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Another thought struck me. The desperate hope that he possessed a tender side too. A nurturing side. My gaze dropped to his lips, and I decided I wouldn’t protest much if he tried to kiss me.
Warm pulses gathered between my thighs, a steady throb that wouldn’t cease. It wasn’t lost on me that I was panting breathlessly but he hadn’t even broken a sweat during our brawl, and his gaze soon fell to my heaving bosom. A few buttons had come undone during our fight, leaving my cleavage exposed.
A roguish grin tugged at his lips and his eyes glittered with unmistakable lust. “So far, little girl, I would say your interview is going well.”
Interview? For a second, my mind drew a blank. But then I remembered. The sign! Knock for interview. I swallowed hard and felt my eyes go wide.
“Although you could’ve just knocked, darling.” He winked at me, and damn my traitorous body, but my libido did a little drunken dance. I also became increasingly breathless and achy, so very achy, between my thighs. It was as though he’d put me under some sort of spell.
“I’m not here to apply for the… position,” I managed to say, though to my great mortification, my voice came out as a soft, urgent whisper. I flushed at how needy and horned up I sounded.
He tightened his hold on my wrists and leaned down, allowing his warm, mint-scented breath to caress my face. I was suddenly glad I’d taken a river bath earlier in the day, as well as brushed my teeth. I might not be as clean and nice smelling as this hygienic hunk of a man, but at least I was somewhat respectable. Not that his opinion of my hygiene should matter. I mean, I was still planning to escape this guy, wasn’t I?
“Not here to apply for the position?” He grinned wide, finally revealing all his teeth. Yep, and he had all of them. And they were white too. Damn. He really was the full package. “Are you sure you aren’t here to apply for the position, little girl? Because you seem very interested. You’re blushing, your breath keeps catching, and you stopped fighting.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “I think you’re becoming sweet on me.”
My face heated again, though this time it was more from anger than arousal. The nerve of this guy. “I stopped fighting because you’re sitting on me, and you weigh a flipping ton. Not because I want to apply for the position of your apocalypse ho.”
“Apocalypse ho? Hm. Not sure that’s the term I’d use. Maybe girlfriend. Or special lady friend. Life partner, perhaps? Anyway, I’m looking for a sweet young lady to keep in my life for good. Someone I can dote upon and take care of. Someone to grow old with. Someone who can help me take care of my homestead, too. I live here alone, you see, and it’s a challenge to get the planting and harvesting done by myself, as well as all the other chores that need doing.”
His words struck a chord deep inside my soul.
Was I an idiot for wanting to hear him out?
Alone. He lived here alone. I could scarcely believe it.
Heck, maybe I should throw caution to the wind and formally apply for the position of his girlfriend.
If things didn’t work out—if he later proved himself to be an ogre—I could always slip away in the middle of the night.
Maybe it was because I’d been on my own for so long, but the prospect of belonging to this handsome stranger, the idea of letting him take care of me, almost brought tears to my eyes. He was offering me protection and companionship, and damn if that wasn’t the best offer of my life.
Of course, it was probably a trick.
He was probably lying.
But what if he was telling the truth?
During my constant travels, I occasionally ran into decent, honest people.
Could he be one of them? Dare I hope and dream?
Suddenly, he released my wrists and stood up, once again towering over me with his huge, muscular, bulky frame. His dark gaze roved over my body for a few seconds, and his eyes lit with pleasure. Clearly, he liked what he saw.
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to openly admire him as well, and I became even more breathless and achy as I wondered what he would look like without clothing.
He shoved the carrots into my backpack, then slung it over his shoulder before reaching down to offer me his hand. “Would you like to see my fully furnished, fully stocked, three thousand square foot bunker, little girl?”
Bunker? Fully furnished and stocked?
Well now. Maybe I could stick around for a while longer. If he tried anything shady, I could always stab him in the throat. Wouldn’t be the first man I’d killed.
Looking him directly in the eyes, I placed my hand in his. “My name’s Meg.”
He helped me to my feet but didn’t release my hand. He pulled me closer. “Nice to meet you, Meg. My name’s Darrel. But if you accept the position of my special lady friend, you’ll be calling me Daddy.”
Chapter 2
DARREL
