Page 113 of Hart of Darkness
She batted her eyelashes, and a tear fell. “I had to. I couldn’t lose you.”
“You weren’t going to lose me, baby doll. Ted, Hunt, Dom, Duke, Grace, and I had everything under control. Well, Ted’s men were too late in getting to Miguel’s men before one of them fired his gun.”
“How long have I been in here?” she asked.
“Five days.”
She frowned. “Where are Misty and the girls?”
“They’re at the shelter, and Miguel and company are in a jail cell, even Rick. He was the one to give Ted the location of the girls and everything about Miguel’s organization in exchange for a reduced sentence.”
Color started to return to her cheeks as she lowered her gaze to her lap.
I leaned in to do something I’d been dying to do.
When my lips were a millimeter away from hers, she planted a hand on my face. “My breath stinks.”
I wasn’t going to lie. She was in dire need of a toothbrush and toothpaste, but I didn’t care. “They say when you love someone, nothing matters or gets in the way, even bad breath.”
Her mouth fell open. “You love me?”
I’d had five days of nothing but my own thoughts. I had watched her sleep. I had listened to the medical machine beep every now and then. I’d rubbed her arms, her hands, and even sat on the bed and rested my head on her stomach. Kelton had said to give in to the feeling. Because love was one hell of a ride, and one I didn’t want to miss. I was on the ride of a lifetime. No woman had affected my heart, head, and stomach like Maggie did.
“You came out of nowhere, Maggie, and when you did, you scared the hell out of me. And I’m not only talking about when you were kidnapped or shot. When you showed up at the shelter that night with Nadine, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I did have a thing for you as a teenager.” I took a breath.
She sniffled. “No one in my life has ever told me they loved me. No one.”
I kissed the back of her hand. “I’ve always been afraid any girl I got serious with would walk out on me like my mom did with my old man. I put my life on hold to find Grace, and it wasn’t until you told me to cherish what I have that I woke up. I knew in that elevator that you were the one I wanted to cherish. You are the girl I want to be with. So if you call love”—I twirled a finger around my stomach—“this tightening feeling, and how I think about you constantly, and how I want to kiss you until someone calls the paramedics to give us oxygen, then yes, I love you.”
She giggled and sniffled. “Why didn’t you kiss me when we had sex?”
“Because I knew one taste of your mouth, and I would’ve professed my undying love for you. I wasn’t sure I was ready to do that. Plus you were all about putting up a barrier between us.”
“Well, I don’t want to anymore,” she said. “I always thought love was overrated, and honestly, I’ve never felt so connected to another man like I am with you. I want us, Dillon Hart. I want you.”
I kissed her before she could object about her bad breath. When our tongues collided, she moaned. The kiss was wet, sloppy, and all over the place. She held my head in her hands, and I kissed her with everything I had. She spewed little noises every time I nibbled on her tongue and her lips, making my dick grow hard.
She slowed the kiss. “I don’t want you to use a ping-pong paddle on me. I don’t want rough sex. I want slow and sensual. I want you to be gentle. I want you to kiss me nonstop. I love you, Dillon Hart. I would take a bullet for you anytime.”
While I admired her to no end for wanting to protect me, we wouldn’t be in harm’s way again. From here on out, our lives would be normal. She had her job, and I had the shelter, and we weren’t chasing any more bad guys.
As far as my family, they had to work out their own problems. When they did, including my old man, maybe we could be somewhat of a cohesive family. Until then, Maggie was my family and future. She was the one I would give all my time to, aside from the shelter.
