Druid Surrender (A Druid Quest Novel Book 1) by Stacey Brutger Page B

his nose, distracting him, inviting his mind to wander to dark nights and passionate embraces. He gripped his knees to keep from touching her.
    “I want to know if it would be possible to have a lock placed on my door.” Brighid tapped her heel on the floor as she waited for his answer, the first hint of nerves she’d ever displayed in his presence.
    Rage roared through him that someone would dare break into his house and threaten to harm her while under his protection. “Has something happened?”
    “It’s nothing like that. I’m not comfortable with other people having access to my room when I’m not there. It won’t be a problem, will it?”
    “Of course not.” His primitive side eased back enough for him to function past his immediate, fiercely protective reaction, and he guided the conversation back on track. “But we should discuss what happened to you at the factory.”
    “What about it?” Confusion colored her voice. Her head tilted in inquiry. “I would be more than willing to work with you to find the culprit. I’m not used to being cooped up in a house with nothing to occupy my mind, and I do have some investigative training that could be invaluable.”
    His arousal quickly wilted at the thought of further involving her what was clearly a dangerous situation. He refused to put her at greater risk. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
    She deflated at his reply, her animation slowly icing over. Wyatt leaned back, baffled by the way she dismissed her near death. She was a complete enigma. While he could understand her eagerness to find the perpetrator, the way she wanted to insinuate herself into the case and throw herself into danger disturbed him.
    The small hope that she would have the answers to break the case slowly unraveled, but he wasn’t giving up. He could be just as stubborn. If she had some insights, she could damned well share them with him.
    Wyatt captured her hand, noticing how small it felt within his grasp. She needed his protection, she just did not acknowledge it yet. “Brighid, we need to talk about the night of the fire. About what the villagers—”
    “I am fine. No harm done. I mean, you don’t want to involve me further, right?” Brighid squeezed his fingers before wiggling loose, laying her hand on his arm. She was gaming him in some way, but the single caress effectively cut off his train of thought while the warmth of her hand seeped through his jacket, and he swore he felt her touch against his skin.
    Like some callow youth, his cock came to attention once more at the innocent gesture and refused to be dismissed.
    Curiosity lit her eyes, as if she felt the same spark of attraction, before she lowered her lashes and blocked the beguiling view.
    Though she might have been trying to derail him, she had felt something, too, and his heart lurched at the unexpected revelation.
    When she withdrew her hand, he recaptured it, anything to prolong the contact. “I’ll have the lock installed tomorrow.”
    She flashed him a smile, and he leaned closer, lured by those lips, the thought of stealing a kiss at the forefront of his mind.
    “That would be perfect.” She somehow eluded his hold, a light blush on her cheeks distracting him. As she put distance between them, harsh reality returned—she wasn’t just any woman to be seduced in his office for an afternoon tryst.
    “When did you arrive at the factory?” Wyatt shook away his lust. The sooner he solved the problems plaguing the village, the sooner he could go back to the normal life he’d dreamed of the last few years. In the meantime, if he could seduce her into wanting him, all the better.
    “I’ll leave you to your work. I’ve intruded on enough of your time.” She stood and eased closer to the door, smiling as if she hadn’t heard his question. A sneaking suspicion that she was avoiding his inquires trickled through him, but he could not detect any artifice. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was