Free The Protector by Dawn Marie Snyder Page A

teeth.  Mrs. Walker, who knew us both well enough, knew the nature of Seth’s joking but quickly changed the subject.  “Conway will be here shortly, Jack, go and clean up and I will have something for you to eat when you come back down.”
    I walked over to the older lady and hugged her tightly.  She knew how to handle all of us and she did it quite well.  She was like our dorm room mom. She could calm angered nerves and cook a mean chicken pot pie.  She often times stated that she was the mother of many and the keeper of none.  In reality she was right.  She was like a second mother to all of us but she was unable to keep any of us close by for any length of time.
    I turned and walked out of the kitchen and grabbed my duffel bag at the foot of the stairs.  I bounded up them two at a time and unconsciously went into the room I always used when I had to stay at the safe house for any particular reason. Although, I had a home not far away from the safe house, this place had often been my refuge over the last two years.
    Alison’s stuff was laid out neatly in the room. On the bed was her suitcase and overnight bag. The only item in the bathroom was the robe she had worn last night and her soap and shampoo sitting on the counter. I reached under the sink and found my spare shaving bag. I had left it once and Mrs. Walker never bothered to return it. She put it with the towels under the sink and there it was for me every time I came to the safe house.
    I quickly undressed and threw my clothes onto the floor. I showered quickly, shaved and jumped out. I wrapped a fresh towel around my waist and walked out to the duffel bag I had left on the bed next to Alison’s belongings. 
    I didn’t notice her standing there rummaging through her bags.  Her eyes grew wide as a horrified look crossed her face and I wasn’t sure if I had dropped my towel somewhere between the bathroom and where I now stood. I quickly looked down and heaved a sigh of relief as I realized the towel was still securely around my waist.
    She quickly looked down, “I, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize you were in here.  Seth said I could use my laptop. I, uh,” She stuttered as she couldn’t find the words to continue her sentence. She stared at me the way I had stared at her a few hours ago when our roles were reversed. 
     
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    I stood there in total shock as I watched Jack walk out of the bathroom. Ok, so now we were even, he had seen me half naked and now I had seen him half naked and we barely knew each other. ‘Gee all that was left was to sleep together,’ I thought to myself.  I stood there staring at him as he had the night before. I couldn’t tear my eyes off of his chest. When I was leaning against him at the airport I had noticed his muscular build, now I saw what I had been leaning against and I had no complaints.  He had another tattoo, this time on his chest above his heart.  It was an easy read  - if I understood Latin – Pater Peccavi. I memorized the words so I could kill the lingering curiosity I knew I would have. 
    I managed to spit out a few words and grab my computer.  “Alison!” I heard him say. I stopped with my hand on the door. “I’m sorry. I keep a few things here in this bathroom, I should have warned you. I, I.”   I didn’t dare turn to look at him. With my luck he would have lost the towel.
    “No I am sorry, I’ll see you downstairs.” I quickly opened the door and shut it behind me. There was no way this could have gotten any more embarrassing, but as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, I could feel my heart racing and I was suddenly dizzy.  I took another deep breath to try and calm my nerves and took a few steps toward the stairs. The dizziness didn’t go away.  I stopped to gather my senses before I sent my body flying down the stairs.  
    I stood there for a moment and waited.  I really needed to get down the stairs before Jack came out of the room. But I couldn’t make my body