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“Probably,” she whispered But trusting that so was —for her

“Raine…” He sed tightly and leaned toward her, cupping her chin with his broad hand “Am I bad for you? Probably You’re not wired for what I want, and I couldn’t live with myself if I crushed your spirit But I’m happy you’re in my life Will I alant more? Yes Is that your fault? No” He bent, his hazel eyes delving deep “I want you to be happy Promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen”

He illing to sacrifice his heart for hers It was kind and noble—two things that didn’t come easily for Hammer

Raine had never felt more unworthy in her life “I don’t kno”

“Then learn It will be uncomfortable, maybe even painful, but you can Now do it”

The tantalizing aro dinner eon, now transfor area, complete with buffet tables, draped in turkey-themed cloths He cast a nod to the clubtable as several sub them to the already bountiful spread

Raine set a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes down and headed back to the kitchen Hammer’s focus naturally slid to her ass as she scurried away Had she taken his advice yesterdayand opened up to Liam?

The Irish prick sidled up to hieanother day”

Ha about?”

“Raine started her period this ”

Liam’s declaration slapped Hammer He froze, rolled the words around in his head Finally, the uts, sucked his veins dry, stabbed his heart His faint but stupid hope of sharing a life with her died

Goddanant

Without a word, he store rooe in the sainst the steel-fraed breath, and closed his eyes

What if Raine had been pregnant? Would he have hauled her to a Justice of the Peace for an unfulfilling five-minute ceremony? Then what? Watch her pine for Liae as a hed a hand down his face Would he have shoved his inner beast deep into the recesses of his soul and ignored the clawing hunger to make her his slave until it drove him insane?