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“You have security at your house. You have barbed wired around your perimeter, but you’re still scared. And after yesterday’s attack, I knew that fear would have been amplified.”

“We can’t say that I was the target. We don’t know that was specifically an attack on me.”

They could say she was the one who’d wound up with a bullet blasting along her arm. “Physically, you were on high alert when you went to bed. You were thrashing and punching because you were afraid. By being physically close, I was letting you know that you weren’t alone. I had your back. I was there to protect you while you slept.”

She appeared doubting. “It doesn’t work that way. Just having a body next to me doesn’t magically cure me of my nightmares. I had a lover who tried to stay with me before. Andre and I were involved for a while.”

Not like he enjoyed thinking about that prick. “Yeah, but I bet that instead of reassuring you, protecting you, he probably turned into a total jackass just because you might have thrown a punch at him.”

Shelby cleared her throat. “Most people don’t like getting punched.”

“Fine. They don’t. But a man who loves you should understand that you’ve been through fucking hell and you need extra care. Physical contact can help to reassure you. If you trust the man in bed with you, if you know he’ll keep you safe and eliminate any threats that arise, you can actually let down that guard of yours and get some sleep.” Uh, oh. He’d probably gone too far. He decided to toss her a quick smile, hoping that might distract her.

She frowned at his smile. “You think Andre didn’t love me?”

“You told me he wanted to write a tell-all about you. Maybe I’m wrong, but that doesn’t scream true love to me. Not that I have a ton of experience with true love, of course.” He’d strategically positioned the sheets over his hips and legs. The better for her not to realize just how interested he was in her.

“It wasn’t true love. Not even close.” She slid from the bed. Smoothed her palms over her gown. Made sure those little straps were in place over her shoulders. “I don’t believe in love.”

“That’s tragic.”

“Excuse me?”

“You get one squirrelly sonofabitch who breaks your heart, and you give up on one of the best things in life?”

“Squirrelly sonofabitch?” Shelby repeated. A smile came and went on her face. Far too briefly. For just a moment, though, it was there. Lighting her eyes. Taking away the pain and fear completely, and she wasn’t just pretty or even gorgeous.

She was stunning.

“It wasn’t just one squirrelly sonofabitch, though,” Shelby reminded him. Her smile was gone.

He blinked. Twice. Dammit, her smile had seriously distracted him.

“It was two. Nate, remember? He was sonofabitch number one for me.”

As if he could forget the man.

“My ex-boyfriend is on death row for killing my friends and trying to kill me. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice…and yeah, I’m swearing off love. Because it’s just not for me.”

“So you are not looking for love. Got it.” He needed to get out of her bed. Having a conversation with her while he could see the hard edge of her nipples pushing against her silky gown required serious self-control. Last night, she’d been afraid. His focus had been on protecting her. This morning, though, there was no fear. “Have to point out, I think you were just with the wrong men. Not all of us are homicidal psychos or irredeemable pricks.”

She stared him dead in the eyes. “Are you looking for true love, Hunter? You think it’s real?”

Tread carefully. “My buddy Declan found it. And, trust me, the man was not looking for love. I guess I should have said that it found him.” Hunter’s mouth kicked into a half-grin as he remembered. “You said you knew Marley. Well, she saved his life. Literally. And he lost his heart. Pretty much in the same instant.”

“That…” Shelby stopped.

“They’re married. He’s obsessed with her. Happier than he’s ever been in his life.”

“That must be nice.”

“Um.” It looked nice. No, it looked one hell of a lot like great. “I need to be honest with you.”

Her eyes widened. “You haven’t been so far?”

“I want you.”

She straightened her spine.