“You’re right,” she whispered. “Today sucked but not for the reasons I thought it would have when I woke up this morning. Instead of feeling sad about leaving the home I shared with my mom, I’ve been worrying about what’s going on inside your head and why you’ve been silently brooding all day and thinking that maybe it’s because you felt like you had better things to do than waste your day helping me.”
Her timing was impeccable because I’d just turned into our driveway and parked the car so I could give her all my attention. “The time I spend with you is never a waste, Angel.”
“Then why did it seem like you wished you were anywhere other than with me today?” she asked, sounding hurt and lost.
“Because there was nothing I could do to take the pain away for you,” I admitted softly.
“I didn’t ask you to,” she murmured, tears welling in her eyes.
“You need to get used to me taking care of you.”
She looked at me with such confusion on her face it made me sad. “But why?”
“Because I always take care of what’s mine.”
“I might work for you, but that doesn’t make me yours,” she huffed.
My eyes narrowed as the urge to prove how wrong her words were overwhelmed me. “I guess I need to show you that you’re mine then.”
Her lips parted, most likely so she could argue with me, but I didn’t give her a chance as I took full advantage of the opening. Fisting my fingers in her hair, I held her in place as my lips brushed against hers. Her mouth slammed shut and I tugged lightly on her hair until she gasped. My tongue slid inside and found hers and they tangled together, her hands slowly crept up my back and her body softened against mine.
My cock throbbed with need and if I didn’t pull away soon, I wasn’t sure I would be able to stop. As much as I was enjoying this kiss, I knew I couldn’t take her in the cab of a rented truck while parked in my driveway. Even if we were somewhere else, it wasn’t the time because she was vulnerable. I wanted her to come to me with eyes wide open.
As I tore my mouth from hers, a groan slid up my throat. I’d never had trouble with control before I met her, but she ripped it to shred anytime she was near. The taste of her lips was enough to make my cock rock hard, and looking at how swollen they were from my kiss made it virtually impossible to step away from her. Looking into her eyes and seeing the doubt mixed with passion, I somehow found the strength to pull away.
“Why don’t you head up to your room and take a bath before trying to take a nap?” I suggested.
She slowly nodded her head in agreement, and I helped her out of the truck and watched her as she walked up the stairs before going into my office. Once I got there, I stared blindly at my computer, reliving the kiss I’d just shared with Angelica. I was no green boy but the taste of her lips was enough to almostmake me come in my pants—a-fucking-gain. I wasn’t innocent, I’d slept with more than my fair share of women in the past but I hadn’t even so much as looked at another woman since she’d walked into my life. If I was smart, I’d give her a scholarship to pay for school and set her up in an apartment somewhere far, far away from me.
My heart beating wildly in my chest, I opened the browser on my computer and pulled up listings of available rentals near campus. I’d ruled out several of them before my phone rang. I picked up the call without looking to see who it was as I absentmindedly clicked through more options but none of them were good enough for Angelica.
“Cadwell,” I answered and was surprised to hear Brecken’s voice respond since he was supposed to be out of town and had already emailed me the background check on Angelica the morning after we’d talked a couple weeks ago.
“I just made it stateside and wanted to check in with you to make sure things were going okay with your girl.”
“My girl,” I murmured in response, surprised by the jolt I felt hearing someone else call her mine.
“Yeah, it sure sounded like she was yours when you called me to run a background check on her,” he chuckled.
“Are you so fucking curious about my shit that you had to call me the second you got back?” I grumbled.
“I wish that was just it,” he admitted. “But I got some new information and I’m a little worried.”
“Fuck,” I sighed. “What is it?”
“Are you sure Angelica is as innocent as she appears on paper?” he asked.
There hadn’t been a single thing in his report that worried me. Nothing but a young girl who’d been dealt a shitty hand and was trying her best to move past the death of her mom. I didn’t know where his concern was coming from, but I had no doubtshe was exactly what she seemed to be. The innocence in her eyes was no lie. Her resistance when we went shopping was real. Not once had she asked me for a single thing except to spend time together.
“I’m sure,” I answered. “But I’d like to know what you learned that has you doubting her.”
“Her dad’s connected to some bad people and I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t at least stop to consider that maybe he’s using her to get to your wallet,” he explained. “I’ve seen her picture man. She’s young, hot as fuck and smart as hell based on what I learned before. It’s not impossible to believe that someone might have thought she’d be perfect bait for you and placed her in your club for you to find.”
“It’s impossible once you get to know her, Brecken. She could have taken the easy way out and barely lifted a finger as my assistant, but instead she’s somehow managed to figure out every little thing she can do to make my life easier. Besides, if that was the case, she’d already have found her way into my bed, don’t you think?”
Brecken’s laughter sputtered through the line. “It’s been weeks, man. Are you trying to tell me you have that hottie in your house and you haven’t even fucked her yet?”
“Don’t fucking talk about her like that,” I warned.
