Protecting Lyndley by Amanda Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

lutely gorgeous. It had to be at least five-carats. And that was just the cushion cut diamond. There were at least fifteen smaller diamonds wrapping around the perimeter of the center diamond. As if that wasn’t enough, the diamond band that sat below it had some of the biggest diamonds I had ever seen in a single band.
    I sat on the edge of the bed mesmerized by how it looked on my hand. I had never really thought about getting married, and especially not to someone like Ky, but the thought of it now, had me intrigued. With everything that was going on, and how my life was turning out , I knew deep down that marriage most likely would never be in the cards for me. Actually, a lot of things didn’t seem to be in the cards for me now.
    I tore my gaze away form the shiny piece of jewelry and finished getting ready for the day. Luckily I always carried an extra bag of makeup in my purse, so I swiped on some mascara, a little bit of eye shadow, and a shimmering lip-gloss. I ran my fingers through my hair and started making my way downstairs.
    I could smell the mouth-watering aroma of coffee assault my senses as I turned the corner into the kitchen. I found Ky leaning against the kitchen counter right next to the coffee pot when I walked in, and he had a shit eatin’ grin plastered on his face.
    “Care to share what is so amusing?” He leaned forward, his face merely inches from mine as his hand came up to my face. His cologne wafted through the air and right in my nostrils, making me take in a deep breath. Our eyes locked as he leaned closer, and I braced myself for impact. Just when I thought his lips were about to touch mine, his hand grazed my cheek, pushing a piece of hair back from my face and behind my ear.
    Before I could react, he was gone. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding and poured myself a tall cup of coffee. I knew he was in a hurry, so I made sure to pour it in a travel mug so we could be on our way. As I entered the living room, I noticed a shoebox sitting on the coffee table directly in front of me.
    “Are those for me?”
    “Well they’re not for me.” He laughed.
    I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, I just sat down and pulled on the crystal-embellished sandals. I stood running my hands down my dress, and then gathered my purse.
    “Did you remember to grab your new ID and bankcard?”
    I nodded in his direction as I pushed past him and out of the house. I couldn’t wait another minute to be rid of him. He opened my door for me and then rounded the front of the car. The short ride to work was silent and uneventful, which I was thankful for. A couple blocks later, we were pulling up in front of a small boutique with the name Fashionably Yours, scrolled across the top of it.
    “Have a nice day, princess. I’ll pick you up around eight?”
    Every time the nickname came out of his mouth, I wanted to punch him. He knew nothing about me, and making the accusation that he did was driving me insane. “Don’t bother, I’ll walk home.” I reached for the handle, but felt his warm strong hand gently pull on my elbow.
    “It’s not safe for you to walk home. I’ll see you around eight.”
    The look in his eyes had me shuttering on the inside. It was a look of authority and I knew he wasn’t to be questioned. “Fine, I’ll see you then.”
    I hesitantly walked into the boutique not knowing what waited for me. Howser had told me that a girl named Kristy was whom I needed to meet, but that was about it. He never gave a description, and I never asked. I was walking into this situation blind, and that didn’t sit well with me.
    When I first walked in, there was no one around. I made my way towards the back, all the while touching the beautiful designer clothing that hung on the racks. “Hello?” There still was no answer, so I walked a little bit further towards the fitting rooms. “Is anyone here?” Seconds later, a small Australian accent echoed through