Nobody's Angel (The Earth Angels) Read Online Free Page A

than that. Maybe it was because he was obviously a born nurturer; a gentle giant with soft eyes and hands that made her tingle. Or maybe it was because he was the most magnificent male specimen she’d had the good fortune to come across in her twenty-six years. Whatever it was, simply looking at him made her give fervent thanks she’d been born a girl.
    A corner of his mouth curled as he watched her sip her coffee. “Nice to know something as simple as coffee can grant me a get-out-of-jail-free card with you.”
    “I’m hopeless, aren’t I?”
    “I’m not complaining.”
    Heaven help her, she couldn’t stop staring at him. “You’re Zeke, right? Zeke Reece?”
    The brilliance of his smile cut through the remainder of her fog. “Good memory. Considering what happened last night, I’m surprised you remember anything about me.”
    Like she could ever forget him. “A good memory is only one of the weapons a journalist has. For instance, I just remembered I never gave you my address.”
    “True, but you did give it to the officer who brought you home, and she was kind enough to give it to me when I asked her for it.” He unpacked the bag, revealing two insulated cups of maple-drizzled oatmeal and plastic spoons. “You were in such bad shape last night, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
    Touched by his thoughtfulness, and more than a little thrilled at the prospect that he’d felt the same spark of interest she had, she turned to accept the cup. “Thank you. I’m fine, really.”
    His answering smile quickly turned into a frown. “Are those bruises on your neck?”
    “What? Oh. Um...” Horrified, she slapped a hand to her throat and tried to come up with a non-insane explanation. “I was attacked last night. It wasn’t a big deal.”
    “Attacked? Let me see.” Going into paramedic mode, he rose and faced her fully. Before she could object, he walked the pads of his fingers up her neck, touching her as if he believed she was made of the finest crystal. “Did you go to the police?”
    The mere thought of explaining white-veiled eyes, masked men and how that masked man insisted the attack wasn’t her assailant’s fault to the police was nothing short of snort-worthy. “No. Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal.”
    He made a noncommittal sound. “I’ll give you this—you lead one hell of an exciting life. Is there any one place that hurts more than anywhere else?”
    “No.” It took her last drop of will to keep from stretching her neck like a needy cat. But if he didn’t stop touching her soon, she might make a total fool of herself by purring. “Really, no permanent damage was done. I just sound like a phone-sex operator, that’s all.”
    “I like how you find the silver lining in all this.” His thumbs brushed like a caress under her jaw line. “Any other injuries?”
    She bit her lip to keep from blurting she had an all-over body bruise in need of his professional ministrations. “Just a lump on the back of my head when I hit the ground, but I made sure I didn’t sleep on it.”
    “You’re not supposed to sleep with a head injury, period.” His fingers sifted through her hair. “You didn’t see a doctor after the attack, did you?”
    “Why would I do that?” It took all her strength to stifle a shiver of unexpected delight as the loverlike glide of his fingers plowed rows through her hair. Sweet languor drifted through her like a drug, heating her blood and stroking her every nerve ending to vibrant life. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”
    “That’s quite a goose egg. Look at me.” He coaxed her chin up, way up, as if he was positioning her to receive his kiss. Her heart trembled to a breathless pause when he lowered his dark head, and the light in his golden-brown eyes burned into hers as if he was trying to memorize everything about her.
    “Your pupils are reactive, so I think you managed to avoid a concussion.”
    The breathless tripping of her heart face-planted