Armored Hearts (The Town of Pearl 7)

He slowed his pace and then he inhaled right before he set her down surprisingly gently on the stool by the island in the kitchen.

“Eggs or cereal?” he asked.

“Cereal is easier,” she replied and he rolled his eyes.

“Protein will help you and some carbs, too. You’re too thin. The better you eat the faster you’ll heal. You’ll eat what I make for you.” He turned around and she childishly flipped him the bird.

She heard someone chuckle and Grey appeared wearing lounge pants and a tank top that showed off some amazing muscles. These men were perfection in the body department.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, remembering too late about the swelling.

Grey approached and placed his hand over the back of her chair as he leaned closer to whisper, “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

He teased her and she almost felt normal for a second but then his eyes roamed over her face and her neck. He suddenly looked taken aback and he walked away.

“Glad that you’re up and about. Sorry you were greeted by grumpy over here,” Grey said as he started to make the coffee.

“Fuck you. I saved her sorry ass from falling down the stairs and breaking her fucking neck.”

Grey appeared shocked and he swung his heard toward India and she felt guilty. Which was incredibly stupid considering she was a grown woman and these men were strangers. Who gave a rat’s ass what they thought?

Apparently she did as her cheeks warmed and she explained.

“I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I can’t expect all of you to carry me everywhere.” She felt Fenton’s eyes on her and one quick glance that way and he had one eyebrow cocked upward and an annoyed expression on his face.

“I could have gotten down the rest of the way, Fenton. I may just have needed a break for a few minutes.”

“You were about to fall on your face. No walking around on your own, and definitely no stairs. You’re a fucking liability.”

“Fenton,” Grey snapped.

Fenton looked at India and then went back to making the eggs.

“I told you he was cranky in the morning. How did you sleep last night?”

“Okay,” she said but glanced back at Fenton. The man was so dark and dangerous looking. To know he was a soldier and man who obviously had no etiquette whatsoever warned her to stay clear of him.

“Maybe you would like to stay downstairs during the day? We have a big library, a movie room, too,” Grey suggested. He seemed very diplomatic and compassionate. She assumed he made a very good deputy. His looks alone probably got women to do illegal things just to have the man touch them and handcuff them. She felt her cheeks warm and her breasts tingle. She found him attractive, just like she found Fisher and the others attractive, too.

“That would be a nice change. I don’t want to stay in bed all the time. I need to move around,” she said.

He nodded his head and then took down a mug.

“Coffee?”

She nodded.

“When can I talk to Silas or my friend Aspen?” she asked Grey.

“You can’t.”

She turned to see Ford enter the kitchen. He looked her over and then headed toward the coffee maker.

Ford had a way about him, too. Each of these men had strong characters and being in a room with them put her on edge. No man ever did that to her, never mind five. She hoped that Flynn and Fisher were late sleepers.

“Why not?” she asked as Ford fixed his coffee. Black, two sugars. His blond hair was wet and slicked back. He wore a blue shirt that made his very aqua-blue eyes stand out. He, too, had some tattoos. Not as many as it seemed Fenton had but enough to be peeking out of the T-shirt he wore. His black pants hugged his muscular thighs and the cowboy boots added to his attractive appearance.

“It’s not safe for you, India. I’m only to contact Silas in an emergency and using a burner phone,” Ford explained.