Page 59 of Hawk

“What’s wrong?” His tone was worried.

“Try everything,” I said flatly. Then added, “I’m sorry, this might just be another day at the office for you, but I’m not used to having people shoot at me, try to run me down, kidnap me for fuck’s sake!”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how accusatory I sounded. Sure, some of the bad shit that happened to me, happened when I was with Hawk, but the abduction attempt had nothing to do with him or his MC. However, it seemed like since I met him my life was on the line.

He continued to look at me, his eyes filled with concern, and I wondered why he wasn’t talking, then it dawned on me that he was probably just waiting for me to finish my character assassination.

I suddenly felt like a horrible human being. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“No need to apologize for how you feel, but you’ve been out of it for a few hours, and since people are trying to kill you, or maybe just me, it’s better for you to deal with it so you can be aware of your surroundings.”

I stared at Hawk for a long time, and with each second that ticked by, I felt worse. I underestimated him from the moment he landed in my exam room. Sure, he was a biker and a criminal, but he was also a legitimate businessman who cared deeply about the people in his life. His heart was as big as his broad shoulders, and his sense of justice could rival that of a cop.

“Shit,” I muttered, and crossed the living room to wrap my arms around him. “I am such an asshole.”

He laughed, the sound deep and rumbly against my ear. “You’re not an asshole.”

“No, I am. You’ve shown me in tons of different ways what kind of man you are, and I overreacted. I can only blame the stress, I guess, and never having dealt with a man like you before.”

“A man like me?”

I shrugged and smiled up at him. “A biker. A man who operates on both sides of the law.”

“You’re forgiven,” he answered with a laugh before he dropped a kiss on top of my head. “But next time just ask what you want to know, instead of believing what someone says or getting too inside your head about it all, I’m an open book. I won’t lie to you, ever, but I also won’t tell you everything if I think you don’t need to know it.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he put two fingers against my lips.

“I can’t always tell you everything, Laura. But what I need is for you to trust me enough that when I tell you to do something, you do it, because my only goal is to keep you safe.”

I swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. Well, I’ll work on it,” I promised. “Following orders in my personal life isn’t really my strong suit, but for you, I’ll try.”

“Good.” He kissed me again, this time on my forehead. “Now tell me what’s wrong.” Hawk wrapped an arm around me and guided me to the kitchen, where a giant bag of takeout sat on the table.

“You got dinner?”

“Of course I did. A man has to eat something more than pussy every day, doesn’t he?”

I rolled my eyes at his crass, but sexy words. “Does he?”

Hawk laughed and pulled out my chair before he took the seat across from me. “Yes. Now, talk.”

“Kristy is sick. It’s more than the flu, but they don’t know what it is yet and I’m worried about her. She’s my best friend, like a sister to me.” Just saying the words out loud alleviated some of the weight I carried, and I smiled. “It’s a lot on top of… a lot.”

His mouth kicked up into a sexy grin. “I can handle a lot because I’m kind of a lot.”

My brow arched. “Kind of?” The man was too much of everything. Too much hair. Too damn sexy. Too charming. Too good.

“Modesty is a virtue, or some shit like that.” He was completely serious, yet also totally unserious.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Hawk was a man so confident in his own skin that it was yet another layer to what I appreciated about him. What I liked about him. “Excuse me while I tackle this bacon chili cheeseburger without an ounce of virtue.”

He leaned back in his chair and stared at me. “Excuse me while I watch. Make it extra sloppy for me, Laura.”

Our gazes locked over his dirty words and my nipples hardened instantly and I felt that telltale ache building between my thighs. I wanted him. Again. “Dirty,” I mumbled, and bit into the burger. The flavor exploded on my tastebuds. I moaned loudly and my eyes rolled back. I ignored the chili that slid down my chin and moaned again, smiling at the frustrated groan that came from Hawk. “Problem?”

“That depends. Have you ever had a man eat a bacon chili cheeseburger off your naked body?”

My lips curled into a grin. “Stop. And no, I haven’t.” I closed my eyes and took another bite before I groaned again. It was probably the most delicious burger I’d ever eaten, and suddenly I was feeling playful too. My gaze fluttered open to find Hawk’s gaze focused intensely on me. His eyes were dark, and his nostrils flared. “But I might let you convince me it’s a good idea. Later.”

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