His to Protect: Book 1 in the Bound to Him Series by Sandra Antoni (the reading list TXT) 📗

Today, I had to get to my car somehow, but I had no idea how that was going to work. I had sprained my right ankle, so it wasn’t like I could drive it anywhere. Hopefully, Zeke would be willing to drive me back to the resort.

I’m sure that he wanted me out of his hair as soon as possible. He probably just felt responsible for me since he had been the one who found me and brought me back to his house. It was still hard to imagine that I was in a stranger’s house and had slept in his bed. Jessica would have a fit when I told her. That thought made me grin even more.

Opening my eyes again, I pushed up to a sitting position. I knew which door led to the bathroom, but it was a long way away on the other side of the room, and this room was huge. I took in the masculine décor, noticing the rustic feel to the room.

I had been in too much pain last night when he carried me here to look around, but if this bedroom were any indication, I had a feeling that this house was huge. The bed was huge with four large posts at the corners. The headboard was made of wooden slats, and it reminded me of the trees in the forest.

The walls were painted an eggshell color, but the décor in the room all matched the surrounding desert landscape. A large painting in a wooden frame hung on the wall. It was a painting of the mountains, and it was beautiful. I wondered if Ezekiel knew the artist.

Glancing again towards the bathroom, I realized that now, I really needed to use it, but I was not sure how to make it there with my ankle. Crawling on my hands and knees again was an option, but I think my knees had had enough.

Throwing back the blankets, I looked down at my swollen ankle. Some of the swelling had gone down, and I wondered how long it would be before I would be able to walk on it. Usually, bruises healed fairly quickly for me, but this sprain I knew was really bad.

Carefully sliding my legs over the edge of the bed, I realized again that I was not in my jeans. My eyes fell on the numerous scratches and the bandage just below my knee. For some reason, a smile spread across my face as I remembered Zeke taking my jeans off. He had tried not to look at my panties, but I know how sexy they were.

I grinned as I stood from the bed onto my good foot. Now, I just had to get to the bathroom. Hobbling along the wall, I inched my way across the room, using the wall and any furniture for support.

When I heard the knock on the door, I froze. The bed was now several yards behind me, and I was not even halfway to the bathroom. I was definitely aware of the lace panties and my state of undress now that I was on my feet.

When the door opened, I felt the heat flood my cheeks. Zeke stood in the doorway, and I noticed his perusal of my body. All I had on was my t-shirt and panties, but the shirt wasn’t long enough to fully cover my ass. He was a man, after all, but I was still embarrassed by his perusal.

“My eyes are up here, Zeke,” I finally said, pointing at my face. A grin spread across his face and that made me smile in return.

“I’m sorry. There is a beautiful, half-dressed woman standing in my bedroom, and I could not resist,” he said with a chuckle. “However, you obviously need some help,” he said, turning serious again as he moved across the room towards me.

I shrieked as he bent and lifted me in his arms once again. There was nothing I could do except wrap my arms around his neck as he carried me to the bathroom. I was officially mortified, but wow did he smell good. Somehow, I managed to resist sniffing him.

I would never have been able to look him in the eyes again if I had done that, but his scent filled my senses and warmed me inside. I had never reacted to a man like this before, but Zeke stirred something deep inside me that I had never felt before. It probably should have alarmed me, but for some reason, it didn’t. Zeke made me feel safe.

When he stepped into the bathroom, I was in awe as I looked around. It was the largest bathroom that I had ever seen. We passed a glass door on the right, opposite a long vanity with double sinks.

I could tell the glass door led to the shower, but it seemed to be a completely separate room. The jetted tub that we passed next was definitely made for more than two, and the tile floor and rustic look of the room was perfectly suited for this desert location.

When Zeke reached to open a door in front of us, I realized that it was a water closet. At least I would have some privacy. I definitely did not want to take care of business with him in the room. I was embarrassed enough as it was.

Zeke stepped inside the rather large room, considering there was only a toilet in it, and carefully set me down on my good foot. I reached out a hand to the wall for support.

“Take your time. I’ll be right outside the door when you are finished,” he said gently. Luckily, he kept his eyes on mine this time. I nodded and turned away from him. This moment was just way too awkward already, and I could not get my mouth to speak.

When I was finished, I opened the door, and Zeke was waiting for me. He carried me to