“This isn’t a game,” I said, softer now, but no less serious. “Not for them. And certainly not for me.”
Addy’s lips parted and her warm breath tickled my skin. “So what does that mean for me?”
I held her gaze for a long second as her pulse fluttered under my fingers.
“It means,” I murmured, my thumb tracing the curve of her lower lip, “this is the moment you decide whether you trust me to keep you alive in it. I adore everything about you — the way you see the world, how fearless you are — but Ineedyou alive. That means no flirting with danger, no talking to strangers, no…” I let the last word hang, frustration threading through the softness.
Her fingers slid up, resting against my chest, and she closed her eyes briefly before looking up at me. “I trust you. You’ll keep me safe.”
No hesitation. No doubt.
Something inside my chest snapped tight, squeezing all the air out of my lungs.
Her trust was probably one of the most precious things I’ve ever been handed. My hand moved up to her jaw, my thumb tracing the line of it slowly.
“So much faith in me.” I laughed softly. “You think I can control every situation?”
“Can’t you?”
My exhale was quiet. “I can control men who understand rules. You don’t follow rules. You … Well, you’re a little unpredictable, baby.”
She smiled at that. “I like to keep things exciting, I guess.”
God help me.
I pulled her closer, fully wrapping my arm around her this time and not caring about our surroundings. Addy stared up at me with her pretty brown eyes. For a moment, I forgot everything else, sucked into her orbit, under her spell.
As I looked down at her — this open, fearless, dangerously friendly woman who dismantled tension with a smile — I understood something with uncomfortable clarity.
Enemies I can eliminate. Territory I can secure … But protecting her from the consequences of her own light was going to require far more than strategy.
And then I kissed her, possessively, like I needed to remind myself she was still here, exactly where she was supposed to be. A low groan vibrated through my chest at her taste.
Fuck, I couldn’t get enough of her. I wondered if I ever would. Each new detail I discovered about her made her more intriguing and intensified my obsession. How fast could I convince her to marry me?
I pulled back; we were both breathless and staring into each other’s eyes. Gently, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, taking in her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. I did that. I put that look on her gorgeous face.
My eyes darted down and I discovered, sure enough, her nipples had hardened, the barbells underneath outlined clearly through the fabric. I inhaled sharply through my nose, closed my eyes for a moment and tried to steady myself.
“What’s wrong?” She sounded so innocent. When I opened my eyes again, I found her looking up at me, her brows slightly drawn.
I huffed out an incredulous laugh. “You don’t even know what you’re doing to me, huh?”
“What do you—”
I relaxed my grip, turned her around and slid my hand up to her throat, holding it loosely. Pressing the hard length of my cock against her, I relished in the way her breath hitched audibly.
“You’re driving me fucking crazy. I can’t seem to control myself around you.” I increased the pressure on her throat, her body slumping against mine. “And the thing is…” Walking her to the dressing room, I cut a sharp look over my shoulder at the owner of the shop until he gave me a curt nod. “I don’t want to.”
The dressing room didn’t have a door, only a curtain but I didn’t give a fuck. It drew shut behind us with a satisfying whoosh, and I directed my gaze to the mirror.
I took in my girl, her small body pressed against mine. The ink covering almost every inch of my body was a stark contrast to her delicate figure wrapped in this pretty dress.
Fuck, she was a vision.
Her throat bobbed under my palm as she swallowed. “So don’t.”
“Hm?” I raked my gaze over her, my brain not immediately catching up.