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That was pretty clear.
“I’ve wanted you for far too long. When you were eighteen years old and you wanted to kiss me, walking away from you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
Back to that, were they? Back to rehashing one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. She’d caught him under the mistletoe at a party. Been so nervous. She’d pointed up. Smiled at him, and stuttered out that, “W-we have to kiss now. I think it’s a rule.” Noelle could feel her cheeks burn at the memory.
Brady hadn’t spoken. He’d looked at her. Looked up at the mistletoe. Looked back at her. His stare had been so intense. Soangry.A muscle flexed along his jaw right before he’d turned and marched away, leaving her all alone beneath the mistletoe. Later, he’d found her and delivered the unforgettable line about her just being the sister of his buddy, someone who tagged along and got in the way.
She’d hated mistletoe ever since. The freaking stuff was poison and why people wanted to use it as some festive holiday decoration was beyond her. “If it was so hard,” Noelle forced herself to say as her lips feathered against his thumb, “then why did you do it?”
He released her. “Because—”
“Donotsay I wasn’t ready.”
“Do you have any idea of the things I want to do to you?”
That sounded promising. But they needed to tackle the topic at hand. “If you didn’t want to kiss me, you just didn’t want—”
“I don’t want to stop with a kiss. Not with you. I want to strip you. I want to fuck you. I want to have you scream my name until you go hoarse.”
That felt like…a lot. Certainly doable, though. She was up for the challenge.
“One night will not be enough,” he continued with a warning tone in his sexy voice. “Not even close. When I have you, you will bemine.I don’t give up what belongs to me.”
It was hot in that room. She fanned herself with one hand.
“You had a different life waiting for you. So did I. If I’d kissed you back then…” Brady swallowed. “Well, your brother would have slugged me, but I wouldn’t have cared. You would have been worth the hit. I pretty much think you’d be worth anything.”
That was…her lips curled.Nice.
“I’ve done things, seen things, that would terrify you.”
Her smile faltered.
“I like danger. I’m too well acquainted with it. My life has been about battles and death. Your world and mine are very far apart.”
They didn’t seem far to her. Only inches separated Noelle and Brady.
“I wanted you to have everything good in the world.Iam not part of that goodness.”
Why would he say that?
“You deserved better than me. I knew it back then, so I walked away.” His hands fisted at his sides. “I still know it now. I know I should keep my hands off you.”
But he hadn’t. Instead, this time, he’d kissed her. Her head tilted. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because I have never wanted anyone the way I want you.” Gritted. “I tried to give you time. I tried to give you space. Even though I was so fucking afraid—Idreadedthe day I would get a call or a letter from your brother with news that some lucky bastard had put a ring on your finger.”
That hadn’t happened. She’d dated. Had relationships, yes, but nothing that had ever felt right.
“Instead, I came home and found out that some SOB in a ski mask had chased you out of a house.” His lips thinned. “No one gets to scare you. No one gets to hurt you.”
“So you made yourself my protector.”
“I’ve been protecting you for years, you just didn’t realize it.”
That was ambiguous. “Protecting me…from you?”
He didn’t speak.
