Page 26 of Pursued by the Player

“Yeah, well. At least now I can make sure that those kids have enough to eat and enough heat to warm their toes.”

“You make donations to the orphanage?”

“Yeah. It’s not much, but maybe . . . Maybe it will help prevent some kid from turning out like me.”

“You didn’t turn out so bad,” she said.

He turned to face her and tell her that she was insane—why just look at him—but the words caught in his throat.

“In fact. . .” She inched closer. “I think that you turned out pretty great.”

“Yeah, you mean financially I’m well off, but—”

“No.” She touched his arm. “You’re a good man, Jett. I can see that. Anyone would be a fool not to see that.”

“Nice guys finish last.”

“Are you sure about that?” She stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his.

There was something warm and inviting about the press of her mouth against his. Jett inhaled her sweet scent, and it caused something to snap. Decades of pain and loneliness rose to the surface. Before he realized what he was doing, he grasped her arms and dragged her body against his. She tasted so sweet, so right. For that for the first time in his life, he wasn’t alone anymore.

He was home.

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