Page 36 of Chief's Addiction

“Why did you really come back, Mason? After all this time?”

The question caught me off guard. “Your brother asked me to check on you,” I answered, only halfway telling the truth.

“That’s the only reason?” The vulnerability in her voice damn near gutted me.

I pulled back enough to see her face, needing her to see thewholetruth in my eyes. “I never stopped thinking about you. When Sparrow said your name, it was like... like someone punched me in the gut. I didn’t even know you were still in Jacksonville.”

She studied my face, searching for any sign of deception. She wasn’t going to find any. It was the God’s honest truth.

“And now?”

“Now I’m right where I want to be.”

She nodded slowly, then snuggled back against my chest.

“I’m not going anywhere, Cora. Not this time.”

As she drifted off to sleep in my arms, I stared at the ceiling, trying to process everything.

Cora had forgiven me.

She was lying naked and safe in my arms.

And there was no way in hell I wasn’t letting her go.

Chapter 8

Cora

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I froze midway through pulling my tank top over my head and turned to see Chief propped up on one elbow. His dark hair was a mussed from sleep and our activities from the night before.

My eyes dropped to the sheet that had slipped down to his waist, revealing that glorious tattooed chest I’d spent hours exploring last night.

Why did he have to be so damn sexy?

I shook my head.

No. Nope. Nuh-unh.

I wouldnotget distracted by the sexy naked man in my bed. “Go back to sleep.”

He squinted at the alarm clock on my nightstand, then let out a growl that rumbled through the quiet room. “It’s 4:30 in the fucking morning! Get your ass back in bed, woman.”

Laughing, I pulled my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. “Not everyone gets to sleep in, grumpy. I have a class to teach this morning.”

“Your early morning class is bullshit,” he muttered as his sexy naked ass rolled out of bed anyway, revealing every spectacular inch of him.

My heart started pounding in my chest as I remembered exactly what that body had done to mine the night before.

Focus, Cora.

I watched Chief as he bent to retrieve his boxers from where they’d been discarded on the floor. “I’m really enjoying the view,” I mumbled out loud, not even trying to hide the fact that I was staring.

“Please tell me there’s at least time for some coffee,” he said, pulling his jeans up over his hips, covering up the masterpiece I was appreciating.

“Already made a pot,” I said, grinning as I slipped into my shorts.

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