who caused
the loss of Jonas. What would this kind and wonderful family
do when they found out it was July? They'd hold it against her
and the children. Who wouldn't?
He'd leaned closer. The warmth of his breath tickled her
lips. Even tormented by the secrets filling her mind, a swell of
excitement rippled from her toes to the top of her head. Her
mind escaped to that wonderful place it went when he'd
kissed her earlier. Where birds sang and breezes blew soft
and sweet, and not a single, dark, gloomy concern darkened
the world.
Her lids fluttered down when his warmth mingled with
hers. The contact, his lips brushing against hers, was gentle
and engaging. She leaned closer, to amplify the touch.
Floating in the dreamlike ecstasy, she parted her lips, enticed
by the way his tongue ran along the swell of her bottom lip.
At that precise moment, when the tip of his tongue slid over
the row of her bottom teeth, someone knocked on the door.
They turned to the sound, noses colliding, and ended up
cheek to cheek, staring at the door as the sound came again.
[Back to Table of Contents]
106
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Chapter Eight
Snake leaned back in his chair and squeezed her fingers.
"Don't worry. Wainwright wouldn't knock."
Summer swallowed. The thought it was Wainwright hadn't
entered her mind. Her gaze locked on the door. She had no
idea who stood on the other side, but their knock caused a
deep disappointment that had little to do with who it might
be.
She stood but he kept his grip on her. "Hand me the gun
belt hanging next to the door before you open it."
A quiver happened then, one that told her she'd better not
let her guard down so easily in the future. Nor should she
allow herself to be carried away so swiftly.
By the time she'd done as instructed whoever was on the
other side of the door beat on it steadily and a feminine voice
shouted, "Scott! Scott Quinter, open this door!"
Snake's face contorted into a pained look. "Open it," he
advised. "She won't go away."
Debating if she wanted to open it or not, Summer walked
to the door, knowing there was no choice. As soon as she
turned the knob, the door flew out of her hands.
A whirlwind of pink and yellow flew past her, screeching,
"Scott Quinter, why didn't you call for me?"
Summer caught herself from being knocked down by
grabbing the wall. Once her feet settled beneath her, she
turned to the table. A tiny woman, covered in ruffles and lace,
knelt beside Snake's chair. A fierce rumble rolled across
107
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Summer's stomach. The nails of her fingers bit into her
palms. It was all she could do not to stomp across the room
and grab the creature by the back of her blond curls.
A tall man entered then, and seeing her next to the door,
he removed his hat. "Hello," he said, extending a hand. "I'm
Rodney Zimmerman. I don't believe I've made your
acquaintance."
Snake batted Dora's hands away like a kid being chased by
a bee. The tone of Rodney's silver tongue ran up his spine,
intensifying the irritation of the disruption. He leaned as far
away from Dora as he could get and glared toward the door.
"Back off, Zim."
Rodney flashed him a shit-eating grin and lifted Summer's
hand. Pain shot up Snake's leg as he pressed his feet to the
floor, attempting to rise as the man brushed his lips over
Summer's knuckles. Keeping his seat, he slid the pistol out of
the holster. "You want to get yourself shot?"
"Scott!" Dora screeched, inches from his face. Her fingers
patted his cheeks.
He tossed his head. "Knock it off, Dora."
By the time she pulled her hands away, to plant them on
her hips, Rodney had released Summer and moved toward
the table, hand extended.
"How you feeling?"
"Like shit." Snake dropped the gun on the table and shook
the man's hand.
"Scott," Dora wailed, "You mustn't say such things in my
presence."
108
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He didn't respond, there
the loss of Jonas. What would this kind and wonderful family
do when they found out it was July? They'd hold it against her
and the children. Who wouldn't?
He'd leaned closer. The warmth of his breath tickled her
lips. Even tormented by the secrets filling her mind, a swell of
excitement rippled from her toes to the top of her head. Her
mind escaped to that wonderful place it went when he'd
kissed her earlier. Where birds sang and breezes blew soft
and sweet, and not a single, dark, gloomy concern darkened
the world.
Her lids fluttered down when his warmth mingled with
hers. The contact, his lips brushing against hers, was gentle
and engaging. She leaned closer, to amplify the touch.
Floating in the dreamlike ecstasy, she parted her lips, enticed
by the way his tongue ran along the swell of her bottom lip.
At that precise moment, when the tip of his tongue slid over
the row of her bottom teeth, someone knocked on the door.
They turned to the sound, noses colliding, and ended up
cheek to cheek, staring at the door as the sound came again.
[Back to Table of Contents]
106
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Chapter Eight
Snake leaned back in his chair and squeezed her fingers.
"Don't worry. Wainwright wouldn't knock."
Summer swallowed. The thought it was Wainwright hadn't
entered her mind. Her gaze locked on the door. She had no
idea who stood on the other side, but their knock caused a
deep disappointment that had little to do with who it might
be.
She stood but he kept his grip on her. "Hand me the gun
belt hanging next to the door before you open it."
A quiver happened then, one that told her she'd better not
let her guard down so easily in the future. Nor should she
allow herself to be carried away so swiftly.
By the time she'd done as instructed whoever was on the
other side of the door beat on it steadily and a feminine voice
shouted, "Scott! Scott Quinter, open this door!"
Snake's face contorted into a pained look. "Open it," he
advised. "She won't go away."
Debating if she wanted to open it or not, Summer walked
to the door, knowing there was no choice. As soon as she
turned the knob, the door flew out of her hands.
A whirlwind of pink and yellow flew past her, screeching,
"Scott Quinter, why didn't you call for me?"
Summer caught herself from being knocked down by
grabbing the wall. Once her feet settled beneath her, she
turned to the table. A tiny woman, covered in ruffles and lace,
knelt beside Snake's chair. A fierce rumble rolled across
107
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Summer's stomach. The nails of her fingers bit into her
palms. It was all she could do not to stomp across the room
and grab the creature by the back of her blond curls.
A tall man entered then, and seeing her next to the door,
he removed his hat. "Hello," he said, extending a hand. "I'm
Rodney Zimmerman. I don't believe I've made your
acquaintance."
Snake batted Dora's hands away like a kid being chased by
a bee. The tone of Rodney's silver tongue ran up his spine,
intensifying the irritation of the disruption. He leaned as far
away from Dora as he could get and glared toward the door.
"Back off, Zim."
Rodney flashed him a shit-eating grin and lifted Summer's
hand. Pain shot up Snake's leg as he pressed his feet to the
floor, attempting to rise as the man brushed his lips over
Summer's knuckles. Keeping his seat, he slid the pistol out of
the holster. "You want to get yourself shot?"
"Scott!" Dora screeched, inches from his face. Her fingers
patted his cheeks.
He tossed his head. "Knock it off, Dora."
By the time she pulled her hands away, to plant them on
her hips, Rodney had released Summer and moved toward
the table, hand extended.
"How you feeling?"
"Like shit." Snake dropped the gun on the table and shook
the man's hand.
"Scott," Dora wailed, "You mustn't say such things in my
presence."
108
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He didn't respond, there
Similar Books
