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She ducked her head again. “I should probably go talk to Roscoe and see if I still have a job.”
The thought of other men seeing her, possibly touching her, had fire burning in my veins. As much as I wanted to scream that it wasn’t okay, that I didn’t want her in that building a minute more, I didn’t get to make that choice.
“You know you don’t have to, right?”
Her brow furrowed. “What am I supposed to do? Just sit around here all day waiting for you?”
There was an unnatural anger rolling through her that I didn’t understand. I laced my fingers with hers and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
“That’s what you want?” I asked quietly, tilting my head to catch her attention when she tore her gaze away. “You want to be half-naked, shaking your ass for men to drool over?”
She gave the slightest shrug. “What more can I be?”
“Anything.” Could barely tamp down my frustration. “Everything. The world is yours, Kell. You wanna work, you work. But you’re so much more than that.”
Her chin dipped, her gaze pointed somewhere on my chest. I gripped her cheeks, pulling her back so she was looking at me.
“You have any idea how fuckin’ intelligent you are? You’re beautiful, Kelly. So goddamn gorgeous it hurts. But you’re so fuckin’ smart. You can read people. You have this amazing ability to see how things are going to work out. You told me to hire two people last year, and they’ve become absolutely invaluable to my company. You told me to move to a new location, and it’s been one of the best things I ever did. You told me to get a goddamn ice cream machine and that thing gets used almost as much as the coffee machine.”
That pulled the tiniest smile to her lips.
“What I’m saying is, you have more potential than you can see. I get it. You’ve been through a lot. That shook your self-confidence. But stripping for a bunch of greedy, sex-deprived men is so far below what you’re capable of.”
She pushed away from me, damn near losing her towel in the process. She clung to the gray fabric, gripping it to her chest as the drape of it barely covered her sex. Her tattoo peeked out, the snake’s body winding around her leg and hip.
“You think it’s just that easy?” She tossed her free hand at me like she was flinging her accusations from her fist. “You have no idea what it’s like. You don’t even know me!”
“Kelly. Baby.” I lowered myself off the bed to my knees, shuffling toward her with my hands raised.
She backed up a step before planting her feet and holding her ground.
“I know you. I know you’re smart and beautiful and have so much fuckin’ potential it’s fuckin’ blinding. And I love every last bit of you. I love your strength and your brains and your fiery attitude.” I slid my hands around her thighs, tugging her closer to me. “I love your stubbornness. Your power. Your take-charge attitude. I fuckin’ love you, Kelly. Love all of you because you’re so much more than just a body.”
Tears fell from her eyes seconds before she dropped her towel.
Seconds before her legs gave out.
Had I not had her in my grip, she would have fallen to the floor. Instead, I pulled her to me, curling around her and keeping her safe. Showing her that I’d always, always be there for her.
“Love you.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Love you so much. I will do anything for you, baby. Anything to help you see that I will never stop loving you.”
“What am I going to do?” It came out on a cry, a wail beating through her chest.
“Don’t have to make that decision right now. I got more than enough to support you. You wanna stay here all day? You can do that. You wanna find a job? Do charity work? Take classes or make art or write a book? You do that. Whatever you do, know that I’m here for you.”
She slid her fingers through the tears that peppered my chest, like she could wipe away her feelings. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“Mmm.” I pressed a kiss to her head and tightened my grip on her back. “It’s me who doesn’t deserve you, little hellion. You’re a fuckin’ saint for letting me love you.”
“Don’t stop.” When she didn’t say more, I tilted her chin up so she was looking at me.
“Don’t stop, what?”
“Don’t stop loving me. Please.”
“Never gonna stop. Promise you that.”
Kelly wrapped her hand around the back of my head, pulling my face toward hers. Our lips met, not quite tentative yet not quite a battle, gliding over each other before our tongues met and tangled together in a smooth slide. Had I not just had my way with her in the shower minutes before, it’s the exact kind of thing that would have had me tearing off my pants and taking away both our fears.
