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“No,” she said, a laugh joining her exhale. “It definitely wasn’t that.”
When the bed moved, she raised her head just enough to see him rest against the pillows propped on the headboard. Wriggling to ascend, her head found the pillow that had been hers… for a short time.
Shifting his weight to the hip nearest her, his fingertips met her spine. “Plan this?”
“No,” she said, tossing her hair from her face before settling again. “You use a rubber?” His attention left her body to find her eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know why I asked that.”
Or why the idea was so unsettling.
Clearing her throat, she started to rise, but his hand flattened on her back, holding her down. “You said the night.”
“Can you afford it?” she asked and the question in his eye curled her lips. “Not like that.” She laughed. “I haven’t descended quite that far. I meant time. You were dealing with something before I showed up.”
“It’s done,” he said, trailing his touch up and down.
The contact drove her nuts. Every atom in her body shimmered wherever his fingers met.
“Whisper said you’ve been on a kick. You want to expand beyond Harvest? That was never the…” The twitch of his brows reminded her things weren’t like they once were. Before she could apologize or backtrack, she remembered what brought her there, rather who. “Shit. Tulip!”
“The woman you came with? She was put in a cab home; told we did the same with you.”
“How did you know I came with someone?”
“Niall and I have known each other our whole lives,” he said. “He has a lousy poker face.”
“I didn’t see him,” she said, tucking herself a little closer. “When we arrived.”
“You saw Hock. My guys report to Niall.”
“He was with you?” she asked. The minute move of his eyelid was confirmation enough. “Is that why you came back?” Biting her lip was supposed to be playful, but sincerity existed in the question too. “To see me?”
“Didn’t know you brought the cops.”
“I didn’t,” she said. “I didn’t even want to come.” His head tilted. Had she offended him? “I said out loud that I didn’t…” Her words became wistful as her own fingers found the ridges of his abs. “Tulip asked and… Steeple did too. He said if anything happened to her, it would be on me.” Drawing in a breath, she held it a second before sighing. “I was scared to come here.”
“Where are you always safe?”
Her smile peeked. “With you.” Her eyes slunk up to his. “If I got in.”
“You’ll always get in here,” he said. “The only time you weren’t allowed was…” The night of her assault. “I won’t let that happen again.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” she said, and this time when she rose, he didn’t prevent her. But she wasn’t getting up, just sliding a leg across his lap to sit on him. His back was still against the pillows, though he sat up, he was in a semi-slouch, not upright. “I like to think of that as before this… Before you knew you could trust me.”
As they rose, the back of his hands guided her hair away, allowing him to cup her jaw. “I shouldn’t trust you.”
Another smile. “Ditto.”
“You will always have access to me. Whatever you need is here.”
Swaying forward, her mouth was on route to his when they were interrupted again.
“Boss?”
“Fucking…” Connel hissed and his hands moved, but she redirected them to her breasts. “Get the fuck outta here!”
There was a bang, a curse, and then the hurry of footsteps. Whoever that was, he’d left fast.
“You have too many new people,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him.
