Free Barely Breathing by Lacey Thorn

wasn’t
good with beating around the bush about stuff. It was a side effect of having
only a father growing up, and his band of merry men.
    “I thought you were still sore.” She would swear he was
blushing. She had to be wrong. A man wouldn’t blush. But then, what man would
be considerate because he thought she was sore? Very few, in her opinion.
    “Oh.” A stupid response but all she could think of. What was
the correct response to chivalry? This was why she stayed holed up with a
computer.
    “Come with me.” He held his hand out to her and grabbed his
keys with the other one.
    She almost jumped toward him. She needed to go, to do.
Anything. Otherwise, she might just attack him and have her wicked way.
    “Where are we going?”
    He tugged her out the door and down the stairs. He pulled
her out the side door and into the lot where she’d parked her car. Before she could
go check her baby out, he pulled her toward another car. He beeped it unlocked
and opened the passenger door for her. He really was a gentleman. It made her
heart stutter when he did things like this.
    “Where are we going?” She asked the question again when he
got behind the wheel and started the car.
    “For a ride. I’ll show you some of the town. Maybe go for a
walk or something.”
    “I thought I was supposed to lie low.”
    “We will.” He shrugged, focused on the road as he pulled out
of the lot. “My windows are tinted. No one will even see you in here. We’ll see
the sights and talk.”
    “What do you want to talk about?” He glanced her way and she
didn’t miss the grin on his lips. It sent a slow tug through her stomach and
down between her suddenly moist thighs. What was it about Griff Daniels that
had her dreaming of things, things she’d never really thought about other than
in the abstract?
    “Tell me about you.” He prompted her when she just sat there
staring at him. Good grief, she must look like a lovesick fool. And didn’t just
the mere thought of love associated in any way with Griff make her a bit
queasy.
    She didn’t really believe in love. Lust, a resounding yes.
Commitment, if you worked at it. But love? That she wasn’t so sure of. And she
definitely didn’t think it could happen at first sight. No way. She just had a
really bad case of intense lust for Griff. Really intense.
    “Honor?”
    She glanced up and flushed as if he had been party to her
thoughts.
    “You pretty much know about me. I grew up with my dad. He was
gone a lot. I learned early on the boogeyman not only exists but he comes in
all shapes and sizes.” She smiled. “Dad taught me how to fight. Hand-to-hand
combat, guns, knives. You name it. I can fight with it if I have to.”
    “What about your mom?”
    “She left when I was just a baby.” She crossed her arms over
her chest and looked out the window.
    Griff’s hand trailed down her arm and he linked his fingers
with hers, tugging her hand over to rest on his thigh. She had no choice but to
turn with it.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
    She softened. “It’s okay. I tell myself it doesn’t matter.”
She shrugged. “But I guess it does. Still, my dad was pretty amazing. I didn’t
want for anything.”
    Griff did his best to bite his tongue. She didn’t want for
much! Did she actually believe the bullshit she spouted? What kind of family
life had she grown up with? Yet here she was because she was trying to protect
her dad. He wondered how long it would take her to figure out Jack had called
her dad. He’d known it as soon as Jack stood to leave. It’s what he would have
done as well.
    “Tell me about your family.”
    He glanced over at her. Her palm was soft against his and
the heat of their hands bled into his thigh. He wanted her. It was taking all
he had to keep his hands from ripping her clothes off and taking her again and
again and again. He was afraid of what he might have done if they had spent
another minute inside his