He didn’t think he’d be able to deal with that.
Before he could think, she rushed him, her slender arms going ’round his waist, her head nestled against his chest. Squeezing him tight, she held on to him as if he were her lifeline. “You’re too good for me,” she said against his chest, her voice muffled.
“I think it’s the other way around.” Relief flooded him at having her in his arms once more. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, breathed deep her fragrant scent.
Tilting her head back, she gazed up at him, her eyes still glimmering with unshed tears. “I don’t think so. I keep pushing you away, and you won’t give up. Why?”
“I’m a glutton for punishment.” Aw hell, that was the truth.
She smiled and shook her head. “I never thought I was before, but I’m thinking I might be now.”
He frowned. “I hurt you?”
“No. But what I feel for you is so overwhelming, it hurts sometimes.”
Her confession sliced through him. That what she felt for him actually brought her pain was…devastating. He didn’t want that sort of responsibility. The ability to hurt her, damage her, tear her apart.
But what they shared wasn’t some sort of casual thing. It was real. Meaningful. And damn it, he was going to do everything he could to prove that to her. Despite her protests and constant withdrawal, he needed to get it through her thick head.
It worked between them. Felt right when it had never been like this with another before.
Grabbing hold of her, he dragged her into his room, the heavy door slamming behind them. He grasped her shoulders and pinned her against the door, stared into her eyes, lost himself for a moment in their depths. “Just give me tonight, Gracie,” he whispered, dipping his head so his mouth hovered above hers. “Give me tonight and let me prove to you just how good we are together.”
“You’ve proved it to me before,” she said shakily.
He brushed his mouth with hers, his belly fluttering when they made connection. “Let me prove it again.”
“What else do you have to prove?”
“It’s a reminder, that’s all.” He kissed her this time, a real, drugging, deep kiss that had her gasping when he broke apart from her. “A reminder of how deep our connection is.”
She wiggled against him, her pelvis brushing against his, and his cock reacted like the randy bastard it was. He went instantly hard, and he breathed deep, tightening his hold on her shoulders. “Stop moving.”
“Or what?” Her words, her expression, were sassy, and he pressed against her harder. Letting her feel exactly what she did to him. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” He smiled grimly. “Oh.”
“You want me to do something about that?”
He frowned. What was she saying? “Don’t tease me,” he growled.
“I’m not teasing. You said one more night, let’s take one more night.” Reaching between them, she drifted her fingers down the length of his cock. “It’s all I think I can give you, though, Hunter. Are you okay with that?”
Pausing, he stared at her, his breathing ragged, his mind awhirl. She constantly put conditions on them, on their time together and he hated it. Despised it with everything that swirled within him, all those ugly, painful emotions he didn’t want to face. “What the hell are you so afraid of that you can’t commit beyond one night at a time?”
“You,” she whispered with a sad little smile. “And what you could do to me when you leave me. Because you will. Everyone always leaves me. I won’t let myself be destroyed again.”
Hunter parted his lips, ready to make the promise that he would never leave her but he realized he couldn’t say it. Didn’t know if it was the truth. And he wasn’t about to spout off meaningless words, empty promises that would destroy her later.
He couldn’t bear it if he ever hurt her.
“Gracie,” he started but she silenced him by pressing her index finger against his mouth.
“Don’t say it. Don’t say things you don’t mean.” She traced his lips with the tip of her finger, as if learning, memorizing their shape. “Just give me this. Tonight. I think it’ll be enough.”
Grasping her wrist, he held her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles reverently. One more night, a few measly hours wouldn’t ever be enough, not for him and most likely not for her, either.
But he would take what he could get.