After we dropped Hunter off at the home and Julie was convinced there was no way he could escape his room she buckled into the front seat next to me.

I pulled away from the curb.

She closed her eyes and sighed. I felt her hand tangle through mine and looked down at her delicate fingers. “Thank you.”

“For what? Chauffer duty?” I laughed.

“You can drop the act. I know you care about him.” She eyed me.

I squeezed her hand in mine. “I do. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Heavy isn’t my thing.”

“You did heavy pretty well tonight.” Her eyes opened and her gaze drifted toward me.

God, we had been in the middle of a crisis. A child had been lost. But the way she looked at me now there was only one thing I could think of. I turned left at the next light instead of right.

“Wait, my apartment is the other way,” she argued.

“I know. But I think it’s time someone looks after you for a change.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. We can’t.”

“It doesn’t have to be the way it was at Catch.” I couldn’t believe I was saying the words.

“I don’t know, Kane. I’m trying to make good choices. I want to do things that are good for Hunter.”

“And you don’t think that includes me?” I couldn’t deny the slice of pain beneath my ribs. This was a fucking wakeup call.

“I didn’t say that. It’s just, you made it clear what kind of man you are. I’m not judging. I swear I’m not.”

“You don’t have to explain. I know exactly what I said to you. But things are different. Two people can’t go through what we went through and have them stay the same.”

She sighed. “I think I believe you.”

“How about something to eat? Maybe something to drink? A back rub?”

She giggled. “The Sharks quarterback gives out backrubs or do you think I’m that naïve?”

“I’m hoping you’re that naïve, baby.” I winked.

“Well, I’m not. I think you should take me home.”

Did she realize it didn’t matter where we went I’d want the same thing? I had to kiss her. To touch her. To soothe the hurt from the night away from her. I wanted to be the kind of man that could that for her and I don’t know when in the hell something like that mattered to me.

“After tonight you still don’t trust me?” I questioned.

“You’re not the one I don’t trust,” she whispered.

Fuck. My cock hardened at the words. She wanted me. She wanted the same thing. But I had to prove I could be the kind of man who wasn’t a sex addict. I could respect her. I could take her home and take care of her. It wasn’t about sex. It was about her.

“I have some frozen pizzas we can throw in the oven and I might even have a bottle of wine.” I looked at her skeptical face. “And a guestroom. It’s all yours. You shouldn’t be alone tonight after what you’ve been through. And to be honest, I don’t think I want to be either.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “Let me take care of you.”

She nodded. “All right. Frozen pizzas it is.”

“It’s good isn’t it?”

We sat on the living room floor, our plates on the coffee table and a bottle of wine between us.

Julie nodded. “If you’re trying to impress me with your cooking skills, you need some work.” She ripped off a corner of burned crust.

I chuckled. “I’m better with a grill.”

“That’s what all men say.”

“All men? And just how many men are you talking about?” I don’t know where the question came from, but I suddenly wanted to know about her. How many men had she dated? When was her last relationship? Who was the idiot who let her go?

She blushed. “It’s just an understood guy thing.”

“I’m not buying that bullshit,” I teased. “Tell me. How many have there been?”

“What? I’m not telling you that.”

I grabbed the pizza from her hand and held it up in the air out of reach. “No more pizza until I get a number.”

Her eyes beaded together. “I’m not telling you that, Hawk. That’s personal.”

“Two? Four?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes blazed.

I took a huge bite of the pizza. “Oh well.”

She lunged forward to grab it from me, but ended toppling on top of my chest. We fell backward on the floor. The pizza landed under the table and I fastened my arms around her.

She looked into my eyes before I drew her lips to mine. She kissed me slowly at first, cautiously and then I felt the weight of her lush lips bear against mine with fire.

My hands coasted over her hips and down her ass, grabbing, pulling, tugging. I wanted everything at once.

She moaned when I yanked her skirt up over her ass and palmed the bare skin of her bottom. I slapped against her, coaxing a whimper from her lips.

“Fuck,” I growled. She ground her hips into me and I slapped her again.

“Oh God.” She panted.

My eyes lit. “Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?”

She shook her head.

I bit her lip, before digging the tips of my fingers into her flesh. Every single part of her felt so fucking good.

“What?” Her ragged breath whispered over my ear.

“You need somebody, Jules. Somebody to worship this body. Someone who knows how to make you feel good. Someone to take care of you tonight. I want to be that man tonight. But you’ve got to let me in. You’ve got to trust I’m someone you can count on. I don’t want you to give me the freeze out every time we’re at the center. I don’t want you to pretend I don’t make you hot. I can be all these things. ”

I pried her legs apart, sliding my hand between her soaked panties. I groaned. God, why did she have to be so wet? I wanted to prove something to her, but it was going to be impossible. Could I actually not fuck her?

“But I promised you the guestroom,” I continued. “I promised this didn’t have to be about sex.”

“You did.” She wiggled her hips and I slid my fingers inside her. She hissed with pleasure. She rode up and down as I pumped hard and fast.

“But I also told you I’d take care of you.” I grabbed her breast through the fabric of her shirt while I curled my fingers deep in her.

“Ohh,” she moaned. “I want the sex.”

She clenched with intensity and I felt her honey coat over me as I moved to rub her clit. The first stroke made her flinch and then she bounced and gyrated, grinding into my thumb. Riding the friction I gave her.

My cock hardened inside my jeans. Fuck. She was killing me. I watched her as the ecstasy pulsed through her. I reached toward her jaw, jerking her lips to mine. I kissed her fiercely.

“Here’s what I’m going to do.” She looked into my eyes as I spoke. “I’m going to carry you into that guestroom and I’m going to take you out of these clothes. Strip you fucking naked. And then you’re going to crawl on that bed and spread your legs so wide for me, baby. Wider than you’ve ever had them. I’m going to suck your swollen clit into my mouth and flick my tongue along it as I shove my fingers into you over and over until you are screaming my name so loudly the neighbors above us and below us are pounding on the floor.”

“Oh God,” she whispered.

“And then, when you beg me to stop I’ll give you one more orgasm. One that will make all the others seem like they were warmups. One that will let you sleep soundly the rest of the night naked and wrapped up in my arms. But I’m not going to fuck you. Not tonight. You understand?”

She nodded quickly.

“Good.”

I scooped her off the floor and carried her down the hall. I had a promise to fulfill.