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“How?” she whispers, and then shakes her head quickly, causing her te hair to flutter around “Sorry, that was rude”

I reach across the table and grip her hand firhher mine

“You deserve to know We belong to each other now”

She bites her lip, causing a whole torrent of lust to haoing to explode out of my pants The tip aches and pulses and I almost pull her across the table, bend her over and spank that thick delicious ass, spank her over and over until she’s whining and begging for me

“When I was younger, I used to work protection on the side, for a big firest on the East Coast I did this for four or five years, saving up every penny I got, and then I started investing in gyms I became a silent partner in half a dozen establishing in real money”

“Whoah” She stares wide-eyed for a moment “But why are you still a cop?”

“Because it’s who I aht at my core It’s what I am, what I’ve always been, ever since that junkie killedto take care of you and our faallyup for us”

She wraps her free hand around les, and leans down and kisses esture, so unexpected, that for a crazy ht shed a tear

I push it aith gruffness, but I can’t deny howhailstorm of desire and affection

“That means so much to me,” she whispers

We sit in silence for a tiround, the sound of the e over to us

“Corowl after a few moments “I can’t let you stay here”

“I can’t go, not tonight,” she says “Kenny checks in withHeck, I guess I am too He’ll freak if I’m not there And he doesn’t have a cellphone, not since he broke it”

My chest tightens at that My woman’s brother deserves a damn cellphone

“Then I’ll bring you back in the …”

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head, instinctively, and suddenly I know this isn’t about Kenny

It’s about Natalie not wanting to do anything tonight

I almost tell her, Don’t worry, I can control myself

But I know that’s a damn lie

And then she lets go of my hands and reaches for a slice of pizza

“Let’s just enjoy our meal, huh? I’ll co”