Free Her Master Defender (The Masters Men Series) by Sandra S. Kerns

to call the police and then your father. First I have got to take care of my leg. Why don’t you light the fire? It’s all setup. Matches are on the mantle. I’ll be out in a minute,” he said, crutching his way to his bedroom.
    Copper watched him disappear behind the door. She wanted to argue about calling her father. It could wait until they got his leg taken care of. He was probably downing some major pain pills in the bathroom. He tried to hide it, but his agony was obvious. A man like him didn’t ask for help easily. He’d totally surprised her when he had asked back at her house.
    She turned her attention to the fireplace. No doubt he figured the fire would help calm her down. Who wouldn’t feel safe in a beautiful cabin with a roaring fire? Okay, so she didn’t care why he’d mentioned it, she loved fireplaces and didn’t have one. She walked over and did as he’d asked.
    “Must have been a boy scout,” she chuckled when it caught right away. After warming her hands for a minute she stood and gazed around the room.
    There were three other doors he hadn’t mentioned. One before the bedroom he’d pointed to, and two near the kitchen. She figured one to be the back door. What the other two led to was up for grabs, obviously not her business since he hadn’t mentioned them. Not feeling comfortable nosing around much with him not there, she walked to one of the big leather chairs and sat down. There must have been a sale on the chairs, because they were identical to the ones in his office. Oversized and covered in soft, dark leather they suited his size as well as his personality. Kismet sniffed at the fire, then came over and sat beside her. Scratching his head, she looked around the room.
    He didn’t have a lot of furniture cluttering the area. Another reason Kismet probably liked it so much. Three matching, oversized leather chairs and one huge ottoman faced the fireplace. A couple of odd chairs were set here and there against the walls. There were two tables, one on either side of the middle chair within reach of the other two. Little other furniture graced the room. She realized the leather chairs must be for him and his brothers. Not big on company, she thought and grinned.
    The bedroom door opened. Copper turned and looked toward it. He stood there for a minute watching her. It was a little unnerving. Like someone staring at you and you find out later you had a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth. He had changed, but he wasn’t relaxed if the shoulder holster still strapped to him was any indication, not to mention the intensity of his gaze.
    “That’s my chair,” he said, as he turned from her and walked to the kitchen.
    Copper got up, wondering what difference it made since the chairs were identical. He didn’t even have a television in the room, so vantage point couldn’t be the issue. Realizing it didn’t matter, it was his house and his chair after all. He probably wasn’t accustomed to having people over. She picked up her bags and carried them into the bedroom.
    She quickly returned.
    “There’s only one bedroom, too?” she asked watching him carry something to the chair. She should have realized when he entered the room he’d pointed out earlier and come out in different clothes. She had been too distracted by the pain he was in.
    “Only one,” he said maneuvering himself into the chair.
    Copper rushed over to help. His coloring was worse than it had been a few minutes ago. Seeing his sock feet, she figured he’d nearly killed himself getting his boots off. Stubborn or not, he was in pain. She moved the ottoman closer, and with him glaring at her, gently lifted his leg onto it.
    “Peas are my favorite ice pack, too,” she said, taking the two bags from his hand.
    “Put one under my knee and one on top,” he said, glaring at her then added, “please.”
    That much cooperation meant he was in bad shape. She should make sure he hadn’t broken it or something. “Let me take