The Protective Dominant by Jan Irving Read Free Book Online Page B

really don’t want to go. Because I’m afraid of being noticed.”
    “So that’s why the ‘notice me’ clothes. Aw.”
    “Are you making fun of me?”
    “Maybe only a tiny amount.” But mostly she was melting him. Again.
    He paused beside his truck, feeling like he’d been swimming in the ocean and suddenly someone had grabbed his ankle, yanking him under. He was…going places he wasn’t used to.
    He wasn’t going to be the same man after helping Jenny.
    They had managed to salvage as much of the old wooden façade of Coffee Dreams as possible so the outside resembled the silvered planks of an old pier. Compared to the other shops in the strip mall, it was miles ahead in construction, a testament to the commitment of the men and women at Station 57, who had been putting in a lot of extra hours helping out. The smell of freshly cut cedar stung Taz’s nose as he guided Jenny through the doorway with a palm over the small of her back.
    He felt tension ripple through her, felt the deep breath she took.
    From his place on a ladder, Zane Newmark the Third pushed his white blond hair out of his eyes, giving Jenny a shy smile. The rookie firefighter had a little crush on Taz’s Jenny and a couple of times had tried to help her when she’d sleepwalked.
    But Taz hadn’t liked it. Even though he’d been grateful that the rook, another neighbor of his and Jenny’s, had rescued her, Taz wanted to be the only one to see her at her worst. It was a protective instinct he couldn’t fight.
    Zane was an enigma. He was almost delicately built with cat-like grace, but he possessed a scary blind bravery and he was stronger than he looked. He was relentless as a firefighter. But he came from one of the wealthiest families in the San Diego area, a family he never spoke about. He lived in a modest house and Taz hadn’t seen him date. Ever.
    The guy lived like a monk.
    But he did like Jenny and… Maybe sometime that would come in handy. Taz filed away the thought before giving Fred a nod where he stood nursing a beer while his young fiancée Dharma filled the shop’s coffee roaster. Soon the scent of beans joined the cedar in an acidic bouquet.
    Fred nodded to him, looking completely relaxed, his legs crossed at the ankles, slouching back at the counter. He no longer looked like a man who questioned his appeal to his much younger lady.
    Sian was resting in one of the new leather club chairs they’d bought to replace the old ones. It was fire engine red, in honor of the firefighters who had fought the flames that had nearly swallowed Coffee Dreams. She was rubbing her huge pregnant belly as if to encourage the kid to come out already.
    Taz’s best friend Luke took off his goggles, shutting off the spinning saw. He nodded at Taz. Sawdust sprinkled his T-shirt and shorts, highlighting the pallor of his face like freckles. Looked like Luke had been missing his run lately too.
    Probably still not sleeping when Sian didn’t sleep.
    And then it hit Taz.
    He hadn’t been sleeping either.
    Because he was too busy watching over a woman.
    “I’m glad you brought her, man,” Luke said under his breath. “Even though she looks terrified.”
    Taz looked at Jenny, but he only saw courage shining in her eyes. She gave him a tense smile as she sat next to Sian.
    “She’ll be all right,” he said.
    Luke studied him, not Jenny. “Yeah, I think she will be. So you gonna help me put up some of the built-ins behind the counter?”
    “Is that what you’re messing around with, Cade? Jesus, it’s a wonder no one’s lost an eye.”
    “Har.”
    Soon Fred, Zane and Taz were holding up heavy shelving while Luke marked the wall, watching the little bubble in his level. Fred had lost his shirt along with the other two men and Taz noticed he had a deep pink mark on his lower back. Bite mark, on the shy battalion chief?
    “You got a woman now, Taz?” Fred muttered.
    “I’m not the one wearing his woman’s bite