Resisting Her by Kendall Ryan Read Free Book Online Page B

him do
what he wanted, take what he wanted. His hands were calloused, but
had been gentle when he’d cleaned her wounds, so perhaps it
wouldn’t be so bad. She could just squeeze her eyes closed and
think of something else.
    But now it seemed less likely, since he
hadn’t yet tried to touch her, hadn’t laid a single finger on her.
And she didn’t know what to make of it. Her head felt dizzy with
the waiting. At this point she just wanted him to make his move, to
get on with it. The waiting and not knowing when he’d strike was
exhausting. And so was not knowing how she’d respond.
    Being around Cole heightened her senses and
left her reeling. She’d never felt this way about Dillon, despite
his obvious advances, and found it interesting that even in the
presence of Cole’s relative distance, her curiosity was piqued and
her body at full attention.
    She looked down at the pink bottle of shampoo
in her hands. She opened the cap and inhaled. Floral notes and the
mouth-watering scent of ripe peaches met her senses, and she
smiled. She’d used Cole’s shampoo that smelled like spearmint and
made her scalp tingle, which she liked just fine, but it was nice
to have something of her own. Her mouth curved into a slow grin at
the thought of Cole picking this out her for. And she relished
having conditioner too. Her hair would resemble a bird’s nest
without it.
    After placing the bottles in the guest
bathroom, she rejoined Cole in the kitchen to see what she might
make for dinner. And perhaps she could even do some baking. As
Savannah moved about the kitchen, Cole watched her with suspicion,
like he was sure she was about to break down, or freak out at any
moment. She didn’t feel like crying anymore. She didn’t feel much
of anything anymore. She just wanted to be sure the kids were okay
and figure out her new life, taking one day at a time. She felt
relieved more than anything to be free from Jacob and the compound
where she’d felt so out of place. And grateful for Cole for giving
her a second chance at a life. But being unable to understand his
intentions was eating away at her. She couldn’t say she was afraid
of him; she knew that wasn’t it. More like curious about his
motives. She felt comfortable enough, dressed in his soft, worn
clothing, making herself at home in his kitchen, and most oddly,
making herself comfortable in his arms. It was a comfort she
needed, and wouldn’t deny herself. And after Cole had failed to
make any type of move on her last night, she’d grown more
comfortable, burrowing into his strong arms on the couch and
allowing herself the tiniest semblance of safety, even if it
wouldn’t last forever.

Chapter 7
     
    Cole awoke suddenly to the sound of a muffled
shout. What the-?
    He was out of bed in an instant and reaching
for the handgun he kept in the drawer beside his bed, but then he
remembered Savannah. He jogged across the hall and found her
thrashing in bed, her arms fighting an imaginary opponent, soft
sobs escaping her lips.
    “No! No!” she shouted. “Don’t leave me. You
can’t leave me.” Her voice was filled with so much emotion, such
aguish, it nagged at Cole. During the spilt second it took him to
cross the room, he wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, or still
dreaming.
    But when he reached the bed and saw the
moonlit glow across her face, her eyes were still closed. She was
having a nightmare.
    “Savannah.” He shook her shoulders.
“Savannah, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
    Her eyes flashed open and locked on his.
“Cole?”
    “Yes, it’s Cole, sweetheart, I’m here.”
    She reached up for his neck and tugged him
down on top of her. Hot tears against his neck kept him from
pulling away, like logic demanded he do. Instead his arms snaked
around her prone body, and he pulled her even closer. “Shh. It’s
okay. I’ve got you.”
    She let out a weak sob and clutched him even
tighter, holding on for dear life. After several minutes, her cries
had let up,