Free Desert Guardian by Karen Duvall Page B

smacking of flesh
against flesh. Fast footsteps, running footsteps, and the thudding of
hard-soled shoes against the wooden deck outside.
    Someone
hurried toward her, making her cringe and turning her blood to ice. "Sam?"
she whispered, desperately hoping she was right. She coughed and said more
loudly, "Sam? Is that you?"
    Strong
hands grabbed her arms and hoisted her to her feet.
    "Kelly,
are you okay?" Sam's voice sounded tense. He pulled the sheet from her
face and held her up, cradling her in his arms so that her feet barely touched
the floor. "Did they hurt you?"
    Panic
still squeezing her lungs, she tugged at the sheet wound tightly around her
chest. "I'm fine. Where's Jake?"
    "Who?"
    "My
brother!" Exasperated, she ripped at the sheet. "He was just here. I
spoke to him. I almost convinced him to come home with me." At least she
thought she had.
    With
his help, she shed the wrinkled yards of fabric that had almost smothered her
to death. When the sheet fell away, she found herself looking into Sam's deep
gray eyes, his forehead creased with worry, a red welt high on his right cheek.
Silent and breathless, they stared at each other, their faces inches apart. Her
gaze dropped to his full lips and locked there.
    "I'm
so glad you got back when you did." She folded herself against him,
relieved and protected. His arms wrapped more tightly around her, and the
familiar scent of his skin grew intoxicating. She would have been happy staying
where she was for as long as he would hold her. Sam had become her guardian,
her savior.
    She
recalled her dream from that morning, how his hands had felt around her ribs,
his sensuous fingers caressing her breasts. She wanted to feel that now. As she
looked up, their gazes locked again, and she saw desire smolder in his eyes. He
bowed his head, lifting her up slightly as he did so, and his breath rustled
the fine hairs above her forehead.
    Protected.
Cared for. She hungered for that above all things, but so did Jake. It wasn't her needs she should be thinking about
now. It was her brother's. Coming to her senses, she backed away. "You
must have seen Jake. He was right here!"
    Sam's
breath came out in short bursts as he collected himself. "Tell me what he
looks like."
    She
did, and he nodded. "That must have been the guy who ran past me and out
the door when I plowed into the man holding you down." He glanced out the
open doorway. "They're gone now. Left in a beat-up blue van. As soon as I
got here and saw a strange vehicle parked in the driveway, I knew there was
trouble."
    She
studied Sam's face, looking for the deceiver Jake had been so convinced he was.
But that wasn’t what she saw. Sam's face was a living sculpture of compassion
and concern. There was no liar here.
    He
rested both hands on her shoulders as if to steady her, and his frown deepened.
"You're shaking."
    Damn
her body for betraying her emotions. No point in denying the obvious, so she
hugged herself and nodded. "I'll be fine. Really."
    He
reached out to touch her lightly on the cheek. She backed up a step and closed
her eyes. "I know you're trying to help, and I'm sorry if I seem
ungrateful. Just give me a few minutes to pull myself together, and I'll be
good as new." Her attempt at a reassuring smile felt unnatural, and she
hoped he didn't notice. However, she did feel relieved after seeing Jake and
knowing he was well, if malnourished. He wasn't taking care of himself.
    Sam's
lips curved slightly, but the real smile came through his eyes. "It's okay
to be scared."
    She
blinked, a sudden sting of tears threatening her self-control. She wanted to be
brave, to dismiss the attack as trivial, pretend it was a failed effort that
had no effect on her. But in truth, she was scared to death. If she admitted
this to Sam, he'd treat her like a victim, and she couldn't tolerate that. It
had taken her years to repair the damage her father had done to her self-esteem,
and the result was a fierce independence that had given her