Page 49 of Her Tempting Protector

12

Cullen had left her with a flashlight, and if she opened one of the car doors, she’d have light, but the man had left her too scared to call attention to the vehicle in the dark. Luckily, Adam was sound asleep, so he wasn’t making any noise in the black night either.

She’d left him sleeping in the truck. She’d made up quite the little baby bed in the floorboard of the passenger seat. He was tucked in like the proverbial bug in a rug. This left her in the truck bed with the gun ready to take on anybody. She just hoped whoever came by was nothing more than a goatherder and she wouldn’t need to use a weapon.

For the twenty-seventh time, she yawned.

Cut it out. You had sleep. You’re the last person allowed to be tired on this little venture. The baby, the sick woman and the soldier who hasn’t slept in three days all get to be tired. Your butt has to be awake and alert.

No beddy-bye-time for you.

She yawned again. Tears pricked the back of her eyelids, she was so mad at herself. She should be better than this. So much better. Her breath shuddered. How many times had she said that to herself?

“Cut it out, Adams,” she whispered fiercely. “You don’t have time for this horsepucky.”

But seriously, how many people in her life could she possibly disappoint? How many?

She rolled her eyes to the heavens.

She had to be tired if she was replaying those old tapes. For God’s sake, she was a doctor, she was being considered for chief surgeon at a good-sized hospital! She was not a failure!

Once again, she felt her palms sweating as she held the darn gun, and this time it was cold out.

Please, Cullen, come back.

Please be okay.

Please don’t be hurt.

God, she couldn’t stand it if anything happened to that man. He was so damned special. He might scare the spit out of her, but he made her want. He made her want so many things.

She took a deep calming breath.

Another.

In and out. Slowly. Deeply. She would get through this. She would protect Shada and Adam, that was what she did. She took another deep breath.

Then on the fifth deep breath, she thought she heard a faint sound drifting toward her on the dark African night. Was that singing? She held her breath, trying to make out the sound. No, it wasn’t singing, it was humming. She listened more intently. Finally, she could make it out.

It was that song, the one that Cullen had sung.

Summertime.

Her joints loosened and her bones melted as she took comfort in the melody that flowed over her. Cullen was coming. He was telling her that everything was all right.

Trembling, Carys crawled out of the bed of the truck.

She slumped against the cold steel and waited, even though every instinct said to run to him. Still, her job was to stay with the little family and protect them.

Darn it, she’d left the pistol in the bed of the truck. She climbed back onto the bumper and reached over the tailgate.

The wolf whistle took her by surprise. When she almost lost her footing, strong male hands captured her and pulled her back against a hard chest.

“Nice booty, Doctor.”

“Shhh, you’ll wake up Africa,” she admonished as she blushed with pleasure. She’d never once been whistled at in her entire life.

“I was quiet,” he whispered into her ear. The warm heat of his breath sent tingles all through her body. She was no longer feeling sorry for herself, that was for darn sure. This man, he had her all tangled up. And she really, really, really truly liked it. She shook her head so that she could get herself together.