Page 46 of Defeated

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a bigger asshole in my life,” he says.

“Really?”

He nods, and it’s a battle to focus on his expression and not on his warm, strong hands he starts slowly stroking up and down my arms. “And if I want more than one night?”

I give him a probing look. “Do you?”

His fingers tighten on my arms, and he sighs. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this.”

“Because you don’t want to?”

“No. Because…” His voice trails off and he draws me inexorably toward him as his head dips. “Maybe I’ll tell you one day.”

He wraps his arms around me, tucking me close to his chest. His heart is steady and his touch feels so familiar that it’s the easiest thing in the world to stretch up on my tiptoes.

As our lips meet, I forget to ask him why he’s agreeing to this when he knows he’s going to regret it. For a second, I think I’m going to regret this because one night with Chris might not be enough.

He lifts me with no effort, and as I wrap my legs around his hips, he breaks the kiss to say, “Upstairs?”

My heart feels lodged in my throat as I take in the simmering intensity in his eyes. “Upstairs,” I repeat.

It’s beyond reckless for us to keep kissing so deeply on the way upstairs. But I don’t stop, and neither does Chris until he’s carried me upstairs and laid me down on the bed. Thankfully, I had the foresight to pack all my clothes back into my bag, otherwise, I’d have shoved everything to the floor without a moment’s hesitation.

Chris breaks the kiss to study me with serious eyes, his fingers gently combing through my hair. “I’m not sure why you want this to be with me, but I’m glad, whatever it is.”

Because I trust you not to hurt me.

“You say that like you don’t have any positives.”

A hint of a smile tugs up one corner of his mouth. “Maybe you could list them for me?”

“And give you a big head?” I arch my brow. “Not a chance in hell.”

The truth is, he has so many positives. It goes beyond the way he looks, or how good he smells. It’s why I can’t go with him to Winter Lake. I would never want to leave.

He lowers his head. “Maybe tell me one, so I know what you see in me that you don’t see in anyone else.”

“Well. You cooked me breakfast. So there’s that.”

He’s smiling as his lips brush mine. “Just breakfast?”

“That’s less of a positive since I had to do the toast.” I stroke my hands up over his back as he laughs. My eyes flutter closed as I angle my head for his next kiss. “There might be one or two other reasons I’m not running away from you.”

His next kiss lingers as he runs his right hand down my side. The tips of his fingers graze my breast, drawing a soft moan from me.

“There might be one or two reasons I’m not running from you,” he says. A smile still lurks in his eyes, but they’re needy as well. As needy as I feel.

“Just one or two?”

He snorts. “And risk giving you a big head? Not a chance. I’m going to stick with one or two. Maybe three.”

I laugh.

When was the last time I laughed like this, was so relaxed, or ever let someone this close?

Too long. So long that I’d forgotten what it felt like to let anyone in at all. I don’t know that I believed I ever could. Or would. I let Harlan in and he hurt me so badly, I learned to guard my heart. If my mate could hurt me that badly, anyone could, and probably would.

His smile slowly fades, and his fingers stroke my jaw. “That mate of yours is blind. You’re so beautiful he must have been a fool not to see it.”

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