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He’d once ridden through a road melting like ice cream while a wildfire blazed on either side. Terrifying. He’d had that experience only once, and his heart still thrummed with panic if he saw a roadside campfire. They should license matches like guns in western states. That shit was real. And as scary as it was, it didn’t trump this, the freefall plunge his heart was in.
Holding her in his arms, he waited for the panic to set in. Instead, he only found peace. The same peace happened when his crew pulled to the side of the road and cut their motors. The sudden silence was so profound that he’d question his hearing for a minute. Wonder if he’d gone deaf before the chatter picked up.
Silence. Peace should also be licensed. Because a man would kill for a moment like this. Hell, he’d killed for far less. Which meant he didn’t deserve it, but now that he had it, he wasn’t giving it up.
She stirred. Her braids slid across his chest, and he kissed the top of her head to settle her, but it was too late.
“What time is it?”
Hannibal showed her his watch that glowed eight-thirty and frowned when she jerked up. Nope, the first thing about her he didn’t like. Scratch that, second thing. First was her damn job. Thank God she had something else she wanted to do. Something besides rubbing on other men all day. A low growl escaped his lips, and she frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Angel’s eyes x-rayed his when he tried to fix his face. She pulled her plump lip inside again. Drawing a sheet up to cover her chest.
Nope, didn’t care for that either.
“Well, this is awkward.” She fumbled the sheet into a knot he could undo in seconds.
“What is?”
“You. Me. Us.” She waved her hand back and forth between them. Transversing the distance she’d created. “I mean, I’m sure you have somewhere else to go. I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. Lorraine is probably wondering who my visitor is and why didn’t I come downstairs to say hi when they got home.”
“I guess you can’t just tell her you were too busy fucking your man’s balls out.”
“Hannibal!” Her mouth dropped open.
He’d shock her every day just to see that sexy ass ‘o’.
“And as for somewhere else to go.” He tugged her back onto his chest, sliding her back into the nook she’d abandoned.
“There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. This is where I need to be.”
“You’re sure? It doesn’t feel weird to you?”
“More like unexpected. I didn’t expect to walk into Skin Sins and find the woman meant for me. Hell, I wasn’t even looking for a particular woman. Especially one who’s not in the life.” His brows drew together, and he turned her chin up. “Have you ever even ridden a bike?”
She nodded, but then she said a fucking ‘moped’ A moped was no better than an electric tricycle. A baby cart.
“Okay, no worries. We’ll fix that. I can’t wait to have you up behind me. Your pussy warming my ass.” The ‘o’ dropped open again.
Angel raised up on her elbow. Her braids a curtain around her face until he brushed them over her shoulder. “Well, it’s weird for me. Hell, I don’t even know your last name. And is Hannibal even your real name?”
“Arroyo. Hannibal Arroyo. My grandparents were from Mexico, and they settled in Texas. Now, what else do you need to know besides, you’re mine?”
“My family’s from Texas, too. Cat’s Creek.”
“You gotta be shittin’ me. That’s where we live.” He shook his head. “Ain’t that a fucking bitch. All this time, we were this,” He snapped his fingers. “Close to each other, but didn’t meet until we were halfway across the country.”
“So I guess you believe in fate.”
“No,” Hannibal murmured as he leaned down. They could talk later. Later, he’d explore her mind and seize her heart, but he wanted more of her body right now.
He took the hand she’d braced across his chest and rolled her over until she lay under him. “Not fate. I believe in knowing. Some things you just know. Like when old people say it’s going to rain, I can feel it in my bones. Or when a teacher says, that boy is trouble, I just know it.”
He dipped down to take her lips. “Or like the first time I heard your voice. I couldn’t see you at all. But I just knew your lips would taste like this.”
