Page 44 of Pretty Stolen Dolls

“Move your skinny little ass, Phillips,” Dillon barks, “or I’m going to be talking to you with my cock nine inches deep inside your hot little body.”

Nine?

I move my skinny little ass.

“TALK.”

I peek over at him as he stirs one spoonful too many for my liking of sugar into his coffee. When I don’t answer, he leans his hip against the kitchen counter and arches an eyebrow so I’ll unload on him.

Thank God he’s dressed.

And me too, for that matter.

My mind is still a jumbled mess at seeing my partner looking so…naked—so…alluring.

“Talk about what? About how I’m going to start pricking your finger to check your insulin levels while out in the field?” I say with a laugh, hoping to lighten the mood.

He sets his coffee down on the counter and takes a step forward until he crowds me with his heat. I tear my gaze from his intense one, but it’s even worse staring at his solid chest through his white T-shirt while knowing how he looks underneath it. When I lift my eyes again, he smirks.

“Well, we should at least talk about this.”

I laugh and go to push him away. His pecks are so firm. “There is no this.” The man is like a brick pillar and doesn’t move. Instead, he cages me against the wall—the very wall I told Bo he fucked me against. With both palms pressed beside my head, he leans in, brushing his mouth against my ear.

“Not what you told your boyfriend.”

Swallowing, I attempt to push him from me, but again, he’s immovable. “I needed to cut him loose.” I feel like a bitch for saying the words. “It was a lie.”

Dillon brushes his lips against my earlobe and a delightful shiver ripples through me. “Doesn’t feel like a lie. Feels like athis, an us.”

A mewl escapes me, to which he chuckles.Asshole.“He deserves better,” I admit with a huff.

At this, Dillon becomes angry and pulls away to look at me. His face is furled into a scowl as he takes heavy breaths. “No, you deserve better. The motherfucker cheated on you at the first sign of trouble.”

Tears prick my eyes. “I drove him to it. Because of how I am.” My eyes fall to the floor in shame. I’ll never be one-hundred percent right in the head for any man. I will never be able to fully devote myself to anyone as long as my sister remains that sick fuck’s prisoner…and even then, am I too broken?

Strong fingers bite into my chin and my head is lifted. Dark, searing brown eyes pin me. “I’ve worked by your side for eight months, Jade. Eight goddamned months. You know what I saw?”

“A one-track minded bitch?” I laugh again, but my chest aches.

His eyes fall to my mouth briefly before lifting again. “I saw a good cop. Someone who, despite my ego, I fucking admired the hell out of. Someone who I wanted to protect because even though she was a hard ass, her eyes told otherwise. Not once did you look at any other man, even though they looked the hell out of you. You were faithful to that asshole and worked hard. He’s the one who let something perfect fall through his fingers.”

I gape at him, shocked by his words. “I, uh…” I stammer, “I’m not perfect.”

“Who the hell is? Sure as hell not me. Definitely not ex-boyfriend, Bo. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder, Jade. In the right person’s eyes, you’reall kindsof perfect.”

And that’sall kindsof beautiful.

Jesus, when did Dillon become so sweet? So hot? So swoonworthy?

“Why are you being nice to me?” I ask, embarrassed tears threatening to fall.

One slips out and he cradles my face with his large hand. With a swipe of his thumb, he dries the tear. “Because you deserve it. Because maybeIsee the perfect,” he murmurs, his head dipping toward mine. “And for the first time in eight months, you let me in. I see you, Jade.”

But can you handle what you see, Dillon?

“I don’t like letting people in,” I admit in a whisper. “They don’t usually like what they see.”

His nose brushes against mine and my eyes flutter closed. “You let me in. I really like what I see, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon.”

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