Donnie knew he looked ridiculous. A big guy on a bike with a huge bouquet of flowers tucked into the front of his jacket. He wiggled his nose as one of the flowers brushed his face.

God, he hoped nobody saw him.

Then again, he didn't really care.

As long as she liked them. He would so anything he could to get into Sally's house. Dear God, he wanted her to let him in. On more than one level.

He wanted to get her into bed obviously. Desperately. The woman had some sort of magic spell on him so that all he could think about was touching her, kissing her, holding her… and more.

But he also wanted to get to know her better. And even more than anything, he wanted to know what was making her so fearful. He had an overwhelming desire to protect her. To tell her everything was going to be okay. That he'd protect her, if she'd let him.

He was good at that. Protecting women.

He'd learned early, helping his mom look after his little sister, Marie. He'd had to protect them both. He hadn't always succeeded, but as he got older, it got easier.

Their dad had been fast to drink and even faster with his fists. But the old drunk hadn't stood a chance against an angry fifteen year old Donnie.

Mean old bastard.

Donnie pushed the thought of his father aside and readjusted the flowers. He hoped she wouldn't mind him just showing up like this but it couldn't be helped. It wasn’t like she’d given him any other options.

He didn't have her damn phone number!

But he'd get it today. Damn straight he would.

He pulled up in front of her house. He felt a bit nervous as he walked up to her front stoop and knocked. He heard pattering little footsteps and smiled. Then he heard a chain being unhooked. And another chain. And a couple of locks.

Damn, the place was like Fort Knox!

She peeked out from a sliver of the door. There was still some sort of chain on it. He smiled, even though the number of locks was throwing him. How had he not noticed that before?

"Hi Sally."

He grinned and held up the flowers.

"These are for you."

She just blinked at him like a tiny little owl. Probably figuring out that she had to open the door to accept the flowers. He felt a bit like a heel, knowing he was being pushy. But she was so damn elusive that he didn't really have a choice. If he wanted her, he was going to have to use every trick in the book.

And God Damn did he want her.

"Oh. Thank you."

She closed the door to unhook the chain and opened it up again, wider this time. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her. She was wearing a pink tank top and a pair of tight jeans. Her feet were bare and her cute little toes were painted a sparkly peach color.

Jesus, the woman was trying to kill him.

He handed her the flowers while trying to send her a message telepathically.

Let me in let me in let me in let me in…

"Would you like to come in?"

He grinned so wide he felt like his face would split in two. Every inch he got closer to her felt like a triumph. It wasn’t like she was playing hard to get though.

Everything about Sally was real.

He stepped inside and watched as she locked the door again. He was staring at her door as her busy little hands clicked each lock into place.

She had eight locks.

He felt a cold weight settling in the pit of his stomach. That’s when he saw the baseball bat by the door. Fuck. He knew then.

He knew without a fucking doubt.

"I'll just put these in water…. is something wrong Donnie?"

He tried to keep his face devoid of emotion. He was shocked at how angry he was at the thought of someone threatening a sweet little thing like Sally. His sweet little thing.

"Has someone been bothering you, Sally?"

She blanched and took in a sharp little breath but didn't say anything. He was practically vibrating with the need to punch somebody's face in. Whoever it was that made her this afraid.

"Tell me and I'll take care of it."

"No- there's just been- a lot of break ins around here. I'm alone here so…"

She licked her lips nervously. She was lying. He knew it.

"I'll get a vase."

He followed her into the kitchen. It was faded yellow and white, run down but spotlessly clean. He saw a guitar leaning under the window by the table. The window had bars on it.

He looked back the way they had come. Bars on those windows too.

A can of pepper spray on the counter top.

Fuck.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

He nodded and she gestured to the kitchen table. He sat down. Five minutes ago he would have been negotiating to sit on the couch in the living room. Much easier to get horizontal on a couch.

But now… now he knew that something was very wrong here. Now he had other things on his mind.

"You play?"

She jerked her head around, staring at the guitar as if it was a ghost.

"Oh. Not really. I'm not very good."

He narrowed his eyes at her back. Now she was really lying to him.

"As good as you sing?"

She shrugged and went back to making the coffee. She turned around and smiled at him while it percolated.

"I've had five cups already. I should be bouncing off the walls."

"Late night?"

She shrugged again.

"I couldn't sleep."

