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She blinked at him, startled. “I hadn’t thought of that. It doesn’t seem possible. You’re…perfect.”
Joe shook his head. “Jules,” he said on a sigh. “I’m no more perfect than anyone else. We all have faults. Some of us are just better at hiding them, that’s all.”
Her nose scrunched in obvious disbelief. “I think you’re humouring me, Joe Barone. Name one fault you have.”
He tugged her closer, until their chests were pressed together and their lips were a hairbreadth apart. For once, he let her see the intensity he usually hid behind a veneer of charm. She sucked in a breath at the sight.
“You’ve seen Grunt with Claire,” he said, of his Neanderthal best friend and his wife. “The way he does that possessive ‘mine’ crap with her?”
She nodded, and for once there was no gentle reprimand to keep his language clean.
“I’m worse than Grunt, baby. Always have been. When I see something I want, something I know belongs to me, I have to fight not to claim it and lock it up where no one else can get at it. I make Grunt’s possessive streak look normal. The only difference is that the big bastard has never tried to hide it, whereas I’m very good at hiding what I need.”
“Don’t swear,” she whispered.
His lip twitched. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I’m not stupid. You’re saying you have an obsessive and possessive streak.”
He slid his hands under her camisole to caress the soft skin on her back. Smooth and warm. Her eyelids fluttered down before she lifted them again.
“It isn’t a streak. It’s all of me.” He inclined his head and nuzzled at the crook of her neck, his lips touching golden skin as he breathed in her subtle scent of spring flowers. Delicious. She was delicious, and he couldn’t resist a taste. He flicked out his tongue to swirl before he gently nibbled at the muscle. He felt her shiver under his firm hold. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her breathing sped up.
When he stopped kissing her throat and looked at her face, her cheeks were pink and her eyes were slightly glazed. Beautiful. So incredibly beautiful.
“That’s hardly a terrible flaw.” Her voice was husky.
“No?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “The need to possess. To own. It’s a hunger. An all-consuming drive I have to fight every day. If I didn’t, the things I wanted for mine would never see the light of day, would never be free.”
“Things?” It was barely a whisper.
Of course she would focus on that word, when he was trying to protect her from the heart of him. The need in him that constantly raged like a consuming fire, and which he continuously fought to ensure it wouldn’t take over completely.
“You should be worried.” He felt the need to be honest with her. To give her this one last chance to escape—even though it almost broke him to do it.
“Why?” She searched his eyes, looking for the answer.
“Because”—he closed the slight distance between them and spoke against her lush lips—“I’ve never wanted anything more than I want you. This is your last chance. If you want out, go now. I don’t think I can let you go if we take this further.”
Her hands came up to cup his cheeks. “Yes. You would.”
He started to disagree, but she shocked him by pressing a gentle kiss to his lips to silence him.
“I know you would let me go, because you aren’t only about possession. You’re about honour. And your honour would never let you keep someone against their will. Your honour is the reason you fight your need to consume. Your honour is the reason you’re telling me this. You’ll never cage me, because you’ll always fight against the need. It’s who you are.”
Joe was in awe. To see himself through her eyes was to see a hero. If he hadn’t been crazy about her before her earnest declaration, he would be now. Because he wanted nothing more than to live his life seeing himself through Julia’s eyes. He wanted to tell her he loved her, all of her, but he knew the words would terrify rather than give hope, and she was right about one thing: he would rather die than hurt her.
> “Kiss me again, baby,” he said instead of declaring his love.
“Will you kiss me back?” Her timid smile told him she was teasing.
“Always.” It was a vow.
This time when her lips touched his, Joe cupped her nape and splayed a hand on the small of her back. He pulled her flush against him. The minty taste of toothpaste did nothing to detract from the deliciousness that was Julia. She slid her hands off his shoulders to wrap her arms around him. The position lifted her breasts as they pressed against his chest. He felt her hard little nipples, heard her panting breaths around their kiss. Her lips were full and soft and lush. He wanted to nibble on them for hours.
Under his hands he felt her body grow languid. Their kiss deepened, becoming an intense dance of tongue and teeth. It was as though he’d been kissing her forever. When they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily. Julia’s cheeks were flushed a deep, rosy pink, and her eyes were dark with desire.
“More?” His voice was husky with need.
