Page 34 of Demo

Bulldog nodded thoughtfully. “We’re working on that. But that actually might be a good thing,” he added.

Demo’s eyebrows drew down. “How so?”

“It gives you time to lay a foundation, Demo. Take romance out of the equation,build somethingsturdy, unbreakable. Make her fall for youbeforeyou get physical.”

As much as Demo’s cock disapproved of Bulldog’s suggestion, his mind couldn’t argue the logic in it. “Be her friend first.”

“Be her friendalways,” Bulldog corrected. “You can have the best sex in the world with a woman, but it’s not a relationship without that friendship.” He let out a small snort. “You have to actually like her before you can love her.”

Demo scratched his forehead. His eyes roamed around the waiting room. He let out a long sigh. “You’re making too much sense. Can we change the subject?”

Bulldog laughed, his eyes still never straying from the hallway for more than a second or two. He clasped Demo on the knee once before letting go. “Sex is the easiest part of a relationship, brother. It’s when it’s removed that couples tend to see what their relationship really is made of.” He nodded down the hall. “Be with Paige. Be everything to her. Give her everything she needs and desires. If the two of you decide to add sex into the mix, that’s your business and no one but you needs to know those details. But a true relationship? A partnership? It needs more.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Demo’s head whipped up. Paige stood in the doorway. Her unruly curls were thrown up into a messy bun that had just as many writing utensils in it as the day before. She had on a loose turtleneck sweater and dress pants under her lab coat.

And fuck if the sight of her didn’t make Demo’s heart expand. She was a vision.

Paige indicated behind herself to Bulldog. “Abby’s done. She’s getting changed now.”

Bulldog shot out of his chair like the cannonball Demo had equated him to earlier. He rushed past Paige and down the hall to the second therapy room door.

Paige stepped further into the waiting room. Demo stood but didn’t approach her. He wasn’t sure what to say or even how much she’d overheard.

With the reception desk almost as a barrier between them, Paige said, “I was going to yell at you when I saw you. Scold you for being too much and trying to take over my life when we aren’t even dating. But Bulldog has a point that I can’t ignore. Bottom line, Idowant to build something with you. I want to have a relationship like theirs that is stronger than sex.”

She waved her hand towards the computer equipment. “I don’t need money or trinkets orthings. I’ve had that relationship and look where it’s gotten me. I don’t need a white knight, Demo. I can fight my own battles. What I need is a partner who will face the bad and the good with me. Who will be my support and my guide as much as I am his. I want someone who is proud to be out in public with me on his arm but just as content holding me on the couch while we watch movies in our pajamas with the boys. I want apartner.”

Demo walked around the desk. Paige stood still, allowing him to approach her. He carefully lifted his right hand to one of the curls that had fallen around her face. He twined the corkscrew around his finger. Her chocolate eyes stared up at him with such longing, it took everything in Demo not to pull her against him. “I will absolutely be your support and your guide. It would be my honor to show you off and dance the night away with you. Lounging on your couch with you and the boys for movie nights? Hell, yeah!” He shook his head slowly, “But I’m afraid I can’t be your equal partner, Paige. Because I will always stand between you and the bad, always lift you up and cherish you like thequeenyou are.”

Her pupils widened, almost making the browns of her eyes disappear. “You shouldn’t say things like that. It makes me want…” Her words caught in her throat. “It makes me forget I shouldn’t…”

Demo leaned in, breathing her in. She had a unique scent of lavender, lemon, and peppermint. His nose trailed a path across her right cheek, tilting her face up towards him. Two steps forward pressed her back against the wall next to the door frame that led to the hallway. Demo released her hair, letting it go like a coiled spring, and cupped her left cheek with his right hand. He placed his left on the wall next to her ear.

“I don’t want you to forget,” he murmured against her skin. “You can’t change your past, Paige, but youcandecide your future. I want a future with you. The question is, do you want one with me?”

Their chests were pressed so close together that he could feel the rapid beat of her heart against his own.

“Yes,” she breathed out.

“Thank fuck,” he said before he kissed her.

What am I doing…?Though the query was at the forefront of her mind, Paige could not stop herself from kissing Demo back. His touch was like a balm to her soul, healing and nurturing. Oh, it turned her on all right. Paige struggled to get close enough to him, completely forgetting the fact that Bulldog and Abby were inside her clinic too. But there was also a sense of peace that accompanied the fiery kiss that gripped her to him.

She wasn’t so prideful that she wasn’t grateful for his efforts to help her. Unlike Richard or her stepfamily, Paige knew he hadn’t bought everything and had Keys come set it up for her to flaunt wealth and status over her or to assert dominance. He truly had just wanted to help her. It meant a lot to her that he was willing to own his error and apologize. Not many—men or women—would so readily admit a mistake.

He would never know how much that meant to her.

Demo gripped her face between his calloused hands. His tongue stroked her lips, begging for entry. All thoughts of protest left her mind as their tongues tangoed.

A throat cleared.

Demo and Paige froze. Her eyes flew open to see Bulldog and Abby standing in the doorway just to the left of her.

Demo, though, didn’t move to step back. Instead, he pressed his bodycloserto hers. “Go away,” he said against her lips and then returned to kissing her.

Heat suffused Paige. She’d never been big on PDA, but she wasn’t against it either. It had just been a long time since she had the opportunity or the desire to kiss a partner without caring who was around to witness.

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