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Without a sound, she took it, a small furrow in her brow. She unfolded it and held it before her, still not saying a word. At least not verbally. Her eyes and face were so freaking expressive he was able to read her like a book. One that was quickly becoming a favorite.
Dark gray with Dutchmen written across the chest in blue and framed in burgundy. Below that the roaring lion. Buttons sliced down the middle. Turning it around, it had Conner and the number 10 below it.
“Very nice. I’m guessing this was your number?”
He tugged her up and dragged his hand down her cheek. “This is my jersey. One of them.”
She blinked at him and he smiled with a low chuckle. Instantly she frowned at him.
“Why are you laughing at me?”
“I’m laughing because you think you’re taking advantage of me and my good nature. It never occurred to you that I’m trying to give this to you. This is for you. I want you to wear my jersey.”
Her lips pursed and he wanted to lick along that plump lower one before slipping between them. “Why?”
He put them nose to nose. “It appeals to the chest-beating primitive male I really am. To see his woman wearing his clothing.” He stole a quick kiss. “Plus, I thought you might want to change out of the shirt you’re wearing since I pressed my sweaty body against it.”
Heat surged in her gaze but she didn’t back down. “Fine.”
He smiled even as he turned her in the direction of the bathroom. She walked in, only tossing him one curious glance. It didn’t take her long to swap out the pink top she’d had on and put on his jersey.
Holy shit. She looked perfect. It didn’t matter how big it was on her. He had a closet full of his clothes she could simply take, as long as he was allowed the pleasure of seeing her wear his shirts draped over her curves—and the honor of removing them.
Without a word, they headed up and outside.
He hadn’t done enough dumbbell rows. Hadn’t worked out enough, because all he wanted to do was toss this woman over his shoulder and take her inside his house and close out the rest of the world. Keep them holed up until she understood how he viewed her. What he saw when he looked at her and how fucking impressive it was, all the way around.
He helped Emma up into his truck and took the long way around to the driver’s side, needing to take a breather and get his emotions in check. This woman eroded his control with something as simple as a breath.
Linc loved seeing her in his clothing. After an argument about him driving her, she’d gotten her uniforms from her car and had them on her lap. In his truck. Wearing his jersey.
He hopped up into the cab and buckled his belt once the door latched.
“I could have taken my car.”
“And I could have put him in the hospital for how he spoke to you. Both of us have done some things we weren’t happy about.”
Her leg bounced as he maneuvered his truck around her car.
“Thank you.”
His heart thumped hard. “For?”
She angled toward him in the seat, her fingers with their pale pink shimmery nails tapping against the robin’s egg blue of her old uniforms. He gripped the wheel tighter as he struggled to remember that she wasn’t going back to work for that slimy bastard.
“Being you.”
He allowed her soft voice to tamp down the anger that had been building.
“Humph.”
She canted her head to the side. “What?”
“I must be slipping. Last time you thanked me, I got a kiss. Now, you’re all the way across the truck from me, pressed into the door like you think I’m going to eat you.”
She captured the corner of her lower lip in her teeth. “You do look like you want to.”
It took an act of God to keep his eyes on the road and not look at Emma. “I do.” A deep breath. “But that’s a discussion for later.”
Linc slowed and turned into the lot for the diner. Parking his truck, he killed the engine and took another deep breath before hopping out. He strode around the front of the truck and opened the door for Emma.
Turning her on the seat, he reached up with his right hand and pressed his thumb against her lower lip, rolling it free from her teeth. Heat flared in her eyes but she didn’t turn her gaze from his.
Progress.
“I’m with you, Emma. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”
She took a shuddering breath and he grasped her around the waist, lifting her down. Taking advantage of the small space between them, he let her curves slide against him. Such a simple act which made his body hard. This woman had no clue how much she affected him.
