Page 178 of Filthy Love

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With each minute that passed listening to Gia puke into the toilet, Hawk experienced his heart tightening with regret. Vomiting her guts up when she thought he was sleeping. Sickened because of his horror story no doubt. She’d given him bucket loads of her tears. His little bit hurt because of him.

It didn’t matter if his chest felt lighter, his brain emptied of noise. He’d made his girl hurt and for that he fucking hated himself.

The delusions of a man were lengthy when it came to loving something he shouldn’t.

Andhopewas a conniving bitch.

Braced on the side of her bed, his legs spread, elbows resting to his knees he watched that door open, light illuminating behind her when she stumbled out minutes later. She flipped off the switch and that was when she saw him, her pink lips rounded. “Oh. Did I wake you?”

He watched her shiver and Hawk cursed, got to his feet and grabbed her thick oversized dressing gown from the end of the bed, holding it out for her to slip both arms into. “You’re always cold.” He growled too severely, his own body coiled ready to take care of his old lady.

Shit.

Yeah, he’d said it.

She was his. Not that it was a surprise.

“I’m fine,” she answered quietly allowing him to tie the belt around her waist.

“You need to see a doctor. It’s not normal to be cold all the fucking time, Gia,” encouraging her to sit on the edge of the bed he wrenched open the top drawer of her dresser and fisted out the first balled up pair of socks he found. They were long, fluffy and pink.

“I don’t need a doctor, baby.” Her reply came with a smile, her eyes on him when he went down on his haunches, began to pull on socks over her ice-cold feet, yanking them angrily to her knobbly knee caps. “Maybe I was just waiting for someone to warm me up, what do you think about that?” She questioned, laying her hand on his bare shoulder, heat and need and relief slid through Hawk like a narcotic, he allowed a second for his eyes to close to enjoy delicate fingertips roaming over his collarbone and down to his pec tattoo before he pinged them open. His voice, unsettled, rumbled. “Depends who’s doing the warming. I’m particular who gets to touch you.” He told her honestly, no point in pretending he wasn’t a deranged dog where she was concerned.

He’d told her his darkest, most disgusting secret already.

Him being possessive over her was nothing in comparison.

After that Hawk was an open fucking book for Gia.

Gia chuffed a laugh as he tucked her into bed, bringing the cover right to her chin.

“You don’t want anyone touching me but you, tough man, you stabbed the last man who tried.”

That’s damn right.

His eyes glittered watching her looking so smug.

He couldn’t get enough of just looking at her, mapping her face to memory and she didn’t ever seem to mind that he was a bit crazy obsessed over her.

Sometime later when he thought she was asleep in his arms, his hand going from nape to the base of her spine, his mind empty of everything. Only when she sighed did he speak. “Gia. I’m dumb as shit with most things. I don’t read what’s on a person’s face too well. But what I know, without any fucking doubt. What I know is whatever fucking soul I might still have. What hums through the hole in my chest you own is; if I had to drag myself through every bad shit piece of my Hell again because it meant at the end of it I would have you. Then I’d do it without a second thought. I’d go through it all again to know I had you to look forward to.”

“No more Hell, Colton. I love you so much.”

That was good enough for him. Being Gia’s … more than enough.

“Hawk? You said she drugged you. Is that why you don’t take food or drink from anyone?”

He stilled. She’d noticed that?

“It’s not something I’m comfortable with. It’s better now than it was.”

“You’ve let me cook for me.” Not much. But that was because he found he got a kick out of taking care of her needs. He liked providing for Gia. Being her man. “You eat at the diner.”

“You or the diner wouldn’t drug me, little bit.” He frowned against her hair.

It was just one more thing to make him abnormal.

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