His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(108)
Author: Shayla Black

“No. I wanted to a few times, but I stopped myself. I had to be the man of the house. My mom didn’t need more children, much less a baby.”

“Are you kidding me? Crying doesn’t make you a baby. I sobbed for weeks after my adoptive parents supposedly died. I stopped going to college and barely went to rehearsal. Heck, I hardly left my house for what seemed like months. Does that make me a baby? And don’t you dare tell me that it’s okay for me to cry because I’m female.”

His sheepish expression told her he’d been ready to respond with an answer like that. “I guess I’ve always seen emotions as a weakness. I’m all . . . up in the air about Nate’s death. I couldn’t go to his funeral because I was trying to keep you from being the next victim. It was a guilty relief. I also know Nate would have approved. He always sacrificed to do what he could for others. That’s one thing I always admired about him.”

“Was he married?”

“No. A loner like me.”

A frown wrinkled her brow. “Why?”

He looked puzzled. “I don’t know. He never told me his life story. We survived the academy together, drank, and chased skirts. I didn’t let myself get close to anyone. We didn’t talk or bond or become besties. We just . . . understood one another.”

Bailey didn’t think that sounded like much of a friendship, but who was she to judge? She only knew lots about Blane because he was an open book. He only knew stuff about her because he’d mercilessly pried it out of her. Maybe she’d shut a lot of people out in her life, too. But she wouldn’t do it anymore, not when she could see a future and a family in front of her with this man, if she could just get behind his protective walls and convince him to let go of his grief.

“I’m sorry you lost him.” She hugged him and rubbed her cheek to his, reveling in his scratchy-soft stubble. “I’m here if you ever want to talk about him or your dad, your sister or whatever. You’ve been here for me, especially today.”

“You’re not mad that I took you away from your life because of Nate? You don’t feel as if I did it for revenge?”

Bailey shrugged. She could see how some people might interpret his actions that way, but she knew that under his anger at Nate’s death, he was the sort of man who wanted to stop the murders. He really did want to save people. Now she just had to show him that he didn’t have to stand apart as he did it.

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. It felt good. Right. As she pulled away, she smiled at him. “You know, we’re kind of good for one another. You helped me find the truth about myself. And I pried your secrets from you.”

“Yeah, then you encourage me to cry,” he quipped. “Great.”

She winced. “I know that might not seem like a bonus to you. But really, you might not be able to move forward until you get it all out. I’ll even be happy to dry your tears.”

He rolled his eyes. “If you have to do that, I might as well hand over my man card.”

“You’d never have to do that in my book. You are plenty of man.”

Joaquin gave her a proud little grin, then it fell to a crooked scowl as he stared at the skin just under her chin. He swiped a finger across a tender spot. “I left a little bruise on you. Jesus, I’m sorry if I was too harsh. I get around you and I lose all my fucking finesse. Next time, if I hurt you, I expect you to say something.”

Next time? He expected they’d be in bed together again? What if they found Viktor’s research soon? Would that be the end of them? Or was he just as addicted as she was?

“Well, I know another way you could guarantee your man card with me.”

He raised a dark brow at her. “What’s that?”

“Why don’t you show me again how much man you are?” Bailey tossed off her sheet and lay back on the bed, blinking up at him with a sultry glance.

Chapter Sixteen

JOAQUIN sucked in a breath, his entire body tensing. His cock certainly stood, loud and proud, ready to go again. He’d had her an hour ago, tops. He wasn’t seventeen anymore. Yeah, he liked sex, but with the nature of his job, he’d gone without more often than not. So his obsession with Bailey made almost no sense . . . and he didn’t really care. It felt good. He wanted more of her. He didn’t want her feeling undesirable if he said no. Right, like that would ever happen.

Flinging his own sheet off, he revealed just how much she aroused him, stroking his length lazily with one hand. “This manly enough for you?”

She pretended to ponder him, but he heard her breath hitch and shallow, and he hid his smile. “I don’t know. Seeing you isn’t the same thing as feeling you. How do I know you’d be half as good for the second time tonight?”