Page 22 of Knuckles

She hit my chest none too gently, pushing herself away from me. I kept my expression neutral, though inside I was grinning like a fool. This woman was magnificent when she was angry. “No. I think you’re a woman who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to take it.”

“Then why the hell are you laughing at me?” Lord, my cock now pointed due north, sniffing around her pussy like a dog scenting a bitch in heat. I loved this fire inside her. Stirring those embers into a raging inferno was going to be the highlight of my day.

I reached for her, but she jerked away, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger. Shit. Maybe I’d pushed too far. “I’m not laughing at you, Hannah, honey. I’m laughing because the thought of me wanting anyone else after having you is fucking ridiculous.” I sat up too, making sure she could see my face clearly. “There are no club whores or any other women for me. There’s just you. Only you. Always.You.”

She studied my face, searching for any sign of deception. “You’re serious.”

I grinned again. “You think I wouldn’t be?”

When she rolled her eyes, I could actually see the tension leave her body. “Well, I’ll try not to bring home any wayward prospects if you can’t get it up.”

I barked out a startled laugh. “You keep givin’ as good as you get, baby. That’s what I want from you.”

Her expression relaxed, and she smiled at me for a moment before it slipped from her face. “I don’t know If I can be what you need, Knuckles.” Her whispered words reflected the emotion swirling in her beautiful eyes. “I’m broken in ways I don’t even understand.”

“Ain’t we all?” I traced the curve of her cheek with my thumb. “I spent years in a cage. You think I came out whole? We’re all fucked up in our own ways. That don’t mean we can’t fit together. Maybe the way to fix each other is to not worry about filling in the missing pieces of our souls. Maybe those missing pieces of you are inside me. Maybe what I’m missing is with you. Together, I think we can be whole again.”

Something softened in her eyes. “And what if I want to keep hunting? Not alone,” she added quickly, seeing my expression darken. “But what if I still need to do this?”

I considered her question, knowing my answer might send her running if I answered wrong. “I’ll never hold you back unless the risk is unacceptable. But you will do it with extensive planning, with me always in the background protecting you. And me. We do this together or not at all.”

“I can live with that.”

“And you ain’t lettin’ any of those bastards touch you. Never again. I absolutely will not bend on this.”

“I figured.” She leaned in and kissed me. I think both of us needed the physical contact. I hadn’t had anything other than stolen moments with any of the female guards or nurses on the inside. I’d only been with a couple club whores since I came home.

“I need to ask you something, Hannah.”

Her expression was guarded, like she sensed a trap but couldn’t see it. “What is it?”

“Have you been with a man other than the men you’ve hunted?”

She stiffened, but didn’t pull away. “Why do you want to know that?”

“Because I think you’re as starved for pleasurable physical stimulation as I am.”

I wasn’t sure she was going to answer me at first, but she surrendered the knowledge even if it was a little grudgingly. “No. There was never time. Besides, the sex I experienced wasn’t something I wanted to repeat willingly.”

“Why did you let me kiss you?”

Again, I didn’t think she’d answer. The pause was longer this time, and I thought she might be weighing her options. I already knew she couldn’t lie worth a damn so I was confident I could tell if she made something up.

Finally, she sighed, shaking her head. “Beats the hell outta me.” She laid her arm over my chest and rested her cheek just above my heart. “You were different. When you pulled Dillon off me in the club, you were so angry. But not at me. At Dillon, because he was hurting me.”

“Honey, angry don’t even cover it.”

“I know. I could tell in the raging bellow you let loose just before you beat the shit outta him.”

“Didn’t beat the shit outta him. If I had, I’d be in jail again. ’Cause I’d’ve killed the son of a bitch.”

She kissed my skin, and I felt her smile against me. “It’s not like you were gonna let him live anyway.”

“No, but I always prefer no witnesses. Easier to dodge a murder charge that way.”

That got a laugh from her. “Yeah. I guess it would.”

“So, we good?” I held her gaze, letting her make the decision. Slowly, she lay back down, draping her body over mine.

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