Read For Her Protection: An Alpha Romance for Free Online

lot.
    She stared at him. “You're enjoying this….”
    He spun the wheel, his lips turning up the slightest bit.
    “You're freaking basking in the glow of being right.”
    He shot her one arrogant look. “Kitten, I don't need to bask, I'm always right.”
    Kitten . She snorted. Of course he’d call her some condescending pet name. He was right in the middle of attempting to assert his dominance. Well he could go ahead and attempt all he wanted. He wouldn’t gain it over her. “What does that make me?”
    Just try telling me, wrong.
    He stared out the windshield, which did nothing to conceal his smirk. “Learning.”
    She tugged her wrists. “If my hands weren't tied...”
    “But they are.” His smirk turned to a grin.
    Bastard was loving this.
    Her heart fluttered. Evil bastard had an amazing smile.
    ***
    Twenty minutes later, Connor opened the door to Charlie’s townhome. Polite would be freeing her and returning her keys, but well—screw that.
    He’d given her every chance to do this the easy way. But she’d gone and been sneaky. She almost fooled him too.
    Now he’d enjoy every moment of teaching her that he was in charge now.
    If he hadn’t noticed the same guy walk down the same hall, the same direction, twice, he’d have missed the security screens being on a loop.
    Miraculously, he had as he’d been concentrating on a second screen with footage of the morning’s protest.
    Fury pounded through his veins. She’d almost been taken. From now on she could forget privacy. She’d forgone that luxury when she’d played him.
    He switched on the lights and walked into her kitchen.
    “You can untie me now.” Her footsteps clicked behind him.
    He faced her. “Are you finished reflecting?”
    “Yes.” Her gold eyes sparked.
    He took off his jacket, and lay it over her counter. “And what have you learned?”
    “That you are a ridiculous, cantankerous, possibly crazy, barbarian.”
    “And yet you bait me?”
    Her cheeks pinkened. “This is so unprofessional. Are you even a real body guard?”
    Professional . Oh, it was too late for that. He’d veered off that course the moment he’d seen her picture and insisted on taking her on personally. He’d gone off script altogether when he went from “surveillance” to watching .
    There’d been no going back the moment she’d clapped eyes on him in the bar and looked at him like that. As though she might’ve experienced in that instant what he’d built over a month—a kind of fascinated obsession.
    Obsession being the operative word.
    “I’m definitely real, Charlie.” He couldn’t help sliding towards her. Couldn’t help how much he enjoyed having her with her hands tied behind her back, her chest pushed out.
    Blood rushed to his cock.
    “And I’d say we moved past professional when you asked me to kiss you.”
    “I didn’t know who you were.”
    “Would you have cared?” He didn’t touch her. That wouldn’t be fair just yet. “You said you needed me.”
    She wet her lips. All he could do was stare at that mouth of hers. He’d thought about that mouth a lot, but now he knew how fucking soft it was on his.
    “Why, Charlie?” He placed his hand on the bench behind her, blocking her in, holding himself back. “Why’d you need me?”
    “I…” Whatever smart answer she may have had got lost in the saddest frown.
    Then he couldn’t restrain himself, he reached out and touched her pretty chin. “What happened, kitten?”
    She blinked, and glanced away from him.
    “Was it the schmuck at the bar?” His muscles tightened. Yeah he’d noticed. He’d noticed and wanted to go over there and stake his claim on a woman who did not know he existed. “He walked off and then you looked sad.”
    Her gaze returned to him. “You noticed?”
    “I notice everything about you.”
    Her chin lifted in his hand. “Because that’s your job.”
    “My job is to keep you safe.”
    She squinted slightly. He wasn’t about to lay it out. Not until