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The breath explodes out of West in a loud, frustrated sigh.
After a few seconds, when I’ve started to feel silly—I mean, how is it, exactly, that I ended up wrapped around the legs of a shirtless man in such a short span of time?—he gives me his hand. “Come here. ”
His palm is hot and damp, his grip strong. When I’m on my feet, he frames my face between his hands. “You’re mine. He hurt you. I want to hurt him. ”
“I know. ”
“It’s the only thing I can do for you. ”
“It’s not, though. It’s not what I need from you. You have to trust that I can do this. It’s my fight. ”
“Feels like my fight, too. ”
I turn my face into his palm. Kiss him there, where I can feel his pulse in his hand. “That’s because we’re a team. ” I smile against his skin. “But I’m the leader. ”
He snorts. “You’re not the leader. ”
“I am, too. You should’ve seen me in that meeting. I kicked ass. ”
“I bet you did. ”
“West?” I look up at him. There’s more ease in his expression now, softness in his eyes that I put there. “I need you to believe in me. Even if there are times nobody else does, I need you to be the one person in my life who trusts that I can kick all the ass that needs to be kicked. ”
“Of course you can. But it’s not—”
“And then,” I interrupt, because this is important. “And then, even though I know it’s harder and it’s not what you want, I need you to let me do it. ”
He gazes past me at the doorway where Nate isn’t anymore.
“West, look at me. ”
He does.
“There’s going to be some other chance like this. Sometime when I’m not around and you get a shot at Nate. I’m asking you to promise me you’re not going to take it. ”
“Caro. ”
“Please. ” I touch his cheekbone. Pet his neck. He feels so dangerous, right on the edge, and I need to pull him back, because I know that this decision—right now—is one of those pivot points. A make-or-break moment.
I can’t be with him if he won’t let me fight my own battles.
He covers my hand with his and holds it against the bend between neck and shoulder.
I love his eyes. I love the way he looks at me, what he sees in me, who we are together.
“I hate not being able to do anything for you,” he says.
“You’re doing everything for me. Just by being you. ” I kiss him. “Promise me. ”
His breath against my mouth is a sigh and a capitulation. “I promise. ”
“Thank you. ” I stroke his neck and kiss him again. He’s so warm, wired, animal.
Also, shirtless.
When his tongue parts my lips, I go weak against him. The kiss gets serious, fast. My back bumps into the wall, his hand catches behind my knee.
“Let’s go home,” I say.
