Arms full of groceries, Abby strolled back to her car.
The sound of crunching rocks under heavy booted feet coming
from behind her had her searching for the owner of that
startling sound. Two fierce hands gripped hold of her upper
arms, whirling her off balance and thrusting her to the
ground. The bags she'd been carrying tore, and the
groceries scattered in all directions.
Moving to stand, she whimpered. Stinging pain shot up
from her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet,
she was kicked in the ribs. The air rushed from her lungs.
The masked man was on her before she could regain the air
in her sternum to scream. Then he was hitting her again,
slamming his fists into her back, stomach, and chest. She
tried to block his assault, but he was too strong and fast.
She fell to the ground in a heap.
Yanking her up by her hair, the masked man dragged Abby
across the coarse ground toward her car. The rocks and
gravel cut into the flesh of her arms and legs. She kicked
wildly, trying to get free of her captive. Finding her
voice, she screamed.
Suddenly, the man was no longer dragging her. Instead,
he jumped on top of her, straddled her waist, and delivered
several quick punches to her head and face. Dazed, she
couldn't see past the stars erupting in her eyes.
"Please don't hurt me," she begged, covering her face
with her arms.
"Shut up," he yelled, dragging her once again by her
hair.
Abby wasn't the kind of person to just give up, but
she'd also never been hit in the face by a full–grown
man. Her mind may have been clouded by panic, fear, and a
splintering migraine, but it was also soaring with many
questions. Who was this evil person dragging her to her
death? What did he want from her? Why was he doing this to
her?
"Hey," shouted a deep, powerful voice.
In one moment she was released by her captive and the
next she watched in absolute astonishment as his massive
body was flung through the air like a rag doll. In the next
instant, her rescuer was hauling her attacker up by his
black shirt, wailing several quick punches into his face.
Stunned, she couldn't take her eyes off of the men as they
fought.
Fists and feet punched and kicked at one another. Both
large males looked as though they were trying to kill each
other. Her attacker, clad in black, seemed to sneak in a
couple of surprise hits, but it was her savior that had
finally dealt a debilitating punch, making the man in black
scurry off, disappearing into the thick blackness
surrounding them.
Standing like a warrior in the glow of the store
lights, her sweet salvation towered. He possessed broad,
powerful shoulders and long, sculpted arms that hung at his
sides. Closed fists still showed he was ready to protect
her. Tight, stonewashed blue jeans magnified a butt so firm
and round she felt naughty staring at a body poorly hidden
by the denim fabric. In a moment where she should've been
frightened, terrified by what she'd encountered, all she
could think about was the man that had come to save her.
He knelt beside her and swept her up into his
embrace. "You're all right now," he said as he stroked her
tousled hair, combing it away from her face. "I've got you.
He can't hurt you now."
A wild shiver charged up her body as he wrapped his
arms around her. His brawny presence and soothing, deep
voice pulled her from the trenches of her frightened
psyche. She found herself nestling against him, cradling as
close as she could get. The wild musk scent she discovered
around his neck had her eyes opening. She had to see the
face of her rescuer, had to know who had arrived like her
knight in shining armor.
Weak and disoriented, she trembled as she eased back to
gaze up at him. A nervous flutter sank to the pit of her
stomach as she stared into brilliant, stormy,
blue–gray eyes. The breathtaking cowboy seemed too
much like a dream to be real. His dark brown hair dipped
low into the collar of his shirt and her fingers itched to
wrap around the back of his neck to feel the strands tickle
her fingers. Her mouth was suddenly dry.
Holding her gaze, he said, "I'm Tyler Boyd."
Her mouth hung open and the words she knew should be
there just wouldn't surface. Stammering, she asked, "I'm
sorry, who are you?"
The delicious smile that beamed out at her had her
praying that he wasn't a figment of her imagination. "My
name is Tyler. I'm assuming you are new around here since
I've never met you before tonight."
Nodding, she said, "Yes."
He continued smiling, caressing the side of her
face. "May I ask your name?"
Licking her lips, she felt a rush of heat fill her
cheeks. "My name is Abby. Abby Blake."
His brows narrowed. "You're Duke Blake's daughter?"
The way he asked the question had her curious, and the
sudden connection that he knew her father had her stomach
twisting to know more about him. "Yes. How did you know
that?"
In that moment, Sophia stepped forward. "Tyler, maybe I
should take Abby home."
Holding Abby's gaze a moment longer, he nodded and
wrapped his arm around her, hoisting her gently to her
feet. Never had the act ever felt so effortless. The power
in his touch left her tingling in places that had no
business tingling.
Sophia stepped up alongside her and took hold of her
arm, supporting her weight the way Tyler had. The sudden
absence of his warm and caring eyes left her cold and
keenly aware of just how much she enjoyed being confined in
his arms.
"Take care of yourself, Ms. Blake," he said, tilting
his white Stetson with his forefinger and thumb.
