass. Did something happen when I walked in on you and Shawna before?” he pushed.

Lee took a deep breath and released it. He looked around them, making sure the others weren’t in earshot.

“We shared a moment, and I thought she was feeling the same attraction.”

“And what? You kissed her?”

Lee ran his fingers through his hair. “Sure did.”

Tex was surprised that he didn’t feel jealous, but on the contrary he was feeling hopeful.

“Did she kiss you back?”

“Yes, but then she panicked. I told her I had been wanting to kiss her since I first saw her.”

Tex smiled. “That damn picture of her that I sent to you guys affected me immediately, and not just because she’s a good-looking woman. It was something in her eyes.”

“Exactly, but she took it the wrong way. It’s like we talked about at the hospital. I think she thinks we’re being nice and taking care of her simply because it’s our duty as Keith’s team.”

“What? Why would she think that…Oh hell, of course she would think that. She doesn’t know us. We haven’t expressed our attraction to her.”

“This is going to get all fucked up.”

“No, it won’t. If what you say is true, then we just have to make our intentions clear and where the attraction stemmed from to begin with. Her beauty, that lost expression in her eyes, and then upon meeting her, getting to know her over the last week, the physical attraction. We’re not faking it.”

“She won’t believe us, Tex. Trust is not something earned very easily by her.”

“That’s understandable, Lee, especially if her and Keith had a shitty upbringing.”

“That’s what we need to do. We need to find out more about her life, her experiences and fears. We need to court her.”

Tex chuckled. “Court her, huh? Now that’s a bit of your real Southern charm coming out, Lee. I’ve never courted a woman before. Not even sure how that’s supposed to go.”

Lee smiled. “Honesty. We need to be honest about how we feel. That’s a definite start.”

“Okay, I’m heading out but will be back in time for supper. Mercury and Stitch are handling that meal. Tiek is fixing up the other house for when Keith heals up.”

“He’ll like that. Especially if things work out between all of us and Shawna. Keith won’t want to be living in the same house.”

Tex chuckled. “I hope he’s not going to be pissed off.”

“Are you kidding? If anything, he’ll be happy. We’ll keep her safe and well loved. He won’t ever have to worry about any of that again.”

* * * *

Shawna woke up from her nap feeling extra sore. She missed taking the pain medication the doctor prescribed and now was suffering for it. But as she looked around the huge room, she knew if not for the sore ribs, she would be in heaven. The bed was queen sized and filled with thick fluffy pillows and an even thicker comforter all in white. The windows led to a balcony, and although there were only an armoire and a long dresser, it felt very welcoming and comfortable.

What really called to her most was the luxurious spa bath and large bathroom. It was stunning and had Jacuzzi jets in it, too. She wondered if she should try to take a hot bath. Perhaps it would loosen her tight muscles and allow her aching ribs to feel better. She hated taking the pain medicine because it made her groggy. She also was worried about sleeping alone tonight. In the hospital there was always a nurse coming and going to check her vitals or see if she was okay. It gave her a little peace of mind but also kept her sleeping in spurts. Except for the last two nights when she awok

e in a cold sweat screaming for help. The doctor prescribed something for that, too, and she asked him not to mention it to the men. She didn’t want them to know she was scared like that.

It took some time to get to the edge of the bed and then make her way to the bathroom. She noticed that it was after four thirty but figured she had time for the bath before supper. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the one light that illuminated the tub in a soft, gentle glow of dim golden light. It was something a woman would want when taking a bath in such a luxurious tub. She started the water, found some assorted bath bubbles and other items that looked brand new. In fact, they were some of her favorite scents but in a more famous, expensive brand as opposed to the cheap ones she could afford. She wondered if they searched her apartment and figured out she liked these scents. She couldn’t help but wonder if one of the guys had purchased them for her. They thought of everything, including clothing, bras, and panties. She felt the tears reach her eyes. Was she hoping they cared so much, even though she knew they took care of her because they had to?

They were forced to go shopping for her and replace her clothing and things after her apartment was ransacked. She believed it was worse than Mercury had told her but didn’t want to upset her more.

When she found the sexy thong panties and pretty, barely-there bras she couldn’t help but feel sexy and desirable. Whoever picked those out had a very naughty mind and obviously liked their women wearing such things. It had to be Tiek. For some reason he and Stitch seemed most assertive when it came to women. Mercury, as the leader, was uptight and fierce. He probably ordered women around in bed and liked a submissive woman. She felt her pussy throb. She swallowed hard. But then again, what did she know? She hardly knew these men at all.