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“You give me space to find myself. I thought I needed miles of open road. Turns out I simply needed you.”
“Oh.” I wished I had a better reply because he’d given pretty much the perfect answer. “Wow. I’m not sure anyone’s needed me before. Wanted, maybe, but not needed.”
“Well, I do, and not only your smoothie-making talents.” He laughed, somehow knowing I needed the joke as an escape valve for all this rising pressure in my chest.
“I like that. Being needed.” I allowed myself the luxury of relaxing more into his embrace.
“I like it too. I love taking care of you.” He skimmed his hands down my torso.
“You’re good at that.” A sexy shiver raced up my back.
“Not just in bed.” He nipped lightly at my ear. “I like taking care of you in all the ways. That’s what I’ve been trying to say all day. This isn’t work. It feels way too good to be a job.”
“Oh.” My eyes stung. I was so used to being a burden that Cash finding such joy in being around me felt more than a little surreal.
“Let me keep taking care of you?” he asked, kissing all along my neck.
“Only if you let me take care of you back.” I had never been truly angry with Cash, but at the same time, I still wasn’t entirely over my terror from earlier in the day.
“I don’t want to be a kept guy.” He sounded frustrated, so I rolled back toward him and met his eyes. I was careful not to jar his injured arm, yet the mere presence of the bandage was enough to make my stomach clench. But then our chests brushed, and my body buzzed with fresh awareness.
“I don’t mean monetarily. I mean, I want to be an equal. Not the prince in the tower, with you playing white knight and taking ridiculous risks on my behalf.”
“Thought you were ready to hire me as your security chief or whatnot?” He raised an eyebrow.
“That was to get you to stay.” I could admit that now, especially with the memory of how scared I’d been earlier still so close to the surface. “I don’t really want you as my bodyguard. I like your boyfriends idea, but not if it means you charging into danger.”
“I’m always going to want you safe.”
“I want you safe too. Let Harley or Duncan help you get a stunt coordinator job thing.” I was willing to accept that he wouldn’t let me simply pay his way, even if I’d happily do it, but I could at least put my bid in for him having a marginally safer job.
“Duncan might not be speaking to me after we talk.” Cash’s mouth twisted.
“He’ll get over us banging.” I tried to project confidence, same as Cash always did.
“Hopefully. If not, I’ll deal because you’re worth it.”
“Seriously?” I continued to have a hard time believing I was worth more than Duncan. “But he’s your ride-or-die bestie. He saved your life.”
“So did you.”
“Oh wow.” Chest tight, all I could do was gape like a fish at him. “Maybe I should be the one to talk to him. Take the blame for talking you into this. Then you can have your friendship and me both.”
“The friendship stuff will work out.” Cash gave me an all-too-brief kiss. “No one talks me into anything. I made my choice because I wanted you. Want you still.”
“Now?” I grinned, more than eager to push these confusing, overwhelming emotions into sex.
“No, not now.” Cash groaned and glanced at the closed door.
“Harley’s asleep, right?”
“He’s not that sound of a sleeper. You’re loud.” Sliding a hand under my shirt, Cash lightly tickled my ribs.
“I can be quiet,” I promised breathlessly.
“I don’t want you quiet.” His voice was full of dirty promises. “Tomorrow, you can be as loud as you want. Right now, let me hold you before I sneak back downstairs?”
“Okay.” Like I could say no to him.
“Are we good now?” he asked as he rolled slightly so he was on his back, me tucked against his side, head on his chest, both his arms around me. “I don’t like when you won’t talk to me.”
“I’m sorry.” I inhaled as much of his warm, spicy scent as I could, drawing courage from his nearness. “I was being a brat and not hearing what you were trying to say.”
“Maybe I wasn’t saying it right.” He kissed the top of my head.
“You were saying it fine. More like I was too scared to listen.”
“I’m scared too,” he whispered into my hair. “This is all so fast and so new for me.”
“I thought you don’t get scared of anything?” I teased softly, eyes stinging from his honesty.
“You.” He exhaled hard, chest rising and falling under me, his heartbeat echoing in my ear. “You terrify me.”
“I don’t ever want to hurt you.” I kissed his soft T-shirt right over his heart. “Next time, I’ll listen better. Promise.”
