Dark Defender by Alexis Morgan Page A

spotted this place on the way here.” He held his hand up in a mock salute. “Scout’s honor.”
    “You were never a Boy Scout.”
    “True, but I wouldn’t lie to you about this.”
    “Which means there are some things you will lie about.” She turned to stare out the window.
    Just that quickly, his good mood was gone. Because she was right: he would lie if necessary. And when she found out about her father’s lies, it might just destroy her.
     
    Trahern checked them into the hotel with his usual efficiency. Brenna wasn’t happy about sharing a room with him. She still felt hot, flushed, and embarrassed from his earlier kiss. But short of pitching a fit right there in the lobby, there wasn’t much she could do. Once they were alone, he was going to get an earful—if she could stay awake long enough.
    “Come on, honey, let’s go on up to the room. I can bring in our luggage later. Right now I’ve got other plans for us.”
    The cad actually winked at the cute little blonde behind the counter. Lord save her from women who giggled. Then he had the nerve to throw his powerful arm around her shoulder and nearly drag her toward the elevator, as if he couldn’t wait to get her alone.
    Once the elevator doors closed, she jerked free. Some of the makeup she’d slathered on to disguise her bruises had left a streak on his shirt, which pleased her.
    “What was that all about?”
    “Hotels find it odd when customers have no luggage. I don’t have anything but the bare essentials with me, and you have nothing. If she thinks we’re in a hurry to get to our room, she won’t wonder why I’ve only got this one small bag.”
    Logical, but that didn’t mean she had to like it, or him leering at some sweet young thing in front of her. A flash of what felt suspiciously like jealousy burned through her. Intellectually she knew she had no right or reason to feel that way, but Blake’s reappearance in her life was too new for her to want to share.
    When the elevator doors pinged, Blake pulled his gun from his waistband and checked the hallway outside before he’d let her come out. She didn’t like the unspoken reminder that she needed his protection.
    A few seconds later, he pushed the door to their room open and tugged her inside. She was so ready to shower and crawl between clean sheets and sleep for hours. Trahern stopped abruptly, blocking her view of the room. She tried to shove him out of the way.
    “Brenna, I swear I didn’t know.”
    “Know what?” She leaned over to look past him, at the bed.
    THE bed. As in a single place to sleep. If he didn’t look so shocked, she might have suspected this was another of those things he felt safe in lying about.
    “So ask for another room.”
    He sighed. “She said it was the last room available. I suppose we could go someplace else, but…”
    “Never mind. I’ll sleep on the floor.” If she didn’t get horizontal soon, she’d probably fall asleep standing up.
    “Like hell.”
    “Fine, I’ll sleep in the chair then. Right now I don’t care.”
    She headed for the bathroom, only to realize that she had nothing to sleep in except that hideous hospital gown. If they’d gotten separate rooms, she would have slept in her underwear, but that wasn’t going to work with him in the room.
    No matter how battered she was, he managed to stir up thoughts and feelings she had no business having. Like how it had felt to be held so carefully in his arms, and the spicy male taste of his kiss. Desire, hot and liquid, settled at the apex of her legs. She couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, that she’d had such strong reactions to a man. She wanted him, plain and simple.
    Eyeing the queen-size bed, she had a wayward thought. Sharing that mattress with Blake would be a heck of lot more comfortable than that old picnic table.
    “Here. Thought you might want something clean to sleep in.” Blake tossed her a white T-shirt as she went into the bathroom.
    “Thank you.”