Safe In Your Arms Read Online Free

saying as she sat on the floor beside him. That horrible day Mina learned that her grandfather’s favorite saying was true. The early bird did get the flipping worm.
    Gabe and Callie were inseparable for the rest of the summer. Their friendship, or whatever it was, stayed strong right into that first year of school. A deep breath left her as Mina shrugged her shoulders. The past was the past. She was alone. More alone than she’d been that first year at their new school. She wondered where that boy was now. The family rarely had the opportunity to return to the summer house after her father won his seat in Congress. She knew Callie had lost contact with him, though she didn’t know the particulars. Callie rarely had time or interest in speaking with her. She regretted that. If she ever saw her...no, when she saw her sister, she would try her damnedest to get closer.
    She just needed to survive long enough to get there. Turning her head, she saw the can of corn and the can opener. First thing was eating, and then she’d venture a look outside and try to figure out where her unfriendly rescuer had brought her in the night. The man might be a hottie, but he had the personality of a slug. She didn’t know why, but he didn’t want her there. The feeling was mutual and as soon as she found her clothes and weapons, she’d leave him alone with his crappy attitude.

Chapter Three
    Gabe was not in a good mood, hadn’t been since Z-Day, but this was worse. The woman sitting in his cave was the reason today. Lifting a hand to his sore jaw, he swore, sure it was going to bruise with the punishing hit her elbow clipped him with. Foolishly, he’d never expected her to fight him, much less attack him. No, he’d envisioned her thanking him with a hug and tears of gratitude. He was such a bloody fool!
    Mina Brady didn’t show gratitude to anyone. As a pre-teen she’d followed him around with Callie, but when he’d established a friendship with her sister, she’d frozen toward him like a hot coal doused by an avalanche. Callie told him that her older sister was jealous of her in everything. He supposed as their father’s favorite little princess, Mina just expected everyone to like her better. Poor little Duchess . He felt a spark of humor at the name he’d secretly dubbed her with years before. She hadn’t been sweet enough to be a princess and definitely not mature enough to be a queen. The day he’d started thinking of her as Duchess was shortly after Callie confided that Mina was jealous of them. Wanting to bridge the gap between the two sisters, he had approached Mina, who was sitting on the porch swing sketching the back yard and river with a charcoal pencil.
    At first he’d tried to draw her into a conversation about her sketch, but that only made her hide the drawing against her chest. The distrust and suspicion in her dark eyes reminded him of a wild animal sensing danger, yet he’d never harmed her in any way. When he brought up the fishing trip he planned to take Callie on the next morning and asked her to come with them, her pert little nose shot right up in the air as she shook her head at him. He’d immediately given up on trying to include her.
    “Okay, so...great talk. Why don’t you sit there on your duff then. Happy doodling.”
    “I’m drawing, not doodling.” Her glare was filled with anger. She stood up and marched past him toward the door.
    “Excuse me. I didn’t realize you were the next Picasso, Miss Brady. No wonder you don’t have time to spare on the little people.” His sarcasm had her stopping to turn back to him.
    He’d expected her head to explode, but she’d simply stuck her tongue out at him and walked away with that elfin chin up in the air.
    Her attitude hadn’t changed much, but he had to admit her body sure had. Gabe had felt the full length of her body beneath his while he was trying to prevent her feet and hands from battering into him. She was strong and firm, curvy in all