Saved by Sin [Paladin Protection Agency 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Susan Hayes Read Free Book Online Page B

a complete breakdown when she got that bit of news. She’s old money, isn’t she?”
    “When she told me, I was in shock and all I could think was that this was his way of trying to make me feel guilty. That he was still trying to control me somehow. Now though, I think he had another reason. I think he’s still here in some form. He’s still trying to be with me.”
    “He’s dead, Michelle. How is that even possible?”
    “You heard him outside. He said ‘mine.’ Well, that’s not the only time I’ve heard him. Last night I woke up to someone calling my name, and then when I went outside to clear my head I heard him whispering to me, and something touched me. I thought it was the wind at first, but it was more like a caress. I got scared and headed back inside. I told myself it was just stress. I came up here to get away for a few days.” She drew her legs up to her chest. Just talking about what had happened in the bathtub made her feel exposed again. “Tonight when I was taking a bath, I dozed off, and woke up because I felt something was in the water with me. It was stroking my leg and uh, higher.”
    She blushed and curled her legs up even tighter. Suddenly afraid he’d think she really was crazy. “When I tried to get out of the bathtub, I couldn’t. It was like the water had turned solid. I couldn’t get out. That’s when you heard me screaming. I heard Robert’s voice calling my name. He was calling me Chelle, his personal nickname for me, one I hated. He was telling me he was going to be with me forever. I dragged myself over the lip of the tub and started running and didn’t stop until I ran smack dab into you.”
    “You don’t think it was just a dream?” Sinjin asked softly, but she couldn’t hear any doubt in his words, just sincere curiosity.
    “You heard it, too, so no, I don’t think it was a dream. It was horribly, terribly real.”
    “Let me see your stomach, baby.” He set his beer aside and moved closer. His hand was resting on the quilt, waiting for permission to move it away. When she nodded, he pulled the blanket back to reveal her stomach, and he made a small noise of sympathy when he saw the red line of newly formed bruises that spanned her midriff.
    “I didn’t realize I’d done that.” She was amazed to see how much damage she’d done to herself getting out of the bathtub.
    “Adrenaline will do that to you.” He reached out and stroked her skin tenderly. “Tomorrow, you’re going to really feel that. But it proves your story. You don’t get bruising like that without a hell of a lot of force, and just getting out of a tub normally wouldn’t do it. You had to be fighting against something.”
    She felt relief as he told her he believed her, and the moment she relaxed, an ear-splitting yawn came over her and she had to cover her mouth to hide it.
    “You’re exhausted.” He sat up, kissed her gently, and then stood, tugging back the covers before coming around to her side of the bed again. “You need to rest.” He picked her up, quilt and all, and carried her around to where he’d been lying. Very gently he settled her into the bed, and unwrapped the quilt from around her so she could curl up beneath the covers. Once she was comfortable he spread it out over top of her and tucked her in with a smile. He then slid his track pants off unself-consciously and grinned at her as he claimed the side of the bed she’d been lying on. “And here I thought I was going to have to wait until tomorrow to get you back in bed.”
    With that, he turned out the light and moved in beside her, curling his larger body around hers protectively. “Go to sleep, Michelle. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”
    She snuggled in close, grateful for his warm, solid presence next to her. “Thank you, Sinjin. If you hadn’t believed me, I don’t know what I would have done.”
    “I’m glad I was here for you.” She felt his lips brush over her hair as she drifted off to sleep at