Page 45

CHAPTER 6

Maybe it was the darkness that did it, had her opening up to someone other than her father for the first time since she’d been seventeen. “Dwight Hoby…my father fired him at his last station. It was a reasonable firing. He showed up drunk, and almost barged in when the host was on air. Cursing and ranting. My dad happened to be there, checking the place. And so was I. He…blamed my father for losing his job, instead of himself. He wants revenge against my dad. My dad pressed charges against him for destruction of the equipment, but the arresting officers made a few mistakes, so Dwight got off. And he…found out…about something bad that happened to me when I was a teenager. He’s been using that to taunt me for a while. As revenge against my father.”

Houston’s hands tightened on her. Big, strong, capable—she’d noticed his hands before. But…she couldn’t help remembering how those hands had looked on the tiny orange kitten they had found in the parking lot two months ago. He had been so…gentle…with that tiny kitten.

She hadn’t been afraid of Houston since.

It had stuck with her—because of the way he always grumbled, she had been so sure until that point that he was someone to be avoided.

He had taken that kitten home with him and named her Mosquito. She hadn’t forgotten that. Nor had she forgotten that her first thought seeing him cradling that kitten was that a man that gentle with a baby animal would probably be that gentle with a woman, too.

It had been a long time since she’d thought about a man that way.

At least…a man like him.

She’d limited herself to dating men no taller than her own five-three since she’d been nineteen and determined to have as healthy a life as women who hadn’t experienced what she had could.

That had meant dating. And eventually, sleeping with a man of her choice.

She had forced herself to take that first step with a man she had known for years. And trusted completely. It hadn’t been a burning passion on either of their parts, but she had loved him. Would always love him for how gentle he had been with her. How patient, when she’d had a few false starts whenever he’d touched her.

She had finally admitted it to herself recently. She was attracted to the man holding her now.

Very attracted.

Not that she intended to do anything about it.

The lights clicked back on. The generator—she could hear it humming now. “We need to get back on air. People will need us.”

He nodded. Then one of those big hands rose, cupped her cheek. Brooke was thrilled with herself—she only flinched back a little. Those hazel eyes of his darkened. “I won’t let him hurt you tonight. You have my word.”

Brooke bit her lip and just stared.