To Love & Protect Her Read Online Free Page A

burden.”
    She was as far from a burden as he could imagine, and he wanted nothing more than to have Willa intrude in his life. The realization brought a knot to his gut. He gripped the steering wheel more tightly. “Willa, I wouldn’t have brought you here to El Paso if I didn’t care what happened to you. If I were just doing a favor for Ryan, I would have taken you back to the Double Crown Ranch. I didn’t mean it that way.”
    Willa turned around and looked at him, but her eyes were carefully blank. “I’m sorry if I misunderstood, Griff. Shouldn’t we be on our way?”
    He swore silently as he put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot a little more quickly than he should have. “You’re right. We don’t want to stay here long enough to give anyone a chance to remember us.”
    They rode in silence for a while, tension still thick between them. He was shocked to realize that he wanted to pull Willa into his arms and show her justhow much he cared about what happened to her. Telling himself again that he was too rough and untamed for a woman like Willa, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and listened to the hum of the tires on the asphalt.
    Taking Willa to this cabin, staying alone there with her, was a huge mistake. He should have known better. He’d known from the first time he saw Willa that she would be trouble. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. And now he was going to be cooped up with her in a tiny cabin, with nothing else to do but look at her. And talk to her.
    He should turn around right now and go back to the Double Crown Ranch.
    But he couldn’t take any chances with her, so he continued on the route out of El Paso. When the road began climbing into the mountains, he forced himself to say to her, “Have you ever been to this part of Texas?”
    â€œNo,” she answered. Her voice was carefully even, and he couldn’t interpret her tone. “Before I moved to College Station, the only part of Texas I’d visited was the Double Crown and San Antonio.”
    â€œKeep an eye on the area,” he said gruffly. “You never know when you’ll need to find your way around here.”
    Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “What do you mean?”
    She seemed more puzzled than shocked, and he sighed at her naiveté. “We don’t know what’s goingto happen in the next several days. I want you to be prepared for anything.”
    He felt her eyes on him, studying him. “I think I understand what Ryan meant,” she finally said slowly. “Don’t worry, Griff. I could get us back to El Paso if I had to, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
    â€œWhat did Ryan say?” he asked, unable to stop himself.
    To his surprise, a faint smile played around her lips. “He said that you always think three steps ahead of everyone else. He said that you’d managed to surprise even him. Now I understand what he meant. I can practically see you thinking as you drive, preparing for any possibility.”
    â€œI learned a long time ago that you only survive if you’re smarter than your enemy. And I intend for both of us to survive.”
    â€œI already told you that I trust you,” she said softly. “I meant it, Griff.”
    The coolness was gone from her eyes. Now there was only warmth, and a light that burned steadily as she watched him. It made an answering flame leap inside him.
    Deliberately, he turned away to focus on the road. There was no excuse for becoming distracted from his job. And Willa was definitely a distraction.
    â€œAccording to Ryan, we should be there in about ten minutes,” he said.
    â€œAnd then what?”
    â€œThen we wait,” he said grimly. “Ryan is puttingsome private investigators on the job in College Station to see what they can turn up. We’re going to stay here until we have some