Page 136 of Damaged Protector

“Just a tad. Lyric pushes herself hard enough. Take a step back and let her. It will make her accomplishments so much more rewarding for both of you.”

“I’ll try,” she promised.

“I don’t mean to overstep,” I told her. “I’m just seeing some familiar patterns. My mother got sucked in and went too far with some things, and I don’t want to see that happen to you and Lyric. You love her so much.”

“I do,” she said, but that’s as far as she got before a screeching Lyric barreled into her mother with tears and hugs.

I watched them with a smile—and maybe a few tears in my own eyes—until Lyric ran to me. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and after congratulating her and letting her know how proud I was, I went home, hoping her mother would consider what I’d said.

Hawk had made dinner for us, grilled chicken and veggies, and it was delicious. “I got a call from an animal shelter today,” I told him, trying to hide the quaver in my voice. “They can take Coconut, maybe next week.”

His fork paused halfway to his mouth. “A no-kill shelter?”

I nodded and took a long gulp of my iced tea. “Of course.”

A furrow appeared between his eyebrows, and he poked at his chicken. “I think she should stay until you have to leave. There’s no need for her to go to a shelter yet.”

My heart lifted. “Really? You don’t mind?”

His answer was a nod and a grunt, so I took it as a win and shut the hell up.

When I went to put my plate into the sink, Hawk followed, seeming somehow even bigger than he usually did. Like maybe the kitchen was shrinking until he was the pervading presence in the room, leaving room for nothing else.

“I’ll do the dishes,” I informed him, trying to find room to breathe. What was it about him tonight? Why did he seem to completely dominate the entire space with little effort?

“No.” One simple word, but it sent a tremble down my spine. His hands went to my waist, and his front pressed against my back, pinning me to the counter. Warm breath gusted across my ear. “I want you to go take a shower. Use that body wash I like. The one that makes me want to devour you whole.”

Cue more shivers. The words were delivered softly, but it didn’t lessen their commanding effect.

I glanced up at him, finding that obsidian gaze on mine as he brushed a strand of hair away from my forehead. “You can back out if you want to.” His eyes flitted toward the back of the house—where his sex room was located—before coming back to mine. “I’m different in there, and you might not like it.” The tightness around his eyes reflected his worry.

“If you’re there, I’ll like it,” I told him, and I wasn’t sure truer words had ever been spoken. It had been two weeks since Hawk had taken my virginity, and I was completely addicted.

To the sex. Not him.

Okay, maybe him a little bit. Or a lot.

Sigh. I knew better than to go all dreamy-eyed schoolgirl on him because of the way he was, but he made it difficult not to like him. The whole thing with Coconut and the shelter? Yeah. What the hell was I supposed to do with that? Besides melt like butter on a hot tortilla.

Hawk drifted his open mouth down the side of my neck before scraping his teeth against the spot where it met my shoulder. “I want to spank you, Little Bee. Then I want to fuck you hard and without a condom. I’ve never felt anything better than when I spilled into you last weekend.”

“M-me neither,” I stammered. I’d loved it but thought that was a one and done thing because we didn’t have protection available when he took me against the side of the barn. He’d used condoms every time since then. But he wanted to go raw with me again?

“That’s okay with you? Even the spanking?”

God yes! I wanted to scream that but refrained, instead nodding my head. “Yes. All of it.”

His hands dropped to my butt and squeezed. “I want to leave my mark on your skin.”

“Like an ass tattoo?” I asked and felt him chuckle into my neck.

“No, nothing permanent like that.”

“Then what?”

“You’ll see,” he told me mysteriously. “I’d also like to video what we do tonight, but I won’t do that without your permission.”

That gave me pause, and I turned in his arms to look up at him. “Have you done that before? The videoing, I mean?”

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