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“That’s horrible.”
“I don’t blame them. I seldom showed up for class and if I was there, I wasn’t doing anything but disturbing everyone else.” He finished his drink and put the glass down on the end table before standing. “That’s it. That’s my childhood. Let’s go to bed.”
“Oh, no. We’re not even close to done.”
“But that’s it. We went to college. We started the company. Merri and Tobias got married. We all stayed friends. We hired you and you know the rest.” He held out his hand. “Come. I want to shower, and I need someone to wash my back.”
The idea of that strong, muscular body under her hands, slippery and hot made her almost jump from the couch and drag him into the bathroom. The only thing stopping her was that she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. He’d never let it happen again. “No. That’s not it.” She leaned forward and refilled his glass. “Sit.”
“What else do you want to know? I’ve told you everything.”
“I want to know about your family.”
“I have no family.”
“That’s a lie. I looked you up.”
“Really? When?” He sounded flattered. “Before or after we got married?”
“Before. I wanted to know what kind of man and company I was going to be working for.”
“Oh.” He sat. “What do you want to know? There isn’t much to tell.”
“You have an aunt and uncle and they both have kids. Do you ever see them? Talk to them?
“Nope.” His face tightened and he tossed back his drink and refilled it.
“Why not? Family can be a pain. I know. Years ago, my mom and aunt didn’t get along very well. Aunt Tiff is kind of wild and my mom is…well, not wild.”
“My family didn’t want me when I was eight. I certainly don’t need them now.”
“How do you know they didn’t want you? Sometimes, other things happen and—”
“I was in foster care for ten years, if they’d wanted me, they could’ve taken me.”
“Maybe they didn’t know. Was your mother estranged from her family?”
“Don’t try and make them better than they are,” he snapped. “You want to know why I hate my name?” His eyes met hers and they were filled with pain.
“Yes.” But she wasn’t sure she did. She’d seen him angry before but nothing like this. He was hurt and broken and filled with hate.
“My mother loved her brother. Adored him. She was always bragging about her brother in the military. She even named me after him.”
“I thought his name was Gerry?”
“Augustus Gerald Harker, just like me. Even if he didn’t want me, he should’ve taken me in for her but instead he used his military career as an excuse to leave me in foster care. He had a wife, but he claimed that they moved too much. It wasn’t good for a child. It was bullshit. I lived in eight different foster homes in ten years. But my aunt”—he stared at the liquor in his glass—“this one is even better than my uncle’s lie. She wouldn’t take me because she didn’t want me to corrupt her kids.” He looked up at her and his eyes were haunted and filled with pain. “I was eight years old. How in the hell could I corrupt anyone? I was just a kid.”
CHAPTER 38: Alison
“They were wrong.” So freaking wrong. Alison didn’t remember moving but she must’ve because she now sat on the couch her hand resting on Harker’s arm. “They should’ve come for you.”
His eyes glistened as he slowly leaned toward her. Her heart thudded at his uncertainty. This wasn’t like him. If he wanted something he took it. She’d never known him to hesitate about anything until now. She grabbed his shirt, yanked him to her and kissed him.
He captured her head in his hands, holding her as he took over the kiss. It was raw and wild, filled with desperation fueled by pain. She couldn’t fix his past, but she could let him know that now he was wanted, loved. She froze for a second. Loved? Did she love him?
He noticed her hesitation and broke the kiss, his dark eyes searching hers. This wasn’t the time to worry about her heart. It was time to help heal his. She leaned forward and kissed him again as she untucked his shirt, sliding her hands underneath and running them up his chest.
His tongue thrust into her mouth as he lifted her onto his lap. She spread her legs, straddling him. His kisses slowed, becoming more coaxing than demanding, letting her set the pace as she rocked against him.
