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“I thought you were more observant than that, Brother,” I say, thinking about Winter. “She’s way too innocent to be involved in such scams. The bruise on her cheek is real. Someone hurt her and she’s running away from them. What kind of a sane person would be out in the middle of a snowstorm wearing nothing but a linen dress? Did you check her feet? She was wearing house slippers. If we didn’t stop by to help her, she’d have frozen to death on that road.”
His firm expression falters.
“Winter was blushing so damn hard when she was stripping before us,” Kai says, looking thoughtful. “I don’t think she’s ever been naked before another man.”
The thought sparks flames of possessiveness deep inside me. Were we the first males to lay our gazes on her lithe, seductive body?Mine, my inner beast growls.
“We need to know what kind of trouble she’s in,” Jacob insists, looking disturbed. “I want to help her but at the same time, I need to protect you guys too.”
“Don’t ask her too many questions right away,” says Kai. “She needs time to see that we’re not going to hurt her. She must understand that we’ll protect her.”
“How’s that going to help us understand her?” Jacob asks. “We need to know what or who she’s running from.”
“She’ll tell us when she trusts us enough,” I say. “Until then, we stay patient.”
“I can’t wait to get to know her more,” Kai says with a heated look in his deep brown eyes.
A smile hovers on my lips as I nod.
I want to get to know Winter too. She’s one of the very few women who didn’t get disgusted or scared at the sight of my disfigured face. She was wary of me but her expression was missing the repulsion I sensed from most people.
Closing my eyes, I let my mind stray back to the moment when she’d stripped down to her pink bra and panties. She’d blushed like the sun, making the alpha in me come alive.
I wanted to kiss her and claim her right there!
My dick throbs, making me aware of the tent forming in the front of my trousers. It’s becoming increasingly uncomfortable to stay with my brothers.
Chugging the last of my whiskey, I get to my feet. “Night,” I mutter, slapping the glass on the table before me.
“You’re going to bed already?” Kai asks as I head toward the door.
“I need a shower,” I say, pushing open the door before he can call me back.
I hear a loud guffaw from behind me but I ignore him and head toward my room.
The manor is still and quiet this late at night. Away from my brothers, my mind goes back to thinking about Winter.
One thing is clear from our discussion.
Winter is in danger. That much we can all be sure about because of the way she’d begged my brothers to save her on that dark, deserted road.
Anger flares in my chest. Why would anyone want to hurt someone as sweet and vulnerable as her?
Even though I still don’t know anything about Winter, I can’t help feeling protective toward her. Even though it’s only been a few hours since I’ve known her, I make up my mind to protect her. And if she’ll let me, I’ll keep her safe for as long as I live.
The urge to see her overwhelms me.
Deciding to check on her, I noiselessly go back up the stairs and onto the second-floor corridor. Pushing open the door to the guestroom, I walk in.
Winter’s already in bed and sleeping deeply. Her petite body seems almost lost under the layers of covers. Leaning down, I caress a thick length of her sunshine-blonde hair.
Leaning closer, I inhale deeply, soaking in her sweet vanilla and exotic floral scent. It’s a struggle to stop right here and not kiss her. In the end, I bury my nose into her soft hair and stay like that for a moment.
Let Winter rest, I remind myself.She’s exhausted from being in the snow for God knows how long!
Forcing myself to straighten up, I walk out of the room.
I’ll let her rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to make sure she sees what she means to me. Once she discovers the safety and warmth my brothers and I can provide her, she’ll stay by our side on her own accord.
