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Then, he’d convince her she didn’t need it.

He would protect her himself.

Chapter Six

Nicole parked next to Damon’s pickup truck when she returned to the duplex. A flutter of excitement ran through her at the thought that he was probably at home, too. After meeting with two more prospective event clients this morning, Nicole was in a good mood.

Corporate clients were her favorite, but weddings paid the best. Both the brides she talked to this morning indicated they’d book as soon as she emailed her contract and invoice for the deposit.

Every new booking brought her one step further away from her old life, her old problems, the old Nicole. She thought of her move to Maple Lane Falls as a personal rebranding as much as it was a place to hide from Kent.

Now, business was doing well enough that she was contemplating expanding her bookings to a wider radius. Once she had enough money coming in from events, she could quit her job waiting tables, and use the extra time to travel further and build relationships with venues further out.

Optimism didn’t just give her a light mood; it also gave her excess of energy. She wanted to relax before going back out to the festival, but she needed to keep moving. Maybe she would deep clean the kitchen.

Thump thump thump

Nicole peeled back the curtains covering her sliding glass door. The sound came from a hammer. All the saliva in Nicole’s mouth instantly vanished when she took in the sight on her back deck.

A sweaty, shirtless Damon was constructing something out of wood. His back muscles bunched and flexed as he pounded a nail into place. He wore blue jeans and construction boots, and additional tools swung from a belt around his waist.

Leather gloves protected his hands, somehow making them seem even more massive than she knew them to be. Pausing the pounding, he lifted the wooden frame he was assembling with one hand, and Nicole whimpered. He was so strong. And knew his way around the tools.

He studied his craftsmanship with a little wrinkle between his brows, and Nicole had an urge to lick it smooth.

She must have knocked the glass because he spun around and nailed her with his gaze. He lowered the two by four, shoulder rippling with strength. His eyes held her as he slowly slid the hammer into a loop on his belt.

That wrinkle grew into a proper scowl, but his eyes burned with heat. He wiped the sweat off his temple, and Nicole pulled her sliding glass door open. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making your repairs.”

They stood face to face on the deck, tension thick. He smelled musky and male, and the nervous energy coiling in her muscles broke containment.

“My repairs?” She stepped towards him.

He grunted.

Nicole trailed a finger over one pec. His body was sculpted and scarred, his torso telling stories of untold dangers and hard fought victories. Something inside her unlocked at the thought that he could withstand anything or anyone who came at him.

Damon removed his leather gloves, tossing them over his shoulder. She didn’t say anything before springing into his arms. He bent to catch and lift her.

Running off pure instinct, Nicole wrapped her legs around his waist. Damon stood strong and tall, holding her and kissing the hell out of her in the afternoon sun. His body was warm, and suddenly she was too hot. With one hand holding onto the back of his neck, she freed her other one to unbutton her blouse.

Damon growled. His hands squeezed her ass, holding her firm and enjoying his grip. When the last button was undone, she leaned back to remove her shirt. He had to help her frenzied movements to get her as shirtless as he was.

When her bra joined his gloves on the ground, Damon took a moment to admire her bare breasts. Another growl as he drank her in with his gaze.

“I knew it,” Nicole moaned.

His eyes snapped to hers, and he cocked a brow in question. His hands kept her pressed safely against his pelvis, but one hand tipped her back slightly to put her on display. She leaned her head back and shook out her hair. She’d never felt sexier, more desired, in her entire life.

“I always knew I could make you grunt for a different reason. Now you’re growling.” Opening her eyes and returning her lips to his, she mumbled against him, “my underwear are soaked.”

Now he was growling and scowling and devouring her, all at once. Her hips had a mind of their own undulating against his, and two layers of denim were the only thing between his hard cock and her soaked pussy.

Damon’s mouth left her lips to latch onto her nipples, giving them equal attention in turns. If he kept that up, she’d climax right there in his arms.

He seemed to read her body like a book. Damon’s hand unbuttoned her jeans and tugged down her underwear. Had he read her thoughts? Because his thumb was seeking out her clit. She dry humped him, still standing there on the deck, not a thought or hesitation in her mind.