Page 71 of Hard Rock Heat
"All I know is this," hesaid.
Damon pinned me down with a fierce, greenstare.
"I don't want to be with anyone else butyou."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Isat,silent, absorbing the words that had come out of Damon's mouth, and the calm sincerity with which he'd saidthem.
"I thought you'd have a freak out just as bad as mine when I told you," I said. "You don't do dating and relationships and sappyfeelings."
"I'm doing a lot of things I don't normally do because of you," hesaid.
"Same." I ducked my head, almost shyly. "I've done things withyou…"
"You mean hot, dirty, sexy things?" He winked. "I'm hoping I can get you to do a lotmore."
"We've already done sexting and public sex," I said. "What's next? You going to tie me up? Spank me? Dress me up like a school girl? Cover me in chocolate syrup and lick it offme?"
"Now that you mentionit…"
"No," I said. "That'sunhygienic."
He justsmirked.
"So… where does that leave us?" Iasked.
Damon shrugged. "It doesn't leave us anywhere. We keep doing what we weredoing."
"Dirty things?" I guessed with asnort.
"And fun things," he countered. "You liked going to that carnival,right?"
"I did," I said. "I also remember you fingering me in the tunnel of love. Is that what you consider doing funthings?"
"Well, yeah," he grinned. "Don'tyou?"
Iflushed.
"I like seeing you flustered," he said. "I like seeing you go out of your comfort zone. A person can't be calm and in control all thetime."
"We can't all act like kids and do whatever we want," I countered. "Some of us have to be responsibleadults."
"Soundsawful."
I went quiet, looking out thewindow.
"It can be," I agreed softly. "As much as I hate to admit you're right, sometimes it's nice to just act like a kid. I never really got to experiencethat."
He glanced over at me. Concern lined his brow. "Because your mom passedaway?"
"After she died, my dad just kind of withered away." I didn't want to give him my whole sob story, but at least I could help him understand a bit about why I was the way I was. "I had to grow up fast. I had to take care of Hope. Had to make sure our family didn't fall apart. I didn't have an adult to rely on. It was the other way around, really. And even now Ican't—"
I pressed my lips together, cutting myselfoff.
"Even now?" Damon gentlyprodded.
"My dad's not well," I saidreluctantly.
