I take a deep breath before baring my heart to her. “I feel like I want to be more than just a man protecting you. I want to be everything to you. I want to hold you at night to keep the nightmares away. Kiss you whenever I want to. Spend my days making you happy, and guarding not just your body but your heart.”

“And I’m so sorry I hurt you. But I promise it was never because I didn’t want to be with you. I was scared that if I let you in, I might fail you.”

“You couldn’t.” Wide blue eyes regard me, adamant in her statement. “But if it’s a rule…”

“I talked to Cole. Told him how I felt about you. And he agreed that the rules don’t need to be absolute. But Georgia, I would have come to you anyway, even if he hadn’t agreed. Because you’re too special to me to lose.”

There’s a long pause as I wait for her to say something. Anything. To tell me she feels the same way as I do, or worst case, to say the kiss was an impulsive mistake and I read everything all wrong.

“I feel that way about you, too.” She sucks in a breath, and I can see her pulse fluttering in her neck, the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “I want you to be…more. More than a friend. I want to be more than a job to you.”

“You are. You have been. Since the first time I saw you; you were never just a job.”

As Georgia stares at me, I cup her chin and stroke my thumb down her cheek. When I graze the slightly raised line of her scar, she tries to jerk her head away, but I hold her face still. “You’re beautiful, sweetheart.Everythingabout you is beautiful, insideandout.”

Georgia swallows hard, and uncertainty flickers in her eyes, darkening them to a sapphire blue. “But… I’m not… I don’t look like…”

How does she not see what I’m seeing?

My mouth lowers to hers, and IshowGeorgia how beautiful I think she is. I nibble her lips, licking along the seam, teasing her mouth open and plunging deep. My tongue tangles with hers, starting a sensual dance of anticipation and promises of things I want to do to other parts of her body.

I cup the back of her head, sliding my fingers through the silken fall of her hair. Tilting her head back, I change the angle of our kiss so I can taste even more of her. With my other hand, I lift Georgia so she’s on my lap, my swelling arousal notching into the apex of her thighs. As I press against the heat at her center, she jolts, thrusting against me.

Small moans spill into my mouth as she grinds herself against me—I’m hard and throbbing and aching to slide into her. She’s only wearing a thin pair of shorts to sleep in, so I can feel her damp heat and how she’s opening for me like a flower blooming. If we weren’t wearing clothes, I’d be inside her already, and my body is already screaming for release.

Georgia’s hands are clutching my shoulders, nails digging in hard enough to leave marks. I tear my mouth from hers and drag a line of kisses down her neck to her collarbone, tasting the soft skin peeking out of her shirt. She arches her neck back and I stroke my fingers down the silky column, so graceful and soft and glistening like silk.

Her hips start to jerk against mine, and I can tell she’s already close. I bring one hand between us, sliding into her shorts and touching her swollen bud. At first slow and gentle, then harder, I flick at her bundle of nerves until she’s slick and hot and moaning uncontrollably.

“Leo—“ It’s a strained cry. “I’mso close.”

Which is exactly what I wanted. Tonight I’m going to make sure Georgia gets some rest, and this is the first part of my plan. Lowering my mouth to her breast, I suck at her taut nipple through the fabric. Then I flick at her little bud until she stiffens, her thigh muscles quivering, and she lets out a low, keening cry. A second later, she collapses into my arms, her head drooping onto my shoulder.

“Oh,“ she breathes into my neck. “That was…”

“Beautiful.” I stroke her back while pressing soft kisses to the top of her head.

Georgia sighs—an exhale of pleasure and satisfaction—and I feel like beating my chest in pure caveman style. I may still be hard as a rock, but I made sure my woman got what she needed.

My woman. I tighten my hold on her as a wave of emotion and possessiveness sweeps over me, the sensation so intense it leaves me breathless. I don’t know how it’s possible to feel so strongly for someone so quickly, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

Georgia lifts her head from my neck and peers up at me, her eyes heavy lidded and languorous. “What about you? You never…”

“Another time, sweetheart.” I guide her head back to my shoulder. “Right now, I just want you to relax.”

”Iamsleepy,“ she mumbles, her words slurring. It’s no surprise—I wonder when she last had a full night of sleep.

“Go to sleep, then.” I kiss her head again, inhaling the soft scent of vanilla in her hair. “I’ll stay with you.”

“All night?” It’s barely a whisper.

“Yeah, sweetheart.” My heart squeezes, then expands until it’s almost bursting. “I’ll be right here. If you have a nightmare, I’ll chase it away.”

“Thanks, Leo.” Georgia snuggles into me, her nose nuzzling my neck. Her words are so soft I can barely hear them. “I’m glad you came back tonight.”

Me too.

CHAPTERTEN