Free The Redeemer by J.D. Chase

lips along it. ‘Even with your mouth gaping open, you’re beautiful. And you have no idea how hard it’s going to be for me to take you to bed, undress you and walk away. No, fuck that. I’m leaving you fully dressed. I think my restraint would snap if I saw you even semi-naked. Fuck, I’d want to touch you. Feel you.’
    His cock twitched. And again. ‘Oh fuck . . . Isla Hamilton, you have no idea what you do to me.’
    She moaned softly and rolled her head so that it rested against his chest once more. Then, when her arms snaked up around his neck and she burrowed her face into his neck, he thought that his hammering heart would surely wake her. A strangled sound emerged from his throat and his eyes clamped shut. He stood, stock still and spellbound for some time until his biceps began to burn from the tension of holding her upright.
    It was pleasurable torment. He knew he shouldn’t be holding her like that. Never mind the inappropriateness of it; the last thing he needed was for his biceps to stiffen up. He still had to get her upstairs. Resolving to get his arse into gear and his feelings in check, he turned his head and bestowed a feather-light kiss on her forehead. That’s when all hell broke loose.

Chapter Five
     
     
    Dean almost jumped out of his skin when he heard something crash against one of the windows. He turned towards it and saw something move. It might have been a face but he wasn’t sure; the glare of the bar’s lights reflecting in the glass obscured his view. Angry shouting followed but he couldn’t hear what was said. He could tell that there was more than one person shouting. He deciphered the odd word before the commotion was worsened by a dog’s ferocious barking.
    He desperately wanted to take a look but he was stuck holding Isla upright. Then he remembered that she had employed security guards to keep that low life, Xander Rhodes, off the premises. Dean guessed it was him creating all the noise outside.
    ‘Fuck, that must have been his face at the window. What a crazy fucker!’ Shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation, he recalled Xander’s scathing comments whenever he’d found Isla in the bar. Dean frowned. There he was, holding up a very drunken Isla and knowing how it must look to anyone looking in from outside. He grinned. Just the realization that anyone, let alone that pompous prick, Xander Rhodes, would think that he and Isla were canoodling in the bar was enough to make him feel ten feet tall.
    Isla appeared to be fast asleep so he decided to attempt to lift her again. She stirred as he did so but kept her arms around his neck, enabling him to carry her safely. As he stepped into the reception lobby, he could hear the commotion outside – although it was muffled. He paused and looked through the stationary revolving door and there, illuminated by the welcoming coach lamps, was Xander being restrained by a security guard as another remonstrated angrily with him.
    Dean walked closer to the door out of sheer curiosity. That was a mistake. Xander saw him holding Isla to his chest and roared, tearing himself from the grip of the security guard. He barrelled past the other guard and threw himself at the revolving door. His face was contorted with rage. Dean didn’t hesitate; he shot to the lift, thankful that Isla was completely immobile in his arms, and managed to hit the call button. Relief poured through him as the doors opened immediately. He jabbed his finger on the second floor button just as Xander raced inside the lobby.
    ‘I’ll fucking kill you!’ was all Dean heard as the doors closed. He prayed that the lift would move before Xander could hit the call button. There was no way that he wanted to be confronted anywhere by that raging tyrant, let alone in a confined space. He’d thought that Isla’s decision to employ security guards was sheer overkill. He’d been unable to see why she hadn’t called in the police when he turned up and let them deal