Page 31 of Nothing to Fear

Her back hit a wall and he slammed a hand to the concrete far above to lean in.

“Darroch,” she gasped.

“Jeremy’s your ex.” Was that a statement or a question? “He’s your ex, right?”

Question. “Yes. I don’t know what—”

“The jerkoff still bothers you?” Though her mouth opened, her jaw tightened soon after and her lips circled, she had no idea what to say. “If he still bothers you, I’ll deal with him.”

“How?” The word came out before the question fully formed. “Hire some guy to—”

“Hire? No.” His low laugh was almost sinister. “I deal with that kind of shit by myself.”

“You shouldn’t be here.” She pushed at his chest. “Your mother is out there. The people crowd too clo—”

“She’s with my brothers. Soon as we can stand upright we’re taught how to protect her. Think my dad would have it any other way?”

Man, she shouldn’t swoon, but that was sweet… and sexy.

“Okay, we should get back out there.”

He hooked her chin to raise it up. “No more.”

The depth of his calm, of his certainty, lightened the pulse in her chest, allowing it to float to her throat, ascending to the delicate need lingering on her tongue.

“Darroch…” She barely got the word out.

“No more talk of bets or guys like me. I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you, Cherry. What I want from you is real, genuine, prompted by nothing except my own desire for you.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Because this Jeremy still lives in your head. Is he in your heart? You still love him?”

She blinked in surprise. “No! God, no!”

“Get him out of your mind too,” he said, the pad of his thumb sweeping back and forth on the front of her chin, his other curled fingers still supplying a rest. “Move him out, I need more room in there, baby. That’s what I want, to be all you think about.”

Not asking much, was he?

“I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“No, because one already found you. I’m right here, baby. All you need. At your command.”

Descending, the liberty his mouth took with hers could only be intuitive. Whatever they had to say would wait. Despite her objection, the conflict fled in the wake of his mouth’s torment. All she wanted was this. Being with him, under his mouth, satisfying his need, it filled her with accomplishment. Her own desire was fulfilled by pleasing his.

A whimper vibrated from her throat to his as she clung to his shoulders, digging her nails in, wishing him closer. Contact, that was what she wanted, full body, full naked body contact.

The seal of their mouths broke, he gathered her hands into his and held them to his chest.

“May I take you to dinner?”

“No,” she panted, fixated on his mouth. “No dinner.” Freeing her hands, she tried to pull him lower again. “I don’t want dinner.”

On a rumble of a laugh, he cupped her face in both hands and touched his mouth to hers again for a second, not long enough. “I want the same thing.”

“How far’s your hotel?”

“We’re not doing this that way.” He scooped her hands together again, just at the base of his throat. “Dinner.”

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