Page 19 of Hawk

“Yep. Grace was on the run from an abusive husband. Ellie was being stalked by someone she thought was a friend.” There was no need to tell her about our fight with the Carter family. “My point is that they’re all sympathetic to what you’re going through, and they are nice women. They probably would be nice either way, but maybe they’re being extra nice because they know how scared you’re feeling right now.”

“I feel like a broken record, but thank you.” She flashed a sweet smile up at me and all I wanted to do was kiss her again and again.

“You don’t have to thank me, Laura. It’s what a good boyfriend does. Right?”

She laughed. “Right. Are you a good boyfriend?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t been anybody’s boyfriend in a long damn time.” I didn’t want to tell her that I had a reputation as a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy, but I refused to lie.

Blonde brows arched in curiosity. “Fear of commitment?”

“Not a fear, exactly. Just never met a woman who made me want to consider commitment. No deep dark secrets.” It was best if she knew who she was dealing with right up front. I wanted her—badly—but I’d never lied to a woman to get her naked and I wouldn’t start now.

“Bullshit.”

It was my turn to arch a brow. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she laughed. “I call bullshit. A man as good looking as you, as charming as you, doesn’t make it to his thirties without a real relationship unless he actively avoids them.”

“Or maybe I’m just an excellent judge of character.” Our gazes locked for a long, intense moment. Heat flared in her eyes, matching the heat I felt burning me up from the inside out.

“Maybe you are. Or maybe you like the chase more than anything.”

My lips tugged into a grin. “I don’t do much chasing,” I admitted honestly. “Don’t have to.”

She laughed again, but the sound was thick with lust. “I’d love to call you arrogant, but I believe you.” Amusement sparkled in her eyes, and that made me smile.

“I don’t like to waste my time, and despite my appearance, I’m not a fan of hurting people unnecessarily.”

“Good to know.” She licked her lips. “Is that why you backed off that kiss?”

I shook my head and took a step closer. “No, I ended it because I was hard as fuck and half a second away from hauling you inside and taking it to it’s inevitable conclusion.”

She gasped. “You think it’s inevitable?”

“I’m hopeful, but yeah, I do think it is. You want me as much as I want you, but you don’t like it.”

“I don’t know you, Hawk. It’s not about wanting or not wanting to want you. We’re strangers.”

“Strangers with insane chemistry.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a sigh. “But you’re my pretend boyfriend, and exploring that chemistry might make things complicated.”

“Or maybe we could explore it while we’re together and see what happens?”

Her breath caught and I spotted the pulse that raced in her throat. “You’ve given this some thought.”

“It’s all I’ve thought about,” I admitted. “Want to get out of here?” I already knew she did, it was just a matter of whether or not she would give in to what she wanted.

Chapter Ten

Laura

Did I want to get out of here with Hawk, knowing what that meant? Hell yeah, I did. But was that the smart play? I couldn’t run off with a sexy, long-haired biker and let him rock my world. I shouldn’t let him ruin me for all other men, not when I knew he wouldn’t be the man who stuck around. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the rest of my life pining after a man who’d long forgotten me, always wondering why I wasn’t good enough for him. Why he hadn’t chosen me.

Then again, I knew that if nothing else, Hawk would be a damn good time. I’d never had the kind of sex, the kind of pleasure that his very being promised. Tingles of anticipation spread all over my body just thinking about the way he’d kissed me right there on the street, and his naughty words about kissing me all over. I deserved that kind of sex. I wanted that kind of sex at least once in my life before I settled down with Mr. Right.

I knew I had my answer. “Yeah.” I put my hand in his. “Let’s get out of here, Hawk.”

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