Free Guard (The Underground Book 3) by Becca Jameson Page A

guess I’ll assume it’s me.”
    “Yeah.” Her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. “I mean, no. That didn’t come out right.” She should shut up.
    “No, it’s not me? You react like this with every man?” he teased. He knew her, better than a regular person should. But then again, he’d been in her space for three weeks. It wasn’t a stretch.
    “Of course not. No.”
    He smiled again.
    “I don’t…” What was she going to say? She pursed her lips together and shook her head to keep her thoughts to herself. He didn’t need to know her secrets. Not ever. Especially not now.
    “You don’t what?” he prodded. Dammit.
    “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” She needed him to get off her. He sucked the oxygen out of the room so she grew lightheaded. In a moment she was going to embarrass herself with either words or deeds. Probably both.
    “You’re embarrassed. I’m not sure why. Please don’t be.” He didn’t give her an inch.
    “Mikhail, this isn’t me. I don’t get all hot and bothered and out of control. Ever.”
    He grinned for the tenth time. “You do now. And I like it.”
    She blinked up at him. Her body was on fire. She could easily throw caution to the wind and let him fuck her senseless—because she had no doubt that’s what would happen. The man had a level of control she knew would extend to the bedroom. Power rolled off him.
    From the moment she’d met him, he’d taken charge. He literally picked her up off the floor and carried her to safety without knowing a single thing about her. Hell, he didn’t even know if she was one of the good guys.
    And he hadn’t left her side since.
    She needed to pull her shit back together. He didn’t know the real her. It certainly wasn’t the scared, shaking, nervous woman she’d projected for the last few weeks.
    She was not easily spooked. She’d spent her entire life in risky situations, from traveling the world with her parents to helping the underprivileged get the resources they needed to get back on their feet.
    Never had she worried about traipsing around in the dark under the L making sure people had food and shelter.
    Now?
    Now she was afraid of her own shadow. And she hated it.
    “You don’t know me.”
    He tipped his head and looked at her quizzically. “How do you figure?”
    “I’m strong and capable and never afraid.” Or I was .
    “I’m sure you are. I can see it in your eyes. But it’s okay to slow down for a bit and catch your breath after what happened to you, you know.”
    She shook her head. “I hate what’s happening to me. Detest it. I want to go back to the person I was before.”
    “She’s still inside you, baby.” He eased his hand up to stroke the side of her face with his thumb. The man and his amazing thumbs… “I can see her. You’re going to get through this.”
    “Am I?” She seemed to be hiding behind Mikhail, using him as a crutch. A shield from the rest of the world. And it was easy. He was enormous and scary and capable. He made her feel safe.
    It would be so easy to sleep with him. Hell, it would be easy to keep him forever. But wasn’t she using him? She shuddered.
    “Hey now.” He eased his body down alongside hers and turned her back into his front, wrapping his thick arms around her to cocoon her. “You’re okay,” he said into her hair. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
    “It’s tough not to. I want to go back to work. I need to. People are counting on me. My boss will get antsy soon.” That was probably a lie. Terrance had called her several times to make sure she was doing okay and tell her to take her time getting back to work. But the people… The homeless… She needed to get back out there.
    He pulled her into his body tighter, as if that were possible. His warmth calmed her nerves. The intense arousal she’d felt moments ago eased. She still felt the desire, but with slightly less urgency behind it.
    Deep breaths. Slow and easy.
    Mikhail threaded his fingers