My eyes snap to hers. “Yes.”
I don’t want her thinking she can’t work with me because she’s embarrassed about the other night. I won’t let her feel humiliated or uncomfortable. She’s been through enough.
“Well, I haven’t.” Her chin lifts as she keeps her steady blue gems on me. “I wanted to tell you that I’m not giving up.”
“On what?”
“You,” she says in a huskier tone. One that ripples all through me. “I understand that you believe I’m broken, and maybe I’m reaching out to you because you make me feel safe. That’s probably partly true. I feel like I can trust you. I’m not afraid of you…” She pauses as if collecting her following words, but I’m still stuck on that she’s not afraid of me. “I am attracted to you, and I like to get what I want. So I’m not giving up on you, Brett Daxon. I’m going to come at you with everything I got. Unless, of course, you’re not attracted to me?” Her eyes blink up at me, waiting for my reply.
“I told you before. I’m not the guy for you.”
“Yes. I heard what you said. So you’re not attracted to me? You didn’t want to kiss me?”
Damn, she’s outspoken and gusty. It’s just making me want her more. Fuck!
I stare down at her.
“You can’t define me by that night.”
“I also can’t ignore it,” I counter the truth.
“Fair enough.” Her lips thin.
My fucking feet, like two assholes with a mind of their own, bring me closer to her.
She peers up at me, holding her ground while shifting the earth so I end up closer to her.
I recognize two sides of Cassie Redmon. The exposed woman from that terrible night and the determined woman she is because of it. Hell, there’s no doubt in my mind, she was always that woman.
That’s the one I want to fuck.
“Yes.” I lean down, nearing her lips and testing my control. “I see you’re not afraid to go after what you want. And while I’m not like Glenn,” I stop, saying his name feeling wrong, but I need to make my point. “My appetite is very difficult to feed. So you see, you might end up biting off more than you can chew.”
She gazes up at me, likely digesting what I said. Perhaps, I scared her. I’m good with it. It’s better than giving her what she wants. She doesn’t know what she’s asking for. She only knows the part of me committed to helping women in the same situation my mom found herself in.
There’s more to me than meets the eye, like my little brother.
“So” —her head tilts and eyes squint— “you are attracted to me?”
My jaw clenches. Still, I’m unable to lie to her. “It doesn’t matter,” I say, between grinding teeth.
“Oh.” She leans in close to my left ear. Her soft hair brushes my face, teasing my skin. “But it does matter,” she whispers.
Her warm breath and throaty voice send shivers down my straight spine. Her delicate feminine scent provokes my calloused resolve. Hands eager to take what she’s offering, I shut down any tempting response.
Large blue eyes sway up to me. A smile pulls across her lips as if she knows every part of me is lit for her. “You have a good night, Brett.”
“You, too.” I grin, willing the stiffness she caused in my pants to relax as I watch her walk away.
I wait for her car to exit the parking lot and drive down the street to give my cock, along with the rest of my body, time to recoup before returning to my brothers.
Cole walks over with a huge ass smile on his mug. “Oh-oh, bro. She definitely sleeps in the buff.”
“Fuck you!” I shove him in the chest.
The last thing I need to think about is Cassie Redmon naked.
“Shit! I didn’t expecther.Damn, she’s gorgeous,” Cole punches me in the arm. “And she’s hot for you.” He laughs.