Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
It didn’t matter that half of what Mike said echoed things Cole had thought himself. Hearing someone else say it only made it that much more real, and he was glad he had time to cool off before Erin was finally brought out in a wheelchair.
By then, Cole had calmed down, although her brother’s words reverberated in his brain. Mike had said plenty, but the one thing that hit Cole hardest was the idea of Erin with another man. But with her in front of him, he had to focus on the present—taking a groggy, hurting Erin back to her place.
In the car, she remained silent, and when he glanced over at the passenger seat, he realized she’d fallen asleep.
Watching her, his lips curled into a grin. She was exactly the girl he remembered, innocent and sweet. That she’d been a wildcat in bed, a perfect match for him in every way, in no way detracted from the fact that she was still pure of heart. Her brother knew her well, whether Cole liked it or not. But she was in his life for good, that much he knew. So was his child. A lifelong commitment he hadn’t planned—and the thought made him break into a sweat.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he gently woke Erin and helped her out of the car and to her condo unit. Injured or not, he was way too aware of her as a sexy female. She wore a soft tank top under a cream silk blouse, which hung loosely off her slender frame. Thanks to the surprisingly cool August temperature, her nipples were puckered and visible through the sheer top, and he figured he was a pig for noticing when she was in such bad shape.
But he was a man, and she leaned against him as he walked her from the car to her house, upping his awareness of all things Erin. From the fragrant and still-familiar scent of her perfume to the way her hair fell loosely around her face, he was struck by her fragility and how much he wanted to take care of her.
The thought caused him to catch his breath and nearly trip. He ground to a halt, pausing for a minute.
“Bedroom’s upstairs,” Erin said, misreading his sudden halt.
He wasn’t about to correct her assumption. “Thanks,” he said, heading up the short flight of steps and into the main bedroom, where he helped settle Erin on the bed.
Around him, the room was a mixture of feminine touches, silk flowers, and small accessories, and sturdy light wood furniture.
“Cole?” She opened her hazel eyes and focused on him.
“Yeah?”
“I just . . . Thank you,” she said softly and peered up at him with such trust that his entire body absorbed the warmth floating through him.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now rest.”
She was out cold before he left the room.
Once downstairs, Cole ran a hand through his hair, feeling more like he was in the twilight zone with every passing minute. A pregnant woman. A stubborn pregnant woman. One he was more than attracted to, even in her disheveled, injured state. If anything, seeing her vulnerable and hurt triggered something in him he’d never felt before. Moving in with her was a mistake.
Unfortunately for him, he had no choice.
* * *
Erin woke, immediately aware of the excruciating pain in her arm and the sound of male voices coming from downstairs. She dragged herself out of bed and stopped in the bathroom, groaning when she got a look at her face. One-handed, she washed off what was left of her makeup, brushed her teeth, and headed downstairs to deal with the men in her life.
She found Mike and Sam seated at her kitchen table, stacks of folders around them, Cole hovering in the background. She recognized her work documents, many of them confidential, open in front of Mike.
Furious, she cleared her throat. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Mike glanced up, his expression not the least bit remorseful. “I had your recent and open cases sent over. I want to figure out who’d have a stake in getting you out of the way or scaring you into backing off.”
“And you couldn’t wait until I woke up?” The pain in her arm became secondary to the blood boiling in her head at the sheer gall of her brother.
Sam jumped up from his seat and came up beside her. “You okay?” he asked, concern in his hazel eyes as they stared into hers.
He was her baby brother, and he loved her, but like Mike, he took overprotective way too far. “I was fine until I found you two in my personal work files.”
“Relax,” Mike said, ignoring her concerns.
“You know we have a job to do—” Sam began.
“Then go do it!” She cut him off. “Don’t you have a bullet to find? And if you want information on my cases, here’s a novel idea . . . ask me!”