Page 134 of Renard's Deliverance

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you are. When you want to be.”

“I don’t like him coming over here like that.”

“There’s a lot of stuff you don’t like. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything you do like.”

“I like you.”

The words slammedinto her with the force of a freight train. “You like me?”

“Yeah, baby. I like you.”

Anyone else said those words and they might sound silly. Like something middle school kids said to each other.

But coming from Renard, it was damn near a declaration of love.

Remember. He doesn’t want long term.

You’re just a whore,Opal.

Men like me use women like you. Then when we’re finished, we throw you away.

Because you’re garbage.

Smack!

His hand landed on her ass and she jolted.

“Where’d you go, Gem?” he growled.

“I just . . .” She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Maybe not ever. “I don’t know. Sorry. I was just thinking that I really like you too.”

Shit.

She hadn’t meant to say that, had she?

He watched her with narrowed eyes. She was gonna be in such trouble if he figured out she’d just lied to him.

“You wanna come inside and fool around?” she asked.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

“Ew. Really? I ask you to fool around and you say that?”

“Gem. Am I a guy?”

“Yep. I know that now for sure.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t before?”

“Nah. Not before I saw that beautiful dick yesterday.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “I’m a guy. Not a teenage boy. I don’t fool around; I fuck my girl.” He shifted off the sun lounger with her in his arms, proving that he also didn’t have any back issues from carrying her around. “Thursday night work for you?”

“Huh?” she asked since it was Sunday.

“Got next Thursday night off. That work for you to go to the club?”

Oh.

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