Page 79 of Toxic

I nipped the swell of one of her tits through her shirt and she moaned. I needed to see them. Pulling my head back, I gripped the bottom of her t-shirt. She didn’t stop me. “Because why?” I prompted, ripping her shirt off over her head.

I didn’t waste any time, pulling the cups of her bra down to expose those gorgeous tits to my view. She wasn’t afraid of me. She knew she could say the word and I’d stop. But she’d really have to mean it. Because she wanted this. I could tell by the way she was pushing into my touch as I cupped her breast in my hand. It fit perfectly. It was like her body was tailor made for me.

“Because…” She gasped as I sucked her right nipple into my mouth and her hand fisted in my hair, tugging my mouth away.

I snarled a little when she denied me and Billie gave me a look of determination. I let her pull my head away, my heart thundering in my ears as I waited for her answer.

“I’m broken, Toxic.”

Frowning, I shook my head, ignoring the way my hair pulled in her grip with the movement. “What the fuck does that mean?” My eyes raked over her. She was perfect.

“You don’t want me,” she said, voice sounding like a plea. Her words were saying one thing, but there was a look in her eyes that was begging me to tell her she was wrong. She was.

“You're theonlything I want. Nothing else fucking matters. I’ve been waiting for you for years.”

She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. “You won’t want me once you realize I can’t trust anyone.”

Reaching up, I grabbed her hand, forcing her fingers to let go of my hair. I gripped her hips, then lifted her, pinning her lower half against the wall with mine. Her long legs wrapped around my waist automatically. Once she was secure, I cupped her face in both hands, forcing her to look into my eyes. “I’ll never stop wanting you. I don’t know what your hang ups are, but I’m willing to overcome them. As long as you’ll agree to be my old lady.”

I stared into her beautiful brown eyes, trying not to lose the last pieces of myself to her. That could happen once she stopped fighting this. Stopped running from me.

Her lips parted slightly. She wanted to believe me. “You won’t leave me?” she asked, voice small and trembling.

I moved in, nuzzling her cheek. She’d let her guard down again, just as she had at the bar. It was like I could feel all of her emotions swirling around us and they were taking us under. We were sinking in them together. “Never.”

“...cheat on me?”

Raising my head, I scowled down at her. “Do you seriously believe I would do that to you?”

“No,” she whispered. “I don’t. But...I’ve had people close to me do horrible things that I would have never suspected they were capable of.”

“I’d never fucking cheat on you. I’m going to spend the rest of my life chasing you, only you.”

She gave me a wobbly smile. “You know. I believe you. I don’t know why. You’ve only known me for about a month, Toxic.”

“So,” I said.

She searched my gaze. “Why me?”

I shrugged. “Because you’re mine.” She tried to shake her head, but with me cupping her cheeks she couldn’t quite get the movement going. “I don’t know what else to say,” I told her. “You’re sweet, and kind. Compassionate, reliable, and the first time I saw you, something inside me recognized you.”

How else was I supposed to describe her? I could tell her how beautiful she was. That I loved the way she was with my family. With the kids. Hell, even with her animals.

I wasn’t normally a fanciful man. I was a biker. A rancher. But here I was spilling my heart out to her because she needed it. These weren’t pretty lies; they were the truth. I was baring my fucking soul to her. If she laughed in my face I wasn’t sure I could put the pieces back together because I was never this vulnerable. With anyone. Only her. Because she needed my honesty. I’d get to the bottom of what had happened to her later. I’d need to know who hurt her. But for now, I just neededher.

She wasn’t laughing. Thank fuck. The way her eyes softened at my confession told me her answer before she formed the words, but I still wanted to hear her say it. Needed it like I needed my next breath.

“I’ll be your old lady.”

Hissing out a breath of relief, I grinned at her. “Finally.”

She laughed, her cheeks pinkening.

“I need to show you what you mean to me.”

She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me, then leaned back and gazed into my eyes. “I want that, too.”

I tightened my hold on her. “You have nothing to worry about.”

---