Page 148 of Protective Heroes

He stroked her jaw with the rough pad of his thumb and then swiped at a single stray tear.

He mumbled a curse and his eyes slipped closed for a moment.

She watched in fascination as he wrapped his lips around the digit and sucked. It was like he wanted to take all her pain and grief into himself for her.

He opened his eyes and that same hunger from a second ago hit her like a bomb.

“Tonight is about us, baby. No tears, no regret. Only pleasure.” He paused and took a deep breath. “And definitely no guilt.”

That last declaration had to be for his own benefit because there was no way she’d regret loving him even if for only one night. With all the loss he’d suffered, she knew just how deep his wounds went. He couldn’t hide his pain of losing the people he loved from her any more than he could hide how much he wanted her. She studied his soft expression and tender look in his eyes. Something had changed since she’d last seen him. But what?

He returned his hand to her face and pulled her closer to rest his forehead on hers.

“I’ve dreamed about slowly peeling away your clothing, kissing your body from head to toe and taking you by my fireplace. I want to see the warm glow of the light dance across your body as I slide my dick balls-deep into your sweet pussy.”

“How dare you, Nathan Grant! Damn you!” She shot poisoned darts at the man with her heated gaze and shoved her hands in her pockets—that or risk breaking her fingers on the man’s stubborn jaw.

Her gaze flicked over said fireplace and it didn’t take any stretch of the imagination to picture them naked and making love in the glow of the fire.

Her anger simmered to a low boil.

“I want you, Willa. I don’t care how fucked up it is or was. I’ve wanted you since you were barely seventeen. Your brother knew it and made it understood you were off limits. Hell, even I knew I couldn’t touch you. You became hands-off when he made me commit to that fucking promise, but dammit, I loved him. So I did it. How could I not? We went into war with him covering my six. I couldn’t disrespect that. But he’s gone and I still love you. I have you here standing in front of me with love in your eyes. And you’re definitely not seventeen anymore. What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

His words, a low husky whisper filled with promise, danced across her senses and she shuddered from their power. Embers burned in the depths of his eyes and she knew he meant what he said.

Damn him. She didn’t know how she should feel now.

Stunned, that much she knew. As she peered up at him, her mouth went slack. Their dance around each other had just escalated to a completely new level. But she didn’t understand. After so long of wanting him, why now? Why make her heart ache for him for so long?

Should she let this go? Slip into a lust-induced haze and let it all wash over her for the sake of having what she’d always wanted?

A part of her said yes. But the bigger part of her said it was time to break for answers.

Damn it. Why couldn’t she just go the easy route for once?

She arched a brow and took a deep breath. A hint of concern creased his brow. Damn straight he should be worried.

Obviously, he tried to appear more relaxed than he felt. His eyes always gave him away.

He stood with his thumbs hooked in his jeans and a daring edge to his expression.

“Nathan Grant.” She shook her head. “You picked a heck of a time to seduce me with your sweet, filthy and dark words and gentle touches. I’ve wanted you for God only knows how long, and you’ve pushed me away every time I’ve gotten close.” It took a behemoth amount of control not to let the shudder in her muscles ripple through her body with the dark promise his eyes held the longer he looked at her.

Damn man. Arrogant as a bull. Stubborn as one too.

She threw her hands in the air, unable to make sense of anything.

Deep breaths, Willa. Long, deep breaths.

Anger tinted her words, sure, but she was more hurt than anything.

“Everything will be fine, Willa.”

His words forced the sudden need to clutch something in her hands. Yeah, about the size of a cast iron skillet, in fact.

“Everything will be fine? Like you can erase everything with a kiss and a few promises?” In a soft pitch, she asked, “Tell me something, Nathan. Why does your family keep me around? Is it only because of you? Am I the guilty link to a past you’d rather forget? Or the pity fuck you want to get out of your system and then send me on my way?”

She searched his eyes for some kind of truth.

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