Page 60 of The Woman Left Behind

“What matters to me is that I like spending time with you, I intend to spend a damned sight more of it, and as that time wears on, I don’t want you to have that first reason to question my motives.”

Her chin ducked into her neck in shock.

“So as I said, I’m good,” he reiterated.

His body jerked as, abruptly, she caught his face in her hands.

“We’ll wait,” she said in a harsh whisper, feeling—so much fucking feeling—pouring out of her green eyes, deluging his body, his bones, his soul, all of which had felt so damned empty, so brittle, starting with losing his mom, watching his father and brother do it too, then finding Winnie, always so animated, lying so still on the ground among the pines. “We’ll wait because you’re such a danged good guy, I sense what you need is to wait. You couldn’t live with not waiting. But just so you know, I’m ready whenever you are,” she finished.

“I’ll file that away,” he whispered in return, but his wasn’t harsh, it was low, heavy, but weighted with the good she was offering, like the bad he’d been carrying since he was eleven never existed.

“And I’ll spend time trying to figure out how I found myself dating a super good guy at the same time wishing he was a little bad.”

“Oh, I can be bad, sweetheart,” he promised.

Her eyes rounded and she smacked his arm. “Don’t be hot when you won’t allow me to get you hotter.”

“But I’m allowed to get you hotter.”

“Quid pro quo from here on out,” she sniffed.

Harry frowned. “I don’t agree to that.”

“It’s not fair, I get me some and you don’t let me give you anything.”

“You are so very wrong I didn’t get anything out of that, Lillian.”

Her eyes got even rounder, and she smacked his arm even harder. “Stop being an even better guy, Harry,” she demanded.

He started laughing.

“Oh my God, now I’m annoyed because the guy I’m dating is even more awesome than I thought. And he’s a miracle man with his fingers.”

“Wait ’til you get my mouth.”

Her gaze thinned and she snapped, “Stop it, Harry.”

“I’m also filing away that I need to make you come harder, it seems like it wears off quick,” he teased.

For a second, she stiffened under him.

Then she dissolved into giggles.

Watching her laugh was almost better than watching her come.

“Another episode over carrot cake?” he suggested when her giggles diminished.

“Are you going to have a bite?”

He nodded.

“Okay then,” she mumbled.

He angled to the side, did up her jeans, then pulled her up to sitting before he took his feet.

“Want some coffee too, baby?” he asked.

“Do you have herbal tea?”

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