Free The Protector by Gennita Low Page A

any.”
    He ruffled a child’s hair. “Poor kids. Wish I had some more cash to give them.”
    “Don’t train them to beg, Lieutenant. Each generation becomes more and more weakened by this system of dependence.”
    He regarded her with those blue eyes quietly. “You’ve given this some thought,” he observed. “I was only thinking of a way to help, chouchou. ”
    “Easy, isn’t it? Throw money at the problem and it should solve itself.” Vivi shrugged, taking a last look around at the shantytown. “It’s a temporary patch, Lieutenant. You have to understand cultural values and start from there.”
    “I thought your calling me Jazz earlier was a good start to cultural exchange,” he said as he came near again, much too close for comfort. “Maybe you and I can talk more about this over dinner, chouchou. ”
    The man was also far too persistent. “Stop calling me that. We aren’t exchanging any kind of cultural lessons during dinner or at any time.”
    He grinned devilishly. “Don’t you want to give me some cultural instructions?”
    Vivi ignored the challenge. She didn’t want to flirt with him. It was far too tempting. She opened her handbag to retrieve the keys to the car. “Get over to the other side, Lieutenant, or they will all be swarming in with us. Then you’ll have to send them home to your maman too. What will your poor maman do with your wife and kids?”
    His laughter was low and sexy, as if he was very aware of his effect on her. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this flustered by male attention, jabbering nonsensically.
    She waited as Jazz cut over to the passenger side. He had a kid hanging on to his back. It seemed the children liked him as much as the girls. There was something about watching a big man playing with a small child that made her weak. She watched as he patiently waited for the kid to get off. Then he turned and gave her one of those lazy smiles.
    “Ready, ma’am.”
    Vivi pulled the door handle. Something tugged at her blouse and she looked down. It was the same little kid, barely able to stand without wobbling. He looked at her with round innocent eyes full of wonder. She opened the door and slid into the seat. Slipping her hand into one of the side pockets of her purse, she pulled out a bar of chocolate. The child grabbed the candy as soon as she showed it to him, a smile lighting up his face like bright sunshine.
    Vivi smiled sadly. She was now the one handing out the chocolate.

CHAPTER 5
    Jazz caught the fleeting sadness in Vivi’s expression as she started up the car and turned the vehicle around. It must be tough to have a job like this—saving kids, only to return them back to the system that created them. His job was much easier, he decided.
    “Are you going to give money to my commander to keep me safe for a few days?” he joked, hoping to cheer her a little.
    He was rewarded with that half-mocking secretive smile, as if the same thought had run through her mind. She refused to answer him, but it was okay. He had achieved his goal.
    The heat from the sun had curled the loose tendrils around Vivi’s face into ringlets. Jazz wondered whether her hair was naturally curly once it was freed from that braid. He hadn’t had time to dwell on why every aspect of her face fascinated him, from those kissable lips to the texture of her hair. He enjoyed women—they were like bursts of laughter and sunshine, the taste of thick vanilla ice cream shakes, and the smell of homemade pie. He treasured them because they were generous creatures, with their loving hands and marvelous ways of making a man feel like a man. But he had never had the urge to get too close. Until now.
    “I’m not cheap.” He continued his banter. “I assure you he’s willing to negotiate.”
    “You’ll let another man negotiate your price?” she countered as she slowed down for a farmer and his goats crossing the busy road. “You trust him that much?”
    “I trust him with my