Page 14 of Hawk

I walked him around the side of the house, heart already thudding again with each step.

He paused in my driveway, his dark eyes holding mine for one long, impossible moment. Then he nodded and walked away.

I watched until he reached his bike, forcing myself to turn away from the sheer sexiness of him throwing one long leg over the seat. But it didn’t stop me from thinking about how much I wanted him to stay.

6

HAWK

The moment I pulled my truck into her driveway the following morning, I knew I was walking into enemy territory—because nothing about this place belonged to me yet. She wasn’t even mine yet—as far as she knew—but I already felt more for Gemma than I ever had with any other woman. She was already in my blood, and I was determined to own a piece of every part of her life. The house wasn’t flashy, just a small cottage, but it fit her perfectly. Pale blue siding, white trim, and big front windows with gauzy curtains that fluttered behind the glass. Tucked behind it was a converted garage that looked like it had been rebuilt practically from the studs up when she converted it into a studio.

From the outside, the place projected a sweet, quiet life, and my need to protect Gemma strengthened.

I texted her when I parked, and as I approached the front door, she cracked it open just wide enough to let me in. Then she aimed a soft smile at me, causing an unfamiliar warmth to spread in my chest.

“Morning,” I said gruffly, my eyes devouring her and reminding me how fucked I was. Tight jeans hugged thoseincredible curves, a soft purple T-shirt stretched across her tits, and that long toffee hair was in a ponytail hanging down her back.

Damn.

She wasn’t just sexy as fuck. She was beautiful. Real. And already under my skin.

“Good morning. Come in.” She swept her hand out toward the cozy living room. “Do whatever you need. I’ll be out in my studio so I’m not in your way.”

“Could never be in my way, baby,” I replied as I stepped inside.

She blushed hard, and I was tempted to slide a finger over the soft skin of her cheek, but I shoved my hands into my pockets instead.

“Um. Well. I have work to do anyway. Just, um, come out to the studio when you’ve finished with the house.”

I nodded and curved my lips into a half smile. Her eyes dropped to my mouth for a moment, and her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. It was fucking adorable, which wasn’t a word I ever expected to use.

She spun around and swiftly walked across the room toward the kitchen that was part of the open concept design. After grabbing a stack of papers off the counter, she tossed one last look at me before slipping out of the back door.

Once she was gone, I stepped farther inside, and my senses were overwhelmed.

Gemma was everywhere.

The air smelled soft and clean, but with that same trace of something floral clinging to the edges. Sweet, warm, and feminine.

Her throw blanket was crumpled on the couch like she’d just gotten up, and a half-read book lay on the cushion beside it with a pencil stuck between the pages. On the end table was an emptyglass with a wooden coaster beneath it. And a pair of slippers were kicked halfway beneath the coffee table.

It wasn’t messy. Just lived-in.

I could easily picture my things mixed with hers, and my chest tightened. This didn’t feel like just her home.

Itwashers.

But now I wanted it to be mine.

Correction…ours.

Until I was here to protect her, I would make sure she was as safe as possible. I’d mapped out the entire security overhaul before I even got here. Spent half the night going over specs and redundancies. Silent alarms and glass break detectors on the doors and windows. Motion sensors in the front and backyard, especially around the studio. Wireless cameras with full-circle coverage, infrared, and cloud uploads. It was a fortress in progress.

I started with the perimeter, working fast and quiet. Installing the outdoor sensors, testing signal strength, and camouflaging the devices so no one would spot them unless they knew exactly what to look for. Then I headed back inside to set up the base system.

That was when the all-business wall I’d built around me cracked.

Her bedroom door was half open, and I tried to ignore it. Tried like hell. But it didn’t fucking work.

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