Broken Protector Next Door

Broken Protector Next Door An Enemies to Lovers Romance LACEY KENDRICK Copyright – Copyright – This book is an original publication of Lacey Kendrick.This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, organizations, places, incidents and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronical or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission of the author — except for the use of brief quotations for review purpose. Any of the above constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.Copyright © 2023 by Lacey Kendrick— All rights reserved.To— Know Everything Before Anyone Else — — Get Giveaways, Bonuses and Much More — Download my FREE book and subscribe to my News Letters HEREYou can unsubscribe anytime! Contents 1. Ana 2. David 3. Ana 4. David 5. Ana 6. David 7. Ana 8. David 9. Ana 10. David 11. Ana 12. David 13. Ana 14. Ana 15. David 16. Ana 17. David 18. Ana Epilogue Ana David Ana Damaged Protector Your Free Book Is Waiting Damaged Protector is a FULL STORY, Standalone novella. NO cliff-hanging and NO cheating! An Action—Spice & Steam—Twists & Turns packed Romantic Suspense with, of course, an HEA! Featuring a handsome but damaged Ex-SEAL and a woman who never thought she could love... Get a FREE copy of the Prequel Damaged Protector: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Suspense You will be part of my mailing list. You can unsubscribe Anytime! one AnaShivering lightly, I rubbed my shoulders from the calm breeze that rolled off my skin as it draped the night. Sitting side by side at Martin’s family’s restaurant, we laughed and joked with each other. Martin’s family actually owned most places in the town of Falls Creek. He held my hand now, turning periodically to glance at me and smile a little smile that dimpled the side of his cheeks before turning back to the conversation.“There’s nothing like a Copperfield in distress, everyone knows that,” his brother, Perry, was saying to robust laughter from the table. Martin squeezed my hand at that moment as I laughed, and I glanced at him, my smile going wider. He had light blue eyes to go with golden-brown hair and the surety of a man that knew he was at the top of the world. I squeezed back and he grinned, perfect white teeth that I could clearly remember doing things to me— I blushed before turning back to his brother’s story. “So, there I was, stuck in New York in this apartment that I do not know. There’s no one there, and the place is basically a dump, yeah, with a little island of cleanness in the middle. From a five-star hotel to this place with no knowledge of how on earth I got here and a paralyzing headache, not to mention a black thong wrapped around my forehead—”Everyone laughed and Martin grimaced, but it quickly disappeared behind a forced smile. His hands on mine getting a little tight. I smiled as well, but I could tell he wasn’t enjoying where the story was going. It wasn’t the type of story a Copperfield should tell in public.Papa Copperfield’s voice echoed in my head. “We are the royalty of this town. Martin assures me he’ll continue our legacy, and of course, I trust him to uphold that status and not let us down!” At the time surrounded by stuffed exotic animals and brown wood panels and the finest upholstery, I could only nod and smile. Papa Copperfield had been satisfied with me. I looked the part of the massively wealthy family heir’s wife.Perry’s voice filtered back into my ear, and I stared at him, enraptured by the story. I leaned forward. “So, there I was, trying to get my bearings, and this half-naked beauty walks into the room. She has, like, a half open shirt—mine—and nothing else on, and I’m staring at her, forgetting that I am lost and I don’t know what happened.”Everyone hung on to his words and took sips of their drinks from their fluted glasses. “The only thing on my mind is that I must have gotten down and dirty with this beauty and I can’t even remember. And then she goes, ‘Oh, you’re awake. Your brother has called like eighty times. And thank you so much for being a waste of my time!’”The entire gathering burst into laughter and Perry had the good grace to give a little bow and go red in the face. I grinned at the bashfulness and half glanced at Martin, who was all the way red. I glanced away at once and schooled my face to straightness. Sometimes, Martin—the fool—could be as straight cut as his dad, except … The thought brought another blush to my face, and I covered it with a drink and a small sound as I cleared my throat. Strait-laced as he was sometimes, he could be so perfect at all the other times. Perry raised a hand for everyone to give him their attention. “I’m, like, ‘so, nothing happened?’ And she goes, ‘You told me you have a head for alcohol, and we went on a drinking run after you bragged. We hit like four or five different bars and clubs, and we came back hot and all, and your hands were all over me, and my panties were on your head by the time we got into the apartment. But then, you got to the bed and decided you were tired, and here we are. My toys are out of batteries and that’s on you!’ Ladies and gents, I have never been so embarrassed in my life, and I still wanted to have