Page 35 of Resist

They devoured each other for several minutes until a car passed, blaring the horn, someone hooting from the open window.

Coulton pulled away, his gaze locked on her swollen lips. Had they been like that before the kiss? The twinge of guilt he felt vanished when Ainsley flashed him a sexy smile.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

He nodded as several truths crashed down on his head.

Coulton was determined to be the one man who never caused her a second of pain, the one to introduce her to new experiences.

But even more than that, he wanted to be the man who brought her joy, happiness…

And maybe even true love.

CHAPTERFIVE

Ainsley steppedinto Coulton’s condo for the second time in two days. When she left this morning, she never expected to return. Mainly because she’d told herself one night of weakness was all she could afford when it came to the sexy goalie.

If she hadn’t been so shaken up and terrified after the attack, there was no way she would have agreed to come home with him last night. She knew better than to follow some rich guy home. Not that she’d had a clue just how loaded Coulton was when she got into his truck.

This morning, after he dropped her off, she’d been determined to toe the line, hold steady to her “no” should he ask her out again. She’d walked this path before, so she knew it was a minefield.

As she drifted over to the large windows, taking in the incredible view of the water, she gave herself a mental headshake.

Because…Jesus.

She hadn’t even managed to stick to her guns for a full day.

Personally, she blamed the hockey game. She’d never been interested in the sport before, but knowing Coulton was out on the ice had drawn her in, and once she’d started watching him, she could not look away. As she watched him play, her determination to resist him had given way to something much more powerful.

Desire.

Sex had become a solitary affair for her after Montgomery, because he’d really taken her down a peg and destroyed her self-confidence even more than Jagger had, which was saying something.

At least vibrators didn’t hurt her, didn’t say cruel things, didn’t break her heart. And she hadn’t felt a single drop of temptation to break her vow of chastity.

Until Coulton walked into the bar.

She wouldn’t have thought the guy could get any sexier, but damn if he didn’t prove her wrong tonight. Watching him in front of that net, seeing his agility, his strength, his toughness, had lit a fire in her that no vibrator in the world could put out.

“If you’re having second thoughts…” he murmured, wrapping his arm around her waist, his chest pressed to her back.

“I’m not,” she hastened to reassure him, aware she’d probably given him that impression by standing by the window for so long.

“I’m just saying. I would understand. After last night…” He ran a hand through his hair as if he was the one having regrets. “Maybe we should talk first.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Ainsley,” he started, using that tone that said he wasn’t convinced she was okay.

She turned around, hating that the movement meant he was no longer holding her. “Erase it,” she said.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

“Give me a good memory to replace that one,” she clarified, her gaze holding his. “I need a good memory,” she added with a whisper.

What was it about this man that had her dropping her guard? She kept giving him peeks of her weaknesses, and she should hate it, but she couldn’t. Because he didn’t look at her like she was frail or helpless. He just…

God, right now was the perfect example. He was looking at her like she was strong, like she mattered.

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