Page 39 of Coming Home

He grips the steering wheel tighter. “We can get it tomorrow.”

I want to argue with him, but I don’t. It’s not a big deal. Right now, I’m ready to put some distance between Huddy and me. He runs hot then cold then hot again. I don’t want to play these games with him because I know I’m going to be the one to get hurt.

We’re both silent the whole way across town. It’s not until we’re inside his house and I’m halfway to the stairs that he stops me. “So were you on a date with that cowboy?”

I almost tumble on the steps. “What cowboy?”

“The man you were in the picture with.”

“No, of course I wasn’t on a date with him.”

He comes toward me, crowding me against the wall by the stairs. “That’s not what the picture looked like. Did you send—”

I cut him off. “I didn’t send it. Ally did, and she thought…” I let my voice trail off. “Forget it.”

I turn to go, but he stops me with his hands at my waist. “She thought what?”

I lean my head back and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I try to ignore the fact that when I inhale, my breast brushes against his chest or the way his hands tighten at my waist. I’m tired of all the games and the back and forth. I unclench my eyes.What have I got to lose?“She thought that maybe you’d be jealous, that seeing me with another man would convince you that you like me.” I blurt out a laugh. “What a joke, right?”

I try to pull from his hold, but it’s impossible. He steps in, his leg fitted against mine as he presses me flush against the wall. His voice is deep. “I do want you.”

I startle at that, but I’m still not convinced. “Really? So when you like a woman, you don’t finish, is that what you’re saying?”

He leans down until our noses are almost touching. “Oh, honey, you finished. I’ve got the stain on my sheets to prove it. Fuck, I can still taste you on my lips.”

I put my hands to his chest and try to push him away. “What? So you made me come. I wanted more.”

He growls almost in a snarl. “You don’t think I do? Fuck, I want you so bad, you’re all I think about. I can’t think of anything except about you finally coming on my dick.”

Instead of pushing him now, I grab his shirt and hold on to him, not wanting him to walk away. “Why did you stop then? This morning, I was more than willing. I would have probably begged you for it, but you said no.”

He leans his head forward against mine. “Because I want you to trust me. I don’t want to take anything from you until you’re ready.”

My hands slide to his shoulders, and every muscle under my palm bunches. “I do trust you.”

He shakes his head, searching my eyes. “But you won’t tell me what you’re running from.”

I go rigid. “Is that really why you stopped? You think I don’t trust you?”

He pulls back to search my eyes. It’s obvious he’s trying to be calm with me, but the strength and tautness of his jaw tells me he feels anything but. “If you did, you’d talk to me.”

I move my hands from his shoulders to the sides of his neck. His pulse is pounding under my palm. “The reason I haven’t told you is because I care about you, and I don’t want you to get hurt. The men… the men I’m running from are dangerous.”

His hands come up and cup my face. “Hold up. You haven’t told me because you want to protect me?”

I nod my head. I know it sounds ridiculous. Hudson is a military hero. Obviously, he can take care of himself. I lean into him. “I know you can handle yourself, Huddy. I’m not saying that. I’m saying if you did get hurt—because of me—I couldn’t live with myself. You just got home and—”

He cuts me off. “Stop. Just stop. You don’t get it. Whether you tell me or not, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. When these men come, I’m going to be right by your side. Nothing will stop me from protecting you.”

I lean my head against his chest. His words are a soothing balm. I completely messed this up. “Okay, so how about this? Tonight, you finish what you started. Tomorrow, I tell you everything.”

I barely get the words out and Huddy has me held against his chest and up in his arms.

He growls as he stomps across the floor to his bedroom. It’s only when we’re next to the bed that he presses his lips to mine. The kiss is savage. Our lips, teeth, and tongues mash against each other in a frenzy. When he pulls away, I’m panting.

“Take your clothes off.”

“No.”

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