Love on the Rocks by Elle James Read Free Book Online

taking care of myself.”
    “Doesn’t hurt to have backup. Just in case.”
    “I know. And I appreciate the sentiment.” She hugged him briefly and went back to work putting the supplies on the shelves.
    “What do you know about Decker?”
    That he could kiss like nobody’s business and his muscles were rock-solid. “Not a lot.” Roxi’s body heated.
    “Keep Otis with you, when you’re around him.”
    She nodded, hiding a smile. “I will.” She didn’t tell Frank that Otis seemed to be on Decker’s side.
    Frank reached around her to grab the sugar canister. “I worry about you.”
    “I know you do. You’re worse than my mother was.”
    “You know your mother never forgave herself for what that man did to you when you lived in the city.”
    “How could she have anticipated something like that happening to me? I was thirteen. I thought I knew everything. I broke her one major rule and stepped out of the apartment for what I thought would be five minutes to run to the store.”
    She’d wanted to surprise her mother by having dinner ready for her. The woman worked two jobs and rarely got home before eight at night. Roxi wanted to make the only thing she knew how—spaghetti. Only they didn’t have any noodles. So she’d taken change from the swear jar and hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street below.
    The grocery store was two blocks away. Two blocks and two alleys away. She had been in such a hurry she’d nearly tripped over a kitten. When she stopped to see if she’d hurt it, a man stepped out of the alley and snatched her from behind, clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows. No one heard her scream, no one came to help.
    Pushing the nightmare to the back of her mind, Roxi smiled. “It’s been a long time. I’m well over it.”
    “Then why don’t you date? You’ve never had a steady boyfriend.” The old army sergeant shook his head. “It’s not natural.”
    “Oh, Frank. I’m fine. Just picky.” And scared. Other than being raped at thirteen, she’d never been with a man. She read books and watched R-rated movies. She knew what was supposed to happen, but she wasn’t sure how she’d react to having a man on top of her. For the first three years after the attack, she’d woken up in a panic when she got tangled in the sheets and couldn’t get out.
    Every time she got close to a man and even considered getting intimate, she’d panicked. Her heart raced and she broke out in a cold sweat. Except last night.
    Yes, she’d pushed Decker away, but not because she was in a panic, but because she was anticipating it and didn’t want Decker to realize she was a freak. When the usual anxiety attack didn’t happen, it was too late. The moment had been lost.
    “What about Decker?” Frank asked, breaking into Roxi’s thoughts.
    “What about him?” she asked, heat stealing into her cheeks.
    “What’s his story?”
    “Like I said, I don’t know much about him.” Just that his wife is dead and he kisses like a dream.
    “I didn’t know much about your mother when I fell in love with her. The same day we met, I knew.”
    Roxi faced Frank, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you ever tell her that you loved her?”
    The older man’s shoulder lifted, but he refused to meet her gaze. “She made it pretty clear it was your father she preferred.”
    “What about after my father died and you brought us here to live?” Roxi asked. “Did you tell her then?”
    “Angela had enough on her mind helping you deal with what happened and making a new life for the two of you. Then the cancer set in.”
    “You never told her.” Roxi’s arms fell to her sides and her chest hurt for the man who’d loved Angela Lanier and done everything to help her when her world fell apart. He’d been there when her mom had been diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer and sat at her bedside while she’d slowly slipped away. “She must have known. No man would have