Page 34 of Wild Card

“I own a contracting firm.”

“Explains the big muscles. You must make decent money, then? Not enough to cover your uncle’s debts, I imagine, but good contractors are hard to come by.”

I’d love to show her more of what I could do with my muscles. But it wouldn’t be right.

“How do you know I’m any good?”

She laughs. “You know how to use your hands. I know.”

It goes right to my dick and I’m instantly hard. Fucking hell.

“Jesus. You are some kind of magical fairy creature,” I huff out.

She arches a delicate blonde eyebrow. “How so?”

I can’t tell her it’s because of the instantaneous erection she gave me with the slightest of innuendos. How can she count on me to protect her if she knows how easily she affects my body?

“I just know.” It’s lame, but it’s the best I can do.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

What a transition.

“I’m going to get a beer. Do you want anything?”

She shakes her head no.

“No,” I say, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “Jesus, Catriona. I don’t cheat.”

I realize how ironic that sounds. Keeping an innocent woman against her will so my uncle can pay off his debts? Fine. Fooling around with that woman? Also fine.

Cheating? No, never.

I sit next to her and take a long pull from the beer bottle.

“Good,” she says. “Cheating is awful. My last boyfriend cheated for like ninety percent of our relationship. Why even bother at that point?”

“How could anyone cheat on you?” I take another swig of beer. She’s hot. And smart. And brave.

Has one man been kind to her? Treated her with respect?

She shrugs. “People are insecure. It’s a shit thing to do to someone, though. Really fucks with your self-esteem.”

I reach over and tuck a curl behind her ear.

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” she asks.

“Just busy, I guess. I don’t do the online dating thing. Too depressing.”

She laughs. “Yeah. I suppose it is.”

I put the beer bottle on the coffee table. I want to kiss her. The urge is overpowering. I lean in closer and stroke a knuckle over the soft skin of her temple.

“Can I kiss you?”

She meets me in the middle with a quiet “yes,” and presses her mouth against mine.

I gently ease my fingers into her hair, cradling her head as I kiss her softly. She closes her eyes, leaning into my touch. She slips her tongue inside my mouth, massaging mine softly with hers. Moving a hand behind her back, I pull her closer, enjoying the feel of her soft curves pressed against me. She moans and I trail my fingers down her neck and over her shoulders.

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