“We were nineteen, Dani. He was a little older, but not much.”
Because I knew this was a hot-button issue for Austin, I chose not to point out that being nineteen didn’t really mean much when it came to the difference between being an adult or a child. “What does Annie say about all of this? She obviously doesn’t have the animosity toward Hawk that you do.”
“She doesn’t say anything. She refuses to talk to me about it,” he spat out. “Says I’m a loose cannon and can’t be trusted not to go off on anyone ‘I deem a threat to those I love.’” His body locked and he scowled. “She didn’t trust me, but she had no fuckin’ problem trusting the bastard who nearly killed her.”
I kissed his neck. His sister wasn’t wrong when it came to his need to protect. “Sorry, honey.”
“Just give him a wide berth tonight, yeah?”
“If that’s what you want, yes. But does that fall to Lily too? Because I kind of adore that little girl.”
He rolled me onto my back and raised an eyebrow. “I’d be a total dick if I said to keep away from her, huh?”
I nodded. “Total.”
“So, what if I said that you should only talk to her if she seeks you out?”
“Then you’d only be half a dick.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
“I’m trying to figure out if I can live with that,” he retorted.
“You can’t.” I slid my hand down to grip his cock. “Believe me. I require all of it to stay right where it is.”
“Just stick close to me, baby. Avoid him, yeah?”
“I’m a big girl, Austin. Hawk doesn’t scare me.” I kissed his chin. “Neither do you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
He grinned and slid down my body, kneeling between my legs. “What does scare you, babe?”
“Oh, I don’t know... heights, spiders, the zombie apocalypse...”
He spread my legs and kissed my inner knee. “What about...?” He kissed my thigh, then gave a gentle suck on my clit. “This.”
I squirmed. “That doesn’t scare me,” I said, a little confused.
“What if I never did this again?” Another suck.
I raised my head to look down my body. “Are you saying that if I don’t keep away from Hawk, you won’t ever do that to me again?”
He shrugged and I pushed away from him.
“Babe.”
“You know how we have the nothing rule?” I snapped.
He sighed, but didn’t acknowledge the question.
“We’re also going to have the no withholding rule.”
“I would never actually withhold anything from you, Dani.”
