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Yet even as he saw the wounded pieces of her, he couldn’t mistake the grit. She may not have made his kind of choices, but she’d kept right on moving. He’d seen bravery and cowardice in a hundred different forms. And, no doubt about it, he was in awe of this woman right now.
She inched her hair from between his fingers. “Are we clear? I’m leaving, and I’ll be careful. I’m going to find a private investigator and try to put an end to this. But I can’t let it touch you and the boys anymore. I only told you this much so you’re aware and can be careful for their sakes. I didnottell you so you could launch into a commando protector and solve my problems for me. Iamleaving.”
Not a chance.
She wasn’t taking one step out that door without him five steps in front of her, between her and whatever waited. Daniel shook off the sentimental fog, emotional stuff that would distract him, get her hurt. She could make this easy. Or she could make it tough.
Mary Elise picked up her suitcase.
Okay, so it would be tough.
Ducking a shoulder into her stomach, Danny hefted her up. She gasped, deep. No doubt, she was gonna get vocal.
Planting a hand on her legs, he forestalled her with, “Shout and you’ll upset the boys.”
“Danny,” she threatened through gritted teeth. “Put me down.” Her suitcase thumped his leg.
Deliberate? Or accidental.
Ow.
Deliberate.
Daniel lowered her onto the sofa. On her back. Already she arched up. Something snapped in her eyes. All that Mary Elise calm and restraint unraveled into a tangle as convoluted as her hair twisting through her hoop earrings. Any minute she would lose it, and he couldn’t let that happen, for her or his brothers.
Daniel dropped, to his knees beside the sofa and took her hand. “You’re not going anywhere.”
She snatched her fingers away and sat up. “I’m tired of people controlling my life.”
No way could he let her fly out of the apartment like this. She glared at him, her green eyes sparking with a mix of fury and a desperation that knocked him harder than her punch. She wasn’t fighting him, but rather some demon he couldn’t combat until she let him in.
But he never, never wanted to frighten her. As much as he knew of the old Mary Elise, he was beginning to realize he would need new instincts in dealing with this wary woman.
He gentled his grip. “Southern boys get particularly irritated when you talk bad about their mamas. Now hush up and listen for a minute.” He trailed a finger down to loosen a strand of hair clinging to her full bottom lip. “You know I would never hurt you.”
She stilled under his touch. Back and forth, he traced the pad of his thumb over the giving softness of her mouth, felt the steamy rushes of breath gust over his skin.
Into him.
Her eyes darkened to that deep green of late summer grass. Oh, yeah, he remembered the shade well, felt the hitch in her breath that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with wanting.
Her face rose to meet him as he angled forward. Mouth to mouth. Lightly. Then more. Adrenaline and heat and too long not touching sent his hands into the pooling mass of her hair.
He needed to hold her again and kiss her senseless and find out if being inside her was as unbelievable as he remembered before she hauled butt out of his life. Not that she seemed pointed toward that door at the moment.
Her fingers crawled up to his shoulders, then gliding around to caress the back of his neck along his hairline. Sweeping the warm recesses of her mouth with his tongue, he tasted Mary Elise, wondered if the honeysuckle sensation was taste or scent but couldn’t tell with her jumbling all his senses.
Daniel struggled for reason. He couldn’t let this spin out of control, as much as he might want to roll her to the floor and lose himself inside her with a deep rightness he hadn’t felt since…her. He needed to get his head on straight. Two boys waited down the hall, and regardless of what she said, the cops would have to be called. They would have to face her past.
Together.
He let her soft touch seep into his anger, even feed the protective urges. Whatever it took to keep her safe, he embraced it.
Daniel pulled away, let his gaze land on her, immobilizing her with only his will. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”
The cloudy passion in her eyes dissipated. “Danny—”
“How closely did you look at that bottle?”
