Her Passionate Protector
Blurb
An innocent woman and a millionaire. Two totally different people from completely different worlds, but when they collide, sparks ignite.
When Lucy James meets Alex Magner, the owner of a company her cleaning business has just picked up a contract for, her quiet life flies out the window. Although she wants to keep the man at arm's length, she can't deny the smoldering heat that burns every time Alex comes near her.
Alex is confused by this independent yet vulnerable woman, and he can't get her off his mind. She's not interested in anything beyond a business relationship, but Alex is a determined man, and he can be very convincing.
However, they have a bumpy ride ahead. Lucy's inner struggle with the demons of her past threatens to destroy any chance of a future with Alex. Then her ex-husband returns, determined to hurt her, and Alex fights for her life, and their chance at love. Can they survive the turbulent road to happiness?
Content Warning: contains adult language and explicit sex.
When Lucy James meets Alex Magner, the owner of a company her cleaning business has just picked up a contract for, her quiet life flies out the window. Although she wants to keep the man at arm's length, she can't deny the smoldering heat that burns every time Alex comes near her.
Alex is confused by this independent yet vulnerable woman, and he can't get her off his mind. She's not interested in anything beyond a business relationship, but Alex is a determined man, and he can be very convincing.
However, they have a bumpy ride ahead. Lucy's inner struggle with the demons of her past threatens to destroy any chance of a future with Alex. Then her ex-husband returns, determined to hurt her, and Alex fights for her life, and their chance at love. Can they survive the turbulent road to happiness?
Content Warning: contains adult language and explicit sex.
Excerpt
"It's going to be okay." Alex leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Is it really? You don't know Pete like I do. He won't give up, and he won't let me go."
Tears filled Lucy's eyes. Alex moved to catch them with his thumb before they spilled over, but she moved away, put the cat back into his arms, and continued packing her bag.
"There's a basket in the cupboard next to the kitchen." She spoke over her shoulder.
A few minutes later, she was finished. Alex picked up her case in one hand and carried Jack in his basket in the other.
As they went out the door, he waited while she turned and looked into the room. "This was my first real home, somewhere that wasn't tainted with violence. I have to put an end to this. Once and for all, I have to stop running and face what is coming."
Alex squeezed her arm, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of trust and he only hoped he could protect her enough. It wasn't just the physical aspect, he could deal with that, it was the turmoil within her that he was worried about.
"You won't have to do it on your own. This will be the end of the line for him," he assured her.
****
As Alex drove into an exclusive part of Chester, Lucy wasn't at all surprised to find where he lived. His building contained high-class apartments costing millions of pounds rather than thousands, and she had driven past them many times. Alex stopped at the gates, typed in a number on the pad, and the gates opened.
Jack was starting to get restless in his basket, although they had only been traveling for about twenty minutes. Everything was surreal. Her face throbbed despite the aspirin she had taken.
While she slept, Alex had reported the incident to the police. Tomorrow, she would have to go make a statement. It was like reliving the nightmare of four years ago. Now there she was again trying to cling onto life. Oh God, I don't know if I have the strength anymore to do this.
Will he ever let me go? In her own mind she was conversing with old demons and losing a battle she thought she had already won.
"We're here." Alex parked the car, got out, and opened the back door. He retrieved the basket that held her beloved cat and came around to her side where she stood waiting.
The late evening was still warm and the stars glistened in the sky. The air was sweet, some kind of rose, she thought as she breathed in deeply.
"I'll take you up and then come back down for the rest of your things."
She nodded, and when he took her arm in a gentle hand, she looked up at him and smiled. His eyes narrowed and he gently squeezed her elbow. The slight breeze blew his hair back from his brow. He was so handsome, gorgeous in fact, a knight in shining amour.
Smiling to herself, her thoughts went back to when she was living in the children's home and how she always believed her knight would ride in on his white horse and save her. Why did Alex want to do all these things for her? Still, deep in the pit of her stomach, she had that little bit of mistrust although she knew it was foolish. Alex was totally different from Pete. But could it be that her judgment was at fault? Could she have misjudged again?
As they walked to the entrance, Alex let go of her to type in his security number. As she waited, she could see the CCTV cameras, and she knew from the electric gates they had just come through and the guard sitting at the desk that the apartments were well secured.
"Good evening, Mr. Magner."
"Evening, Sam. This is Miss James. She's going to be staying with me for a while."
