Banishing Shadows by Lorna Jean Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

truth. He wouldn’t walk away from the job and he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. Physically, she was safe. Emotionally, well, she’d just have to protect herself.
    Stepping up to the bath, he turned the taps. Kayla was a bit piqued at his presumption. If he’d wanted a bath he could have at least asked first.
    “Kayla, Luke talked to me. I know you had a panic attack tonight. That’s why you just sat there when the van was coming toward you, isn’t it?”
    Kayla shifted her shoulders, uncomfortable with his probing. She trembled as tonight’s events threatened to overwhelm her. Ruthlessly, she shoved it back into the recesses of her mind. No doubt it would come thundering back when her defenses were down. But for now she needed all of her strength to deal with Cord.
    “When did you speak to Luke?” she asked suspiciously.
    “Tonight, while you were waiting in the office. He told me everything.”
    “Everything?” He knows about the attack?
    Cord nodded. His face was calm but his eyes betrayed the depth of his anger. They raged. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? I think you’ve been through enough tonight.”
    Kayla took a deep breath. He knew. Part of her had hoped to keep it from him—out of shame, and because she hadn’t wanted him to find out how much of a wreck she was.
    Yet now that the choice had been taken out of her hands, she actually felt relieved. The knots in her stomach eased a little. She’d never been a good liar, and Cord had a way of piercing through any fabrication.
    “There are blankets in the linen cupboard. Help yourself. I’m going to bed.” The light grip of his hand around her wrist stopped her from leaving.
    “No you’re not.”
    “Damn it, Cord. I don’t need to talk. You got your way. You’re here. Do me the courtesy of leaving me alone!”
    “I can’t.”
    He let her go. A pang of loss stabbed her as his touch left her skin. She scowled, as angry at herself as she was at him. When would she stop reacting to him? How much rejection did she need to suffer through before her body got the point?
    “I still don’t understand why you volunteered for this. You could have stayed out of it.”
    “Kayla,” he sighed. For a moment she could have sworn she saw longing in his eyes. But he averted his gaze, and when he looked back his expression was guarded.
    “Jed is my best friend. I’ve known you a long time and the thought of someone trying to harm you sickens me. I have nowhere else I need to be. I can protect you—if you’ll let me.”
    He brushed the hair from her face before running the tips of his fingers down her cheek.
    She froze, wondering if he was going to kiss her.
    He stepped back suddenly. “You will do what I tell you, won’t you, Kayla.” It was an order not a question.
    “You’re not the boss of me, Cord. This is ridiculous and unnecessary. I don’t need protection. I agreed to let you stay with me to appease my brothers.”
    “You don’t want to need protection,” he corrected her. “Object all you like, angel. But I can’t shrug off what happened and hope for the best. If you can’t accept me as your bodyguard then you’ll have to move in with your brothers. And they don’t have the skills or background I do.”
    “Jed does.” Her youngest brother was still in the armed forces.
    “Jed’s not here. I am. And I know he’d want me to do everything I could to take care of his baby sister.”
    She turned away, feeling a ridiculous stab of disappointment. She knew he wasn’t here because he cared for her, but did he have to keep rubbing it in? For the moment she was stuck living with him. She couldn’t move in with her brothers. She didn’t believe there was a threat, but if she was wrong, she didn’t want them to get hurt.
    Cord was strong, tough. He wouldn’t let anyone harm her.
    She’d be fine as long as she didn’t do anything foolish.
    Like kid herself into thinking he wanted her.
    She wasn’t about to open herself up to any