Page 56 of Erik's Salvation
He took two heartbeats to answer, and in that time, she could almost see him turning her words over in his head. “Lesser versions?”
“Stronger.” Hannah was absolutely firm on that. “Sometimes life makes us believe we’re broken beyond repair. We’re not. Everyone’s fixable.”
“And if the fragments don’t slot together anymore?”
“They always slot together. The old cracks will be visible, but they’re meant to be. To show everything a person has overcome.” Unable to stop herself, she reached up and cupped his cheek. His eyes darkened, and God, she wanted to kiss him. “What happened to you to make you think you’re damaged?”
Another heavy pause. “You don’t want to know.”
“Stop giving me guarded words and half-truths.” This time, she touched a hand over his heart. “I want Erik. The real and the raw.”
She craved him.
He gave a small shake of his head. “You don’t want the real Erik.”
“Why not?” When he didn’t respond, she wanted to shout at him. Either that or dropkick him to the ground. She’d tried telling herself she didn’t want him. That this was a simple crush, one she could wrap in a pretty box and put away. But every time he was close, every time he touched her, she realized how deep that lie ran. That whatever this was between them, it was real, and it was theirs to take.
“Let me in. Trust me. Allow yourself to have me.”
His arm tightened around her. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
“Me.” He almost sounded frustrated this time. “Angel, if we were a fairy tale, you’d be the girl in the red hood, and I’d be the wolf.”
She slipped her hand into his hair, one side of her mouth lifting. “Then let’s rewrite that fairy tale.”
CHAPTER17
Rewrite the fairy tale? Like it was that goddamn easy. Like a million different things wouldn’t have to happen to cement a happy ending.
He downed half his beer as he watched Hannah across the room. She danced with a small group of women that included Andi. She fit in with his sister. Hell, the woman would probably fit in with his entire family.
The thought made his fingers tighten around the neck of the beer bottle.
“You stare any harder, people are going to start thinking she’s yours.”
Erik stiffened at his father’s words as the older man came to stand beside him. Not because he didn’t want people to think she was his. Hedid. He wanted every man in the room to know exactly how much she belonged to him and that she wasn’t free to touch.
In that silky green dress that showed off too much goddamn thigh, someonewouldeventually touch her. He’d seen men looking at her all night. Even without the dress, Hannah was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“She’s too young for me,” he said, clutching at goddamn straws.
“What is she, twenty-five?”
“Twenty-three. And I’m thirty-six.”
His father laughed. “Thirteen years isn’t that much of an age gap. Your mother’s ten years younger than me.”
Except his parents were perfect together, because they were each as whole as the other.
“Hey.” His father touched his arm, and Erik finally dragged his gaze away from the woman. Michael Hunter had the same hazel eyes as Erik, and in them was a lifetime of wisdom so distinct it was almost visible. “I know you’ve been through a lot, son. And I haven’t checked in on you nearly enough after what happened to Vicky.”
Erik’s chest tightened at her name. “It’s been eight years. And I’ve been the one avoiding the family. You’ve had health issues.”
“Doesn’t matter how long it’s been. Crippling pain will keep us down, no matter how much time has passed. And it doesn’t matter what I’m going through. You’re still my son, therefore mine to look after and love. I should have pushed harder to get you home.”
He was right about one thing…time hadn’t done a damn thing to diminish the roar of rage in his chest. The hollowness of sorrow in his limbs. “You had to look after yourself and Mom.”
