Held by You by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online

stopping the fight and arresting her stepbrothers and the other men involved. The thought of the fight and her stepbrothers soured her stomach so she shoved it away.
    While he set his own jacket down, she took in his living room. It was done in warm colors with the brown leather sofa and loveseat, a caramel-colored recliner, and rugs of muted shades of browns and greens scattered on the hardwood floor. He had a built-in entertainment center with a flat screen TV and a stereo system. A few family photos were on the mantel of a fireplace that took up one corner.
    “Give me a moment to make a fire.” John went to the stack of wood beside the fireplace and he used kindling and small sticks to start the fire before adding bigger pieces of wood and a log.
    When John turned back to Hollie, he saw her still shivering and rubbing her hands together. In a few steps he reached her then took both her hands in his and massaged them until she began to feel warmth starting to work its way through her fingers.
    He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her forehead. “How does that feel?”
    She nodded. “Better.”
    “But you’re still shivering.” He drew her into his arms. “Maybe I can help with that.”
    His body felt so good against hers that she felt his heat seeping into her bones. She pressed the side of her face against his chest and breathed in the smell of fresh winter air and his spicy masculine scent. A soft sound escaped her, a sigh of pleasure at the feel of his arms embracing her and the feeling of security that wrapped around her like a blanket. With him she felt like she could never be hurt by anyone again.
    A false sense of security, no doubt. His job might be to protect and serve the community but it wasn’t his job to babysit her and keep her stepbrothers and their friends from hurting her in any way.
    She wrapped her arms around his waist and just let him hold her as he stroked her hair. “Feeling warmer now?”
    “Yes.” She tipped her head back and smiled at him. “Much warmer.”
    He studied her features so long that she felt her cheeks reddening. “You’re beautiful, Hollie.”
    “You make me feel beautiful,” she said softly.
    “That’s because you are.” Slowly he lowered his head so that his mouth barely hovered over hers. When he spoke again, his warm breath caused her to sigh. “I think I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment I ever saw you.”
    Her throat worked as she swallowed. She’d wanted that too, but she was too shy to say so.
    His lips met hers and he kissed her gently, slowly. She gave a soft moan and slid her arms around his waist, burrowing into his warmth and the long muscular length of him. It was as if she couldn’t get close enough to him. She wanted to feel every part of him. To have his weight pinning her down, as if that might make them one.
    He caressed her, sliding his palm over her figure as if he loved exploring her body. With him she didn’t feel embarrassed by her generous curves. He slipped his other hand into her hair, grabbing a fistful and holding her head still as his kiss intensified. She loved the feel of her hair tight against her scalp, loved the feel of him taking control.
    His kiss was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. His taste, a heady aphrodisiac on her tongue.
    When he raised his head, he gently pushed hair over her ear. “Would you like something to drink? A mug of hot chocolate will help warm you up.”
    “You’ve warmed me up.” She smiled at how easy it was to flirt with him. “But a mug of hot chocolate sounds good. Got any of those little marshmallows?”
    “Of course. They’re my favorite.” He gave her a quick grin. “Just bought a package when I picked up the hot chocolate.”
    He took her hand and led her to a kitchen. It was a small, sparse kitchen with black speckled Corian countertops and black appliances. “Have a seat.” He gestured to a round kitchen table.
    As she sat on the edge of a chair, his