“All right.” I dipped my chin, allowing her to proceed.
“I was, um”—she dropped her gaze to her lap—“married before.”
Little liar. Youarecurrently married.
“Okay . . .”
“And my ex, he’s a dangerous man.”
My blood pressure spiked, and my fists clenched involuntarily as I gritted out, “Did he hurt you?”
Down, boy. You know she’s talking about you, right? You know for a fact you’ve never laid a finger on her.
“No.” Rory shook her head. “But he walked on the wrong side of the law and did terrible things to anyone who stood in his way. Honestly, he should be in jail.”
My lips turned down in a frown. “How did you get mixed up with someone like that?”
Blinking rapidly, her eyes took on a glassy sheen, her voice growing watery. “He wasn’t always so bad. In the beginning, there was even a time when I thought I was in love with him.”Thatcompletely new information stunned me speechless. “But then his father died, and he was forced to take over the family business, which was when things took a dark turn. I realized quickly that I needed to get out, but it was a while before I was granted the opportunity to break free and get a fresh start.”
Tell me more about that. Who helped you,tigrotta?
Instead of answering my silent question, Rory continued, “Anyway, after that experience, I refuse to go down that roadagain. So with marriage off the table, it doesn’t make sense to date since it can’t lead anywhere.”
“You’re awfully traditional, aren’t you?” I remarked.
Rory reared back, instantly going on the defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I didn’t mean any offense by it. All I was trying to say is that there are plenty of people who enjoy long-term partnerships without taking a trip down the aisle together. Who’s to say you couldn’t be one of them?”
She stared at me in silence for a while, almost like she was searching for a crack in my good-guy façade. Truth be told, I was worried that if she looked hard enough, she might find one. But eventually, she asked, “Areyouone of those people?”
Taking her hand, I replied, “I could be. For the right person.”
“John.” My name came out on a weary exhale. “I really enjoy the time we spend together, but I couldn’t possibly ask you to make those kinds of concessions for me.”
“A piece of paper and a ring don’t matter more than finding companionship with someone I connect with, Ro. And I know it might be asking too much, but can we keep the door open to that being a possibility for us while we continue to get to know each other?”
Her lashes fluttered, dropping to kiss her cheeks. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
Rubbing my thumb over her knuckles, I rasped, “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”
No idea at all.
Chapter 4
Gio
“Youwanttotakethis to the bedroom?”
The words floated toward the ceiling with Rory’s head tipped back, a moan spilling from her lips as I trailed open-mouthed kisses along the side of her neck. She was straddling my lap, grinding over my hard cock, still trapped behind the denim of my jeans. The combination of friction and the heat radiating from her cunt had me on the verge of blowing my load like a teenage boy. I couldn’t recall a single time I’d dry humped in my entire life, and I was beginning to wonder why.
Because nothing compares to doing the same dance naked. Why settle for the imitation when you could have the real thing?
I spoke against Rory’s sweaty skin. “I’m fine right here.”
She pulled back to stare down at me in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
While penetration was required to impregnate her, laying the groundwork first was critical. So I was determined to go slow,earn her trust before taking our physical relationship to the next level. There was no rush; it had only been a week since we decided to try being more than friends. Besides, Rory was only thirty-one; she had plenty of child-rearing years ahead of her.