""Arms full of groceries, Abby strolled back to her
car. The sound of crunching rocks under heavy booted feet
coming from behind her had her searching for the owner of
that startling sound. Two fierce hands gripped hold of her
upper arms, whirling her off balance and thrusting her to
the ground. The bags she'd been carrying tore, and the
groceries scattered in all directions.
Moving to stand, she whimpered. Stinging pain shot up
from her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet,
she was kicked in the ribs. The air rushed from her lungs.
The masked man was on her before she could regain the air
in her sternum to scream. Then he was hitting her again,
slamming his fists into her back, stomach, and chest. She
tried to block his assault, but he was too strong and fast.
She fell to the ground in a heap.
Yanking her up by her hair, the masked man dragged Abby
across the coarse ground toward her car. The rocks and
gravel cut into the flesh of her arms and legs. She kicked
wildly, trying to get free of her captive. Finding her
voice, she screamed.
Suddenly, the man was no longer dragging her. Instead,
he jumped on top of her, straddled her waist, and delivered
several quick punches to her head and face. Dazed, she
couldn't see past the stars erupting in her eyes.
"Please don't hurt me," she begged, covering her face
with her arms.
"Shut up," he yelled, dragging her once again by her
hair.
Abby wasn't the kind of person to just give up, but
she'd also never been hit in the face by a full–grown
man. Her mind may have been clouded by panic, fear, and a
splintering migraine, but it was also soaring with many
questions. Who was this evil person dragging her to her
death? What did he want from her? Why was he doing this to
her?
"Hey," shouted a deep, powerful voice.
In one moment she was released by her captive and the
next she watched in absolute astonishment as his massive
body was flung through the air like a rag doll. In the next
instant, her rescuer was hauling her attacker up by his
black shirt, wailing several quick punches into his face.
Stunned, she couldn't take her eyes off of the men as they
fought.
Fists and feet punched and kicked at one another. Both
large males looked as though they were trying to kill each
other. Her attacker, clad in black, seemed to sneak in a
couple of surprise hits, but it was her savior that had
finally dealt a debilitating punch, making the man in black
scurry off, disappearing into the thick blackness
surrounding them.
Standing like a warrior in the glow of the store
lights, her sweet salvation towered. He possessed broad,
powerful shoulders and long, sculpted arms that hung at his
sides. Closed fists still showed he was ready to protect
her. Tight, stonewashed blue jeans magnified a butt so firm
and round she felt naughty staring at a body poorly hidden
by the denim fabric. In a moment where she should've been
frightened, terrified by what she'd encountered, all she
could think about was the man that had come to save her.
He knelt beside her and swept her up into his
embrace. "You're all right now," he said as he stroked her
tousled hair, combing it away from her face. "I've got you.
He can't hurt you now."
A wild shiver charged up her body as he wrapped his
arms around her. His brawny presence and soothing, deep
voice pulled her from the trenches of her frightened
psyche. She found herself nestling against him, cradling as
close as she could get. The wild musk scent she discovered
around his neck had her eyes opening. She had to see the
face of her rescuer, had to know who had arrived like her
knight in shining armor.
Weak and disoriented, she trembled as she eased back to
gaze up at him. A nervous flutter sank to the pit of her
stomach as she stared into brilliant, stormy,
blue–gray eyes. The breathtaking cowboy seemed too
much like a dream to be real. His dark brown hair dipped
low into the collar of his shirt and her fingers itched to
wrap around the back of his neck to feel the strands tickle
her fingers. Her mouth was suddenly dry.
Holding her gaze, he said, "I'm Tyler Boyd."
Her mouth hung open and the words she knew should be
there just wouldn't surface. Stammering, she asked, "I'm
sorry, who are you?"
The delicious smile that beamed out at her had her
praying that he wasn't a figment of her imagination. "My
name is Tyler. I'm assuming you are new around here since
I've never met you before tonight."
Nodding, she said, "Yes."
He continued smiling, caressing the side of her
face. "May I ask your name?"
Licking her lips, she felt a rush of heat fill her
cheeks. "My name is Abby. Abby Blake."
His brows narrowed. "You're Duke Blake's daughter?"
The way he asked the question had her curious, and the
sudden connection that he knew her father had her stomach
twisting to know more about him. "Yes. How did you know
that?"
In that moment, Sophia stepped forward. "Tyler, maybe I
should take Abby home."
Holding Abby's gaze a moment longer, he nodded and
wrapped his arm around her, hoisting her gently to her
feet. Never had the act ever felt so effortless. The power
in his touch left her tingling in places that had no
business tingling.
Sophia stepped up alongside her and took hold of her
arm, supporting her weight the way Tyler had. The sudden
absence of his warm and caring eyes left her cold and
keenly aware of just how much she enjoyed being confined in
his arms.
"Take care of yourself, Ms. Blake," he said, tilting
his white Stetson with his forefinger and thumb.