He groans. “Sweetheart. I do love you.”
I look up at Skull, and he swallows like there’s a ton of gravel in his throat. “Did you mean what you said?”
Feeling grumpy, I reply, “I said a lot. Be specific.”
“That we were done?” He asks as shakes his head. Then he looks down at me and what I see steals my breath.
“I didn’t ever think I’d love someone, Katie. But it happened before I realized. Then it was too late. There’s no going back now. I don’t want a life that you’re not part of.”
With a groan I plant my forehead against his chest. “I want to hate you.”
“You can. You have every right to be pissed that I handcuffed you.”
“That made me really, really mad.”
“How’d you get loose?” he asks, humor in his tone.
“Haley brought a really mean saw.”
This makes his chest rumble with laughter. “Sweetheart you amaze me, but I liked those cuffs.”
“Don’t you dare, sweetheart me or say you love me. Your days of calling me endearments are over.”
He plants a kiss on my temple, to whisper in my ear, “You’re adorable when you’re mad.”
“Give me your switchblade, I’ll show you adorable.”
He has the balls to chuckle. “God, I really do fucking love you.”
“Max,” I growl his real name, wiggling against his hold. “Put me down, let me talk to Callum.”
“Later, he’s getting a beauty treatment right now.”
I go stiff in his arms. “What does that mean?”
Chapter Thirty-Two
The ear is going to be a problem. One I’ll deal with later.
“I promise you’ll get to talk to him,” I reply instead, as I carry her to the garage where we unloaded her things. “Now. I need you to be my good girl while I look for something.”
“Jesus. Freaking. Christ.” She hisses, “What don’t you get about I’m not your girlfriend, or your good girl, or your anything any more?”
When I sit her down, I take her angry, but angelic face in both my hands.
She has to see the love in my eyes. There’s no way she doesn’t. “You’re gonna make an amazing old lady.”
Before I can react, she pinches my nipple. “Not happening, old man.”
I would I kiss that frown off of her mouth, But I don’tdare get my tongue near her teeth. There’s practically a red haze of fury in her eyes. No telling what kind of harm she’d do right now.
With a cute curl of her lip, she mutters, “I’m envisioning bones bleaching in the sun. I see my cowgirl boot kicking your firm, muscular ass.”
She really does like my body.
“Slider, give us twenty?”
He lifts a brow and suppresses a grin. “Sure man. Text me.”
