“You haven’t given me a chance. You immediately started trying to qualify it. If you’d give me a second to think, I could come up with the right response.”
“If you have to think of the right response, then you’re just mollifying me.”
He sighs. “Did any of your boyfriends ever spank you?”
I blink and then chuckle. “No. Not really my thing.”
“Good to know—because I was definitely considering it. Listen.” He shifts again so we’re both on our sides facing each other. “I’m feeling a lot of different things when it comes to you. Things I’m not used to feeling and definitely not comfortable feeling but the feelings are there. Because the truth is, you became mine the minute you stumbled out of that van and asked for help. I just don’t know what it means yet.”
I stare at him, trying to wrap my head around his response.
He feels it too.
“It means this is more than just forced proximity and a pity fuck.”
He scowls at me, eyes darkening. “Did you just insinuate this was apity fuck?”
“Well, it could have been…”
“If that’s what it was, we would have had very different conversations before anything happened.” His eyes narrow. “And if you hadn’t been assaulted three weeks ago, you’d already be over my lap getting a spanking.”
Why does it sound hot when he says it like that?
“Pity had nothing to do with this, baby,” he continues after a moment, digging his fingers into my hair and forcing me to look at him. “Do you hear me?”
“I hear you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He stares at me another minute or so and then finally releases my hair and pulls me into his chest. “You sure you know what you’re getting into with me?”
I can’t help but laugh. “What I’m getting into withyou? Are you not aware of the hot mess that is my life right now?”
“Nothing messy about you, Allora.” One hand travels down to my ass, squeezing firmly. “You’re fucking perfect, inside and out. I’m the one who literally steps in front of bullets for a living. If there’s any chance at all of us being together, you have to come to terms with that. Most women, at least in my experience, don’t like it.”
I don’t say anything as I mull that over.
It’s not my favorite thing, not by any stretch of the imagination.
But I travel all the time, hang out with gorgeous models and movie stars—both male and female—so my lifestyle isn’t easy either.
“I don’t love the idea of you jumping in front of bullets,” I say, “but how often does that really happen?”
“Not lately, but it’s happened. Many times.”
“I know who you are, Landon. I knew when I saw you at that gas station. My soul knew you were going to help me. I can’texplain it. It was both a physical and emotional reaction that cut through the drugs and the trauma—I knew you were going to be special, and that hasn’t changed after spending time together.”
“Honey, I haven’t had a serious relationship as an adult. I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.”
“Are you capable of loving me?”
This time, he doesn’t even hesitate. “I think so, yes.”
“Then we’ll learn together. Because while I’ve done a lot of dating, there hasn’t been a serious relationship for me either. Not since high school.”
“Since Tex?”
