Page 61 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

Her eyes widened. A quick laugh sputtered from her. Sweetest sound ever.

“Maybe we’ll go out for some fancy dinners.” He could not look away from her eyes. “Movies. A bit of dancing.” Oh, yeah. Dancing would be great. Getting to hold her close? Sign him up. “I would imagine it would be the usual dating routine.” Bullshit. There would be nothing usual about dating True.

“You—you want us to keep seeing each other?”

Now his stare sharpened on her. “You think I’m just fucking you and planning to walk away?”

“I think…” She pulled in a quick breath, then slowly released it. “I don’t want to walk away from you. When I’m with you—despite the murder and the craziness that’s happening in my life—I’m happy. Happier than I have been in a very long time.” She leaned forward. He thought she was going to kiss him. He was more than ready to taste her.

True is happy with me.

If he had his way, he’d make sure she stayed happy every single day of her life.

But True didn’t press her lips to his. Instead, her mouth went to his neck. A light, soft press of her lips. Then he felt the lick of her tongue against his skin. And…fuck me, the sexiest bite of her teeth.

His hands clamped around her hips. “True, don’t play with me.”

“I would never.” Husky. Breathless. Designed to drive him wild.

She licked him again. Lightly sucked his skin. Her hips arched against him, and it was both heaven and hell. Heaven because she was riding his dick. With her legs curved on either side of him, she was in the absolute perfect position to rub against his aching arousal. But also hell because their clothes were still in the way. The clothes needed to go.

“I was rough last night,” he gritted out.

“You were perfect last night,” she corrected.

“Can you take me again?” He didn’t want her to be too sore.

“Try to stop me.”

Fuck, he could love this woman.

The thought stopped him cold.

No, no, it wasn’t about whether he could love. His entire body had gone rock hard. I do love this woman.

True lifted up and frowned down at him in concern. “Jake? What’s wrong?” Alarm flared on her face. “Don’t you want me?”

“As long as I can breathe, I’ll want you,” he told her, dead honest.

Her lips began to curl.

He rolled her beneath him. A fast, quick roll. Then he was on top. Staring down at her and realizing she was far, far too important for any screw-ups. He had to tell her everything. No lies. No bullshit. “I’m not a hero.”

Her long lashes fluttered. “Why would you say that?”

Because it was the truth. She deserved the full truth. He pulled in a deep breath. Don’t hate me. But he had to confess. He stared in her eyes and said, “I took the case because I wanted you.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Forget rocking around the Christmas tree. I’d rather just make love to True beneath it.”

– Jake Hale

* * *

Her lips—red and lush—parted. “What?”

“I didn’t know if you actually had a stalker. I just knew I wanted to be close to you. You painted me as a hero when I was just a selfish bastard, and you need to know the truth.” His hands slammed down on either side of her body.

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