His hands bracket my waist like he knows exactly how much strength to use.
Enough to ground me.
And I haven’t felt that in a long time.
That kind of singular focus.
That kind of hunger wrapped in control.
When he pulls back, his green eyes search mine.
Not for obedience.
He’s looking for doubt, maybe.
Or fear.
There isn’t any left.
“I want this, Kelly,” he says, voice low and rough with something that sounds dangerously close to vulnerability.
“I want you like crazy.But if you say no—if you don’t want me—I’ll still help.I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you never have to leave Woodhaven because of your prick ex.And I’ll make sure Evan has everything he needs for a bright future.”
The words hit me in two places at once.
My heart.
And somewhere much lower.
Because he’s offering protection without conditions.
He’s offering me a choice.
And that’s the part that tips me over.
I step closer to him.
Not because he pulls me.
Because I want to.
My hands slide up over his stomach—hard, warm, solid beneath the fabric of his shirt.
Up his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under my palm.
I let my fingers curl around the back of his neck, drawing him down just a little so we’re eye to eye.
“I know, J.T.,” I say softly.“I know you’re a man of your word.”
He doesn’t look away.
Doesn’t soften.
He waits.
“But the truth is,” I tell him, and I let my thumb brush along his jaw, tracing the rough stubble there.
I like that he’s not polished smooth.