He nodded. He hadn't slept much either. She looked pretty as a picture though.

A picture that was lying through her teeth.

He stood up and crossed the kitchen.

"Sally."

She looked alarmed as he took his jacket off and pulled his t shirt over his head.

"What are you doing, Donnie?"

"Relax darlin' I just want to show you something."

She looked ready to run as he turned side ways and showed her the tattoo on his shoulder. He could tell the moment she saw it. It was the face of a pretty young girl. Underneath it said 'Marie.'

"She's beautiful."

He nodded gruffly, turning the other way.

"That's my sister. And this-"

He showed her his other tattoo. This was another woman, older but still lovely. Underneath it said 'Mom.'

"Is my mother."

"They'r beautiful Donnie. But I don't understand why-"

"Because."

He leaned toward her and put his arms on the counter, boxing her in.

"They are the reason my arms exist. To protect them. I couldn't do it at first. He was too big. But by the time I was fifteen I started fighting back. He never laid a hand on either of them again."

Her mouth opened. He could see tears forming in her eyes.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again, Sally."

She drew in a ragged breath. When she lifted her eyes again, the pain in them nearly broke his heart.

"How did you know?"

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then pushed off and went back to the table.

"Let's just say you remind me of her. My sister. She was always jumping at shadows."

"Oh. What happened?"

"To my dad? I finally beat him so bad that he took off, never to be seen from again. Marie though, she was too little. She took too many knocks in the head. Now she's… not the same."

He glanced up at her.

"Tell me who did this to you. Who hurt you bad enough to make you hide yourself away like this?"

She took a shuddering breath and turned away to pour their coffee. For a minute he thought she wasn't going to answer. When she did, the words came out broken, like they hurt coming out.

"My road manager. Carl. He ran my crew at first and then he was my fiancé."

"He hit you?"

She nodded, not looking at him.

"He did lots of things. Hitting was one of them."

Donnie saw black. Then red. Then black again. He forced himself to stay calm. He didn't want to scare her.

"Where is he?”

"I don't know. Back in Nashville probably. He said he'd come after me, but maybe he didn't mean it. I don't know. I keep meaning to get a dog. A big one."

"I don't want you to worry anymore. You have a big dog. Right here."

He made a fist and thumped it against his bare chest.

"No, Donnie. If he does find me, he'll kill you. He said he was going to kill me too, if I ever ran off or if I ever…"

"If you ever found yourself a man?"

She nodded. Well, no fucking wonder she was so skittish. He felt like a giant ass for kissing her outside the other night. She'd been looking for this Carl bastard. He almost hoped he did come looking for her. He'd be in for a big fucking surprise.

"Do you want sugar?"

He was on his feet again before he knew what he was doing, his hands reaching for her, spinning her to face him and taking her mouth in a kiss that scalded both of them. He could not stop kissing her, could not stop his hands from molding the curves of her body to his, could not stop wanting more.

He wondered if he took her to bed a couple of times if this unquenchable thirst for her would be satisfied. He doubted it. It would take a thousand times and he'd still want her. But maybe he'd be able to think about something else for five minutes.

Donnie knew he was in danger of falling for this girl. Hard. But he didn't care anymore.

He had her leg around his waist with his huge palms cupping her round little cheeks when he finally came up for air. They were both breathing heavily.

He stared at her, wondering how he’d even mistaken her for pretty. With her flushed cheeks and tousled hair, she was fucking beautiful. The most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

One of her tank top straps had slipped off, revealing a smooth golden shoulder. He kissed her there, lightly. Then moved up her neck with small deliberate kisses until he reached her ear.

"I want you, Sally."

She moaned a little bit as he pressed his erection forward, nudging her sex. She lifted her hands up and placed them on his chest.

And gently pushed him away.

"I can’t, Donnie. I'm sorry."

He stepped backwards, breathing heavily. He squeezed his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching for her.

"Don't you like me, Sally?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"I just- I just want to be left alone. It's easier that way."

He stared at her for a minute, hoping she would relent. But she wasn't even looking at him. She looked small, like she was trying to shrink into herself and become invisible.

"Please, Donnie."

He cursed under his breath and grabbed his shirt and jacket. He didn't wait for her to come and unlock the door. He clicked open lock after lock until the door opened. It was beautiful out- a perfect balmy afternoon in late spring. But he didn't care.

He didn't care about anything.