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Smoke speaking my nickname in a sensual purr was nearly my undoing.
I snapped my spine straight. “None of that. Let’s go.”
Smoke’s lips flickered with a smile. “After you.”
When we got up to my apartment, I set my keys and phone onto the counter. I whirled to face him. “Okay. We’re in private. Talk.”
He’d removed his sunglasses, giving me a clear view of his face. His jaw was bruised and his split lip was healing, but the black eye was still visible.
“Mia spoke to Colt about the Old Ladies’ concerns. It’s been decided that brothers with Old Ladies will have limited involvement with the strip club, except for Colt, who will deal with the books with Mia’s help. Everything else, from hiring, cash drops and security will all be handled by prospects and brothers without Old Ladies.”
“Oh.” I nibbled my lip.
“This way everyone wins. The club still makes money, but the Old Ladies aren’t stewing in anger and worry.”
“Not everyone wins,” I pointed out. “Not the women who work at the strip club.”
“They have a choice. They can leave at any time. We’ve told them if they want out and need our help, we’ll help them. They can quit the strip club and stay at the half-way house we’re setting up and start a new life.”
My resolve softened.
“I know this is hard for you.” He paused. “The last few days, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what this is all really about.”
“It’s about the strip club.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s not really about that. I mean, maybe a little, but this is really about your relationship with Knox. You’re worried that every man you meet is just like him. You’re worried I’m going to lie to you, sneak around, and eventually cheat. But I’m not that guy. I’ve never been that guy. I’ll never be that guy. I know you don’t trust me—”
“I do trust you,” I negated.
He raised his brows.
I sighed. “Okay. I don’t trust you, but it’s not because of you. It’s just that my breakup with Knox is still so recent, and you’re right, he did a number on me. It’s still so fresh…being cheated on.”
“I know you don’t want to get hurt, but Logan, you have to look into my eyes and know that I’ll never do that to you. The idea of hurting you…” He dropped his head. “The idea of that kills me.”
Smoke lifted his gaze to mine. “You’re the first person I want to talk to in the morning and the last one I want to talk to at night. You make me laugh. You’re loyal and resilient. You’re passionate, and you make me feel…”
“I make you feel…what?” I prodded gently.
“You make me feel. I’m alive when I’m with you, Logan.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
“Please don’t end this before it has a chance to really start. Give me time to prove to you that I’m not going anywhere, that you don’t have to be afraid.”
The last two days had been pure agony. Every deep breath hurt, every thought of him made tears leap to my eyes. I’d been pushing Smoke away because I felt like I was falling for him too fast, but nothing good in life happened if you let fear win.
It was time to listen to my heart instead of my head.
It was like we were being pulled together, and then suddenly our mouths met in a forceful release from logic and reason.
My head spun and I drowned in the taste of him.
The strength to say no drained out of me and we sank to the floor. I clawed at his clothing, wanting—needing—to feel his bare skin against mine.
He grabbed a condom from his wallet and sheathed himself as soon as he was naked. Our reunion was fierce, combustible. My nails raked down his back when he thrust into me. We kept our eyes locked on one another, moving as one, coming together in a blaze of passion and heat.
He slid out of me and I quivered.
