Page 163 of Damaged Protector

Then he opened the door and threw a very naked Donner into the hall before closing it with a resounding click. He leaned one arm against it and crossed one ankle over the other, the picture of cool-casual. In his underwear.

Banging ensued. “Let me in, you big motherfucker. You can’t—”

“I can, and I did. And are you sure you want me to open this door? I don’t think you’ll be pleased with what happens next.” He didn’t yell, but his voice held the kind of authority that would make a grown man shiver in his shoes. If he was wearing shoes. Or clothes, for that matter.

There was silence for a long while, and then Hawk pushed away from the door and came back to the small living space. Starla was equal parts afraid and outraged.

“How dare you! He was my guest!”

Hawk stepped into her, crowding her back against her bed as his deep voice went into full growly mode. “Shut your fucking mouth, or you’ll join him. Do I appear to be the kind of man who has reservations about putting his hand around a woman’s throat? Because I assure you, honey, I’m not.”

Oh my fucking hell. This has to be the hottest man on the planet.

Starla heaved in several gasping breaths, the fear outweighing the outrage, before plopping down onto her bed and covering her nude body with the covers.

Hawk calmly flicked off the lamp and returned to my bed. He still lay facing away from me, and I knew his training wouldn’t allow him to show his back to his enemy.

Reaching back, he patted my hip. “Good night, Little Bee. Sleep tight.”

And for the first time in a month, I did.

Chapter 48

When we woke the next morning, Starla was gone. Probably to go file a report against me, but I didn’t give a fuck. I was moving out today. The thought had relief and excitement coursing through my veins.

After we got dressed and ready, I approached Hawk warily. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? I can probably go stay at Cam’s now that their house is done.”

“How much studying do you think you’ll get done with Bella in the house?” he asked with a smirk.

That had been my reservation as well, though nothing could have been worse than living here. At my wit’s end, I had been planning to talk to Cam about it this weekend.

“Bee,” Hawk continued, “this makes the most sense. I’ll be quiet as a church mouse while you’re working, and you’ll be safe with me.”

Yeah, physically anyway.

“Okay,” I told him.

“Good girl,” he said, dropping his voice to that timbre I remembered all too well. “I missed having you with me.”

One strong hand rested on the small of my back, urging me toward him as he cupped my face with the other. When he brushed his lips against mine, I let him, clutching my fists into the front of his black T-shirt. It would be so easy to melt into him, let him take me exactly where I wanted to be—flat on my back on the bed with him between my spread thighs.

Dammit, why did his body have to feel so right against mine? You can’t let yourself fall back into this rabbit hole, Fitz. You have to protect yourself.

With a strength I didn’t know I had, I flattened my hands against his chest and took a step back. “Hawk, I really appreciate everything you did last night and you offering to let me stay at your house, but…”

His face fell on that last word, which made it harder for me to get the next ones out. “But I think we need to keep things platonic.”

With lowered eyebrows, he asked, “You don’t want me?”

I closed my eyes and stepped into him, wrapping my arms around his thick waist and pressing my cheek against his chest. He smelled better than ever, and I listened to his heart thump for a few long beats beneath my ear.

“More than anything, but I just can’t.”

“Why?” he asked against the top of my head.

Because I love you, you big idiot.

Raising my eyes to his, I implored him to understand without me having to say the words. “I think we were getting a little too close, and… I think this would be best.”

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