This time I did push him away.“No.No way.”I turned and walked to the opposite side of the room.“I am not askin’ you for help, Lynx.Certainly not when it pertains to money.No fuckin’ way.”
I prided myself on being able to take care of myself.Sure, I had lived with Billy all those years, but I had paid the bills myself.Half the time, Billy’s paycheck was spent before he ever made it back home from a job, and he certainly hadn’t spent it on me.I'd learned to live with that.And yes, we had argued every damn day about money, but in the end, I had accepted the fact that I had to take care of myself.
“I need to go home,” I insisted.
I needed some distance, some time to myself.
I needed to think long and hard about all of this.About what I wanted, what I didn’t want.I'd just gotten out of a long-term relationship.I wasn’t sure I was ready for another.Even if it was with Lynx, a man I loved despite myself.
However, love was one thing.Money was something else entirely.And I damn sure wasn’t going to be indebted to Lynx.
No way.No how.
That was the fastest way to ruin a good thing.
When I met Lynx’s gaze, I realized he was holding out his truck keys.However, when I reached for them, he didn’t hand them over.
Instead, he cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”He was smiling as he said this.“But I already knew that about you.So, do what you need to do, Reagan.But just know, I’m gonna do what I need to do.”
“What does that mean?”I countered hotly.
He dropped his hand from my chin, then pulled me against him.I flattened my palms against his hard chest.
“It means I’m gonna take care of you, whether you like it or not.”His green eyes narrowed.“And like I told you.I’m not lookin’ for a one-time thing from you.So, you can be scared and you can be ornery, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna back down.”
He pulled me tighter against him, and my heart melted in my chest.This man knew all the right things to say.
“You knew what you were in for when you came to the shop this mornin’,” he stated firmly.“Yet you showed up there anyway.”
“I came to talk to you,” I said, although it was a lie.
“Right.”His smirk was both sexy and irritating.“I told you before that you couldn’t handle what I want from you,” he continued.“But you still came to me.”
“I came for sex,” I said, another lie.Good Lord, I probably shouldn’t go outside if there were any clouds.
Lynx chuckled.“Oh, girl.You’re gonna get that and more.Every fuckin’ day for the rest of my life.”
My eyes widened at his words.I wasn’t even sure he knew what he’d just said, but it sounded a hell of a lot like commitment.
“Yeah,” he said softly, leaning down and pressing his lips gently against mine.“And I mean that exactly as it sounds.”
I felt him press the keys into my hand, but I had a difficult time moving from where I stood, still leaning against him.I searched his eyes, trying to figure out what the hell was really going on here.
But in my heart, I already knew.
The question was whether or not I was strong enough to handle him.
For some reason, I seriously doubted I was.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Lynx
The following morning, I woke at my normal time.
