Page 122 of Renewal After Dark

“How you showed me who you really are the day we met, and you’ve never deviated from that first impression. You know why that is?”

“Tell me.”

“It’s the truth of who you are. It wasn’t a game you were playing to get me to notice you.”

“Is that how it usually goes?”

“Always. It’s all bullshit at the beginning until they get you where they want you and the ugly truth starts to emerge.”

He used his thumbs to brush the hair back from her face. “And where is it that they want you?”

“Right where you have me.”

“Just for the record, I love having you here, but I loved having you at the shop today, and I loved having you at my firepit and eating with you in the apartment and riding with me in the truck. I like having you everywhere else, too.”

“I know you do, and that means a lot to me. That’s a big part of why I invited myself into your bed.”

“You have a standing invite.”

“Good to know.” She drew him into a kiss that went from soft and sweet to hot and bothered in about three seconds.

He settled between her legs, breaking the kiss only to move down to kiss her breasts. The feel of his mouth closing around her nipple made her crazy with desire and affection and something that felt an awful lot like love for this one-of-a-kind man.

She’d felt safe with him long before they’d gotten naked, and that allowed her to let go of the anxieties that were usually part of the first time with someone new and to relax and wallow in the pleasure.

A sound from another part of the house had her eyes opening while Duke went still on top of her.

“Duke! Wake up!”

Was that Sierra?

“What the fuck?” He pushed himself up and off McKenzie, reaching for a pair of sweats from the foot of the bed. “Sorry. I’ll be right back.”

He put on the pants, left the room and closed the door behind him.

McKenzie pulled a throw blanket over her and tried to hear what they were saying as she hoped against hope that she hadn’t misjudged him.

Chapter25

“What the hell are you doing here at this hour?”

“It’s only ten. Since when are you in bed by then?”

“Since now. Are you drunk?”

“Maybe. A little.”

“How’d you get here?”

“Ned brought me.”

Great,Duke thought.Now someone else knows Sierra came to his house late at night and will jump to the usual conclusions.Not that Ned would tell anyone, but still…

“Why didn’t you text me?”

“I did. You didn’t answer.”

“That’s because I’m busy.”

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