"Nice to meet you, Miss James." He tipped his hat.
Lucy just nodded. She was kind of gobsmacked. She hadn't really thought about how much money Alex had, but it looked like he wasn't short of a few pennies.
As they went up in the lift, Jack was meowing disapprovingly at being kept in the basket and Lucy murmured softly to him. Alex didn't speak at all, and she wondered if coming there was one big mistake she was going to regret. The doors opened and they got out as Simon and Nic came out of the other lift.
Nic grabbed hold of Lucy by the arms and looked at her face. "What the hell has he done to you?" She put her arms around her and hugged her.
"The bastard! I could kill him with my own hands! I thought he was in prison?"
"It seems they let him out early for good behavior." Lucy laughed at the idiocy of those words, but it was an eerie noise which sounded strange even to her own ears
"Is it really? You don't know Pete like I do. He won't give up, and he won't let me go."
Tears filled Lucy's eyes. Alex moved to catch them with his thumb before they spilled over, but she moved away, put the cat back into his arms, and continued packing her bag.
"There's a basket in the cupboard next to the kitchen." She spoke over her shoulder.
A few minutes later, she was finished. Alex picked up her case in one hand and carried Jack in his basket in the other.
As they went out the door, he waited while she turned and looked into the room. "This was my first real home, somewhere that wasn't tainted with violence. I have to put an end to this. Once and for all, I have to stop running and face what is coming."
Alex squeezed her arm, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of trust and he only hoped he could protect her enough. It wasn't just the physical aspect, he could deal with that, it was the turmoil within her that he was worried about.
"You won't have to do it on your own. This will be the end of the line for him," he assured her.
****
As Alex drove into an exclusive part of Chester, Lucy wasn't at all surprised to find where he lived. His building contained high-class apartments costing millions of pounds rather than thousands, and she had driven past them many times. Alex stopped at the gates, typed in a number on the pad, and the gates opened.
Jack was starting to get restless in his basket, although they had only been traveling for about twenty minutes. Everything was surreal. Her face throbbed despite the aspirin she had taken.
While she slept, Alex had reported the incident to the police. Tomorrow, she would have to go make a statement. It was like reliving the nightmare of four years ago. Now there she was again trying to cling onto life. Oh God, I don't know if I have the strength anymore to do this.
Will he ever let me go? In her own mind she was conversing with old demons and losing a battle she thought she had already won.
"We're here." Alex parked the car, got out, and opened the back door. He retrieved the basket that held her beloved cat and came around to her side where she stood waiting.
The late evening was still warm and the stars glistened in the sky. The air was sweet, some kind of rose, she thought as she breathed in deeply.
"I'll take you up and then come back down for the rest of your things."
She nodded, and when he took her arm in a gentle hand, she looked up at him and smiled. His eyes narrowed and he gently squeezed her elbow. The slight breeze blew his hair back from his brow. He was so handsome, gorgeous in fact, a knight in shining amour.
Smiling to herself, her thoughts went back to when she was living in the children's home and how she always believed her knight would ride in on his white horse and save her. Why did Alex want to do all these things for her? Still, deep in the pit of her stomach, she had that little bit of mistrust although she knew it was foolish. Alex was totally different from Pete. But could it be that her judgment was at fault? Could she have misjudged again?
As they walked to the entrance, Alex let go of her to type in his security number. As she waited, she could see the CCTV cameras, and she knew from the electric gates they had just come through and the guard sitting at the desk that the apartments were well secured.
"Good evening, Mr. Magner."
"Evening, Sam. This is Miss James. She's going to be staying with me for a while."
"Nice to meet you, Miss James." He tipped his hat.
Lucy just nodded. She was kind of gobsmacked. She hadn't really thought about how much money Alex had, but it looked like he wasn't short of a few pennies.
As they went up in the lift, Jack was meowing disapprovingly at being kept in the basket and Lucy murmured softly to him. Alex didn't speak at all, and she wondered if coming there was one big mistake she was going to regret. The doors opened and they got out as Simon and Nic came out of the other lift.
Nic grabbed hold of Lucy by the arms and looked at her face. "What the hell has he done to you?" She put her arms around her and hugged her.
"The bastard! I could kill him with my own hands! I thought he was in prison?"
"It seems they let him out early for good behavior." Lucy laughed at the idiocy of those words, but it was an eerie noise which sounded strange even to her own ears