“Back to what I was saying.” He kept her hand in his as he continued on. “One of the customers hit a dancer when she refused to have sex with him. I saw him when it happened and I jumped on the guy.”
“You might look tough and untouchable, but I’d bet you always try to save the damsel in distress.” Her heart tugged for her tattooed hero.
He looked away, embarrassed. “Trust me, I’m no one’s hero.”
She begged to differ.
He forked his fingers through his blue-tipped hair and shrugged. “After the fight, I was fired. On my way home, I got a phone call from my mom’s neighbor saying there was some yelling coming from my parent’s house. The neighbor was an older lady, and she knew how big an asshole my dad was. Anyway, I rode over there.”
“I didn’t really notice how quiet everything was as I was walking up the driveway. I guess because I was still going over the fight at the bar in my head and wondering where I was going to find work.
“There was blood everywhere. For a minute I thought maybe my mom had killed him in self-defense, but when she walked in a few minutes later, I realized she hadn’t done it. She screamed and asked why I killed him.”
“Oh, Braxton.” Kate went to hug him, but he held up his hands, obviously needing to finish his story.
“I told her I didn’t kill him, but she didn’t believe me. By that time, someone had heard her screams and called the cops. The police barged in, guns drawn, and my mom told them I was the killer.”
“But Braxton, you didn’t do anything. You wouldn’t have murdered your own father.”
He stood and rounded on her. “Kate, don’t fool yourself. Don’t let yourself believe that I am an honorable man. Don’t think if the opportunity had presented itself that I wouldn’t have acted on it.”
She pressed back further into the couch, both shocked and frightened at Braxton’s sudden fury. His lips curled over his gleaming white teeth and his gray eyes glinted with lightning rage. He had never looked more dangerous than he did at that moment.
She tried not to show any fear, but something must have spilled onto her face. He relaxed, backed up, and dropped his gaze to the floor.
Her heart splintered. He needed her now more than ever. Standing up, she made her way to him. She pressed her palm to his cheek and met his gaze. “I think you are far more honorable than most humans. You tried to protect your mom. You protected those girls who found themselves forced to strip because they need the money. You even protected me from Oliver Bigsby when he came to my house.” Her smile softened as she brushed her thumb across his lips.. “Braxton, I think the world is a much better place with you in it.”
***
Braxton’s chest shifted as a heaviness fell away, like ice falling from a branch after a snowstorm. Kate stared at him as if he were worth something. No one, not even his mother, had ever looked at him like that. Kate was practically a stranger, yet she could see him better than anyone else he knew.
He pulled her into his arms, her lithe body pressing into the hard plane of his own. God, she fit. She fit him like no one else. Right now, he needed her more than his next breath.
She lifted her face and he bent his head, angling his mouth across hers. Her soft warm lips slayed him, left him breathless. Right now, air was the last thing he needed.
What he needed more than anything was Kate.
***
Kate gasped and pressed deeper into Braxton’s strong embrace. The outline of his muscled abs against her sent delicious shivers through her body.
He growled. She tightened her arms around his neck, rubbing her hardened nipples against his chest and wanting to crawl up his body. Everything on the man was hard and hot. Everything.
He pulled back, his eyes dark with primal desire. “If you don’t want this, tell me now.”
He was actually asking permission to ravish her. No problem there. Ravage away.
“I want this.” Her words came out hoarse and dry. She licked her lips as her gaze drifted to his bandage. “How are you feeling?”
“Horny.” He hauled her up into his arms as if she were weightless and strode to the bedroom. “Does that answer your question?”
Kate tightened her arms around his neck and mentally said a prayer of thanks for remembering to wash her sheets that morning.
Her heart sped up as he laid her on the bed and pressed his warm body into hers. He kissed her gently, their tongues sliding against each other. The taste of him, male and hot, had her arching upward. The kiss changed, became more urgent, more forbidden, as he laced his fingers through hers, pinning her hands on either side of her head. Her eyes drifted shut as he trailed his hot mouth down to her neck. His tongue darted out and licked the sensitive spot near her ear.
“God, I love your scent. It’s so fucking sexy.”
She moaned and wrapped her legs around his lean waist, grinding against him. “Less clothes. Now.”
He chuckled and released her hands. He skirted his hands under her sweater and pulled it up and over her head. His heated gaze dipped to her pink lace-clad breasts.