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She did

"I don’t need you to babyto stay on track "I don’t need to be protected"

"Of course not," she said "Only a crazy person would try to baby or protect you" She took another shot, as always,him step for step Then she set the bottle on the coffee table and put her hands on his ar him to the couch "You do it all, Adaave hi over him, she kicked off the boots Then pulled off her sexy-as-hell dress

Beneath she wore nothing but a sports bra and panties Si down at herself for a beat "Pretend I’eous in the white cotton Hell, she’d be gorgeous in a potato sack

Reaching behind her, she grabbed the whiskey and drank again She missed a drop, it slid down her throat and over her collarbone, heading south

"Oops," she said, and leaned back, a movement that thrust out her breasts

God, he loved her breasts They were full, soft Real And, he knew froer a horer, driven by his sex drive--even if he did keep his eyes on the drop of whiskey…"This isn’t going to work, Holly"

She glanced down at the obvious erection straining the front of his jeans and went brows up

"Okay," he said, standing, having to put his hands on her hps as he did, to push her away

Or at least that’s what he e froood for you"

"I trust you, Adaave him another shove

"What the hell, Holly"

"What the hell is"--she punctuated this with yet another shove, even harder--"I needed help finding my dad And did you say you couldn’t be bothered? No You illing to do whatever it took You were injured and exhausted, and you still dropped your oork and responsibilities without hesitation and took me all over hell and back You were, are, the onehis head Hell no "I’lowered at him and took another sip of the whiskey, until he reotten into you tonight?"

"Well, not you," she said, andpull of the Jack

She was flushed, her eyes glossy Half-baked froer in his face "You, Adah "Is that the worst you’ve got?"

"No I have lots more" She crawled into his lap and kissed hi her tongue with his like he wanted, rubbing up against her when he needed He felt her treo of his will to resist her, allowing his hunger for her to take over and pour out of hi his ar him a helluva shake for a y, partially drunk wo," she said

"What part?"

"The not-co-into-my-cave part"

He blinked "Huh?"

She made a face and waved a hand "No wait Can’t say it like that, I’ll scare you away again"

He had a feeling he was going to have to kill his brothers, but before he could move, she was in his face, her own deep and intent He looked into her shiny blue eyes and saw…everything

It was staggering

"Who did I go to for help?" she asked "You Who has everyone always gone to? You" She tossed up her hands "Do you think it’s because you’re cute or soer into his chest again Since that was starting to hurt, he grabbed her hand

"Co Two know the truth When anyone needs soical, you’re no superhero, but you’re enough More than enough And…"

It took hih a throat that was thick with things he didn’t want to put a name to "And…?"

"And…" She cupped his face and stared at him some more Then she shook her head "You knohat? You’re not ready for this conversation" And with that, she climbed off his lap and headed for the door

Twenty-one

Holly got to Adarabbed her, whipped her around, and pressed her back to the wood She stared up at the tall, built, hother pinned, and shivered in anticipation "Ada now"

She " And then, instead of fighting hiainst hi sure the door was locked"

He went still at that revelation, still as the night, so she reached behind her and locked the door herself Then she reversed their positions, pressing hi her hands up his chest and into his hair

He closed his eyes, as if just the touch was too much to take, and that one s her thurowth, she sighed with pleasure No, he wasn’t a superhero, but he was, she’d begun to fear, the ers into his hair, she tugged hira over in his alpha way This was no tentative kiss It was de, full of pent-up passion and tension and years and years of emotion all tied into one

She loved it