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“Are you going to fuck me?”
“Nope,” I said without blinking. “But I’ll make you something to eat. Then you can pretend to go to bed, wait around until I fall asleep, and climb out the window.”
Liss shifted in place, looking annoyed. Her gaze drifted back to the dark street. For a split second, I was certain she would vanish into the night without another word.
“If you’re worried about your ex-boyfriend causing trouble,” I said. “I’m not.”
Turning around, I lifted my shirt just far enough so she could see the Glock tucked into the waistband of my jeans. Liss lowered her gaze and scuffed her battered boot against the sidewalk.
“You should be.”
“Then we’ll hash it out when he gets here,” I replied. “Otherwise, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
I stepped into the house, leaving the door open if Liss decided to join me. As I started gathering ingredients and warmed up the stove, I heard the soft click of the door close. A moment later, I glimpsed Liss as she tiptoed toward the guest bedroom. The rush of the shower made me duck my head with a small smile, pleased that she decided to stay after all.
I was halfway finished cooking a grilled cheese sandwich, the pan sizzling hot, the bread crisp and golden brown, when Liss entered the kitchen. Her damp hair was combed back, and she wore nothing but a towel. I swallowed around the lump in my throat as I took in the sight of her bony, bare shoulders.
On her right arm was a bruise the size of a man’s hand. I could clearly see the outline of his fingers, squeezing so tight that he was lucky he didn’t break bones. The towel only came to mid-thigh, granting a view of her scratched-up knees, peppered with black and blue.
Then Liss tugged at the corner of her towel and let it drop to the floor. Before I could stop myself, my gaze swept over her from head to toe. More bruises, a handful of scars. Pebbled nipples in the softest shade of brown I’d ever laid eyes on. Hip bones and ribs too visible for my comfort. The patch of dark hair between her thighs that wouldn’t smell like booze or cigar smoke or my soap, it would smell like her—slick and warm and all mine.
Regaining my self-control, I closed my eyes and inhaled a steadying breath.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
My voice sounded raw. Wrecked.
“Convincing you to change your mind,” Liss replied.
My resolve was threadbare, trembling and so close to the breaking point. The smell of burning bread snapped me out of my reverie. I hadn’t been paying attention to the grilled cheese, and now it was starting to smoke.
Swearing under my breath, I snatched the pan away from the stove and shut the burner off. The sandwich was charred black. I pushed it aside and braced my hands on the counter, fighting to regain my composure.
A naked Liss was both heaven and hell. Seeing all those places I wanted to kiss her, taste her, was nothing short of the sweetest torture. Tallying those bruises and scars though put a chokehold on my libido.
Finally turning to face her again, I stepped closer.
Liss’s gaze never left mine, looking up at me through her lashes. Her body strained toward me, taut and eager and too damn young for an old man like me. The raw adoration in her face hit me like a knee to the groin, knocking the air out of my lungs. She’d been scraping by to survive, and now that someone was finally on her side—probably for the first time in her life—it made sense she would slide down the slippery slope of hero worship.
I crouched and retrieved Liss’s towel. I wrapped it around her shoulders, making sure I didn’t touch her—not even an accidental brush of my knuckles. A slight wrinkle of confusion formed between her brows.
“You don’t owe me anything, Liss,” I said.
She frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
“Someone taught you this,” I replied. “Using sex as a bartering tool. Expecting sex in exchange for a favor. If I welcome a woman into my bed, it’s only out of her own free will.”
Liss swallowed. The tips of her ears turned a fierce red and she tugged the towel tighter around herself, furious and embarrassed. I reached out and grasped her chin lightly, tilting her head up until her big brown eyes fixed on me with that familiar fire. Now that her vulnerability had been rejected, she was gearing up to start hissing and clawing again.
“If you’re not interested,” Liss spat. “Just say so.”
“If you think I’m not interested, then you’re fucking blind.”
Her gaze flicked up to my face, studying me.
“I’m not your knight in shining armor, Liss,” I continued. “I’m just a biker who’s done some questionable shit in my lifetime. You’re in a rough spot right now so I did what I could to lend a helping hand.”
