Page 365 of The Christmas Wife

I keep my arms loose at my sides and nod. "You can."

I hold her gaze, and she must read the sincerity in my eyes, for her shoulders relax.

"She’s my friend, Ed," Summer murmurs.

"I’m aware."

"Don’t hurt her."

"I won’t," I hear the vehemence in my tone. "I’ll do everything to protect her."

"Including from yourself?"

I blink.That's the plan.The problem is, when I’m around her, I don’t act in character. I tend to become unpredictable and unable to keep my gaze off of her. I’m also not able to stop my mind from wondering how it would be to have her under me, to bury myself in her softness, to have her scent wipe away the images from my past, to allow her voice to lead me out of the maze I am stuck in.

And I can’t allow that to happen. I can’t let myself fall for her. "I’ll do everything in my power to give her what she needs."

She frowns. "That doesn’t answer my question."

I square my shoulders. "Her happiness is important to me. I will ensure she is taken care of, that she wants for nothing, that all her wants are met?—"

"Including her emotional ones?"

I hesitate. "I will do everything in my capacity to give her what she needs."

Summer rises to her feet and walks over to stand in front of me. She scans my features. "I know you’ve been through a lot, Ed. You deserve a chance at happiness. Mira can be the catalyst to help you move forward with your life, if you’ll let her."

That’s what I’m afraid of.That’s what I have to guard myself against happening. I incline my head. "Do I have your blessings?"

She looks between my eyes, then nods slowly.

"If you do anything to upset her, you’ll have me to contend with," Gio snaps.

"And me." Penny stabs her forefinger and middle finger in the direction of her eyes, then at me.

"And me." Abby gives me a considering look from the couch.

I look between the women and nod. "You won’t need to because I’d punish myself if I did anything to make her unhappy. Now, can I go in and see my wife-to-be?"

Gio stalks past me, and raps on the bedroom door. "You ready to meet this asshat, honey?"

A few seconds pass, then the door opens. Mira stands in the doorway. She turns without meeting my eyes and walks away. I move past Gio, step inside the room, and shut the door behind me. I lean against it, cross my arms over my chest, and watch as she stands at the window with her back to me.

"I have a surprise for you."

She stiffens.

"Don’t you want to know what it is?"

She shakes her head.

I stalk toward her. She hears me approaching and stiffens but doesn’t turn to look at me. I pause behind her; then, because I can’t stop myself, I lean in and sniff her hair.

She turns and stares at me. "Did you sniff me?"

Busted."Me? Do I look like the kind of man who’d sniff you?"

The skin between her eyebrows wrinkles. She looks uncertain, but at least, she’s looking at me.

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