Page 106 of Enticing the Fixer

“No.” The hard glint in his eyes makes up for some of the shit from the day.

“Too bad.” I purse my lips together to keep from smiling. “I’m going to make you watch them anyway.”

“Kinsley.” He shakes his head. “I can’t.”

I glance around the small space of the stairwell. “The lighting is horrible. And there isn’t a lot of space, but it might be worth seeing.”

He growls, “I assume that means you were teasing me about there being evidence of you with another man in the world.”

“Yes. I was.” The smile I was trying to contain curves up my cheeks as I step closer.

He cups the back of my head. “Thank God. I was already planning the guy’s demise by whatever means necessary.”

I lick my lips as a shudder rip through me. “Thank you for coming to find me.” My bottom lip trembles. It’s going to take a long time to get over the experience of being kidnapped and held for hours.

“Baby, I’d look for you in hell.” His other hand cups my face. “If you want me to walk away, I’ll go. I’d deserve it. But it would kill me. Today was the worst day of my life. I broke your heart. I lost you. I almost let you get killed, and I thought seeing you at knifepoint was the lowest moment I could experience.” He strokes his thumb over my cheekbone, collecting a tear that slipped past my lashes. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. “But that was nothing compared to having you pass out. That scared me to death. I didn’t know what she’d done to you.”

“She hadn’t done anything to me. Outside of what you saw.” I place my hands on his chest and relish the feel of his steady but rapid heartbeat under my fingertips. “I’m fine. Everything is okay.”

“Thank God.” All the tension in his muscles evaporates, causing his shoulders to sag. He drops his forehead against mine and closes his eyes.

For several seconds we stand in silence as we both soak in that everything will be okay. And we haven’t even gotten to the good part.

“I thought she was going to slice your throat open.”

He opens his eyes and arches his eyebrows. “You thought she was going to best me? After everything, I’d done to find you? Oh, ye of little faith.”

I chuckle and wrap my arms around his waist. “Hey, I was under a lot of pressure. It had been a long day, and I clearly wasn’t thinking rationally.”

“I guess I’ll forgive you.” The welcome twinkle in his eyes sends a ray of contentment throughout my body.

“Thank you.”

When his eyes fill with pain, my knees go weak. “I love you, and there isn’t a place I wouldn’t go to rescue you. I love you so much I was prepared to live a miserable life alone to make you happy.”

“Well, that wouldn’t have made me happy. When I left Ann’s, I was on my way to apologize for my part of the situation and let you know I wasn’t mad.” I wrinkle my nose. “I mean, it would have been kind of shortsighted to break up with you over a poor performance in the sheets.”

“I’ll show you a poor performance in the sheets,” he growls and claims my mouth. There’s nothing chaste or boring about the way his lips cover mine or the intensity of his tongue colliding with mine.

Seconds pass, and my hands are under his shirt, rubbing the solid contours of his body, and my back is pressed against the wall.

God, I missed this. It wasn’t even 24 hours, but when you fear you’ll never see or touch the man you love again, it’s an eternity. And you devour him like he’s an enormous piece of Red Velvet Cake with Heavenly Frosting.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Leo

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m taking it.” I pull back and brace my hands on either side of her head, staring down at her. She’s safe. She’s alive. And she’s allowing me to be near her. All of it combined has me feeling unsteady and ready to drop to my knees.

“Please.” She rolls her eyes. “Stop already. I was hurt for a couple of hours. That’s it. There will be more than once in our relationship where we get mad at each other and need a break for a few minutes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I don’t want you to still be there when we’ve worked through it.” Her eyes narrow, and she grabs handfuls of my T-shirt. “I expect you to be there. If you aren’t, I’m hunting you down and dragging you back home.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Home?” I’ve just learned how short life is and getting married and starting a family is next on my agenda.

“Well….” She lets go of my shirt, but it stays wadded above my chest from the tightness of her grip. Her arms slip around my neck as she rocks into my hardening cock. “It would make it easier for you to see your baby.”

“I would love nothing more than to make a baby with you right now.” I grip her ass and haul her upward until she’s wrapped around me. The high of saving her, combined with her confirming we have a future together, has me ready to claim every inch of her. Here and now.

But I can’t. We’re hanging out in a hospital stairwell, and any minute now, a health-conscious staff member will come bounding down the steps. And what I’m going to do to her doesn’t need an audience.

---