Lifting her off my lap, I stand up and head to the center of the room. Pacing a circle, I feel my soul start to splinter.
“I told him to leave,” she says, a tear trickling down her cheek. “I told him I won’t put up with it.”
“But he’s right.”
“About what?”
“About everything he said,” I admit, feeling my spirit begin to wane. “And everything he might not have.”
She gets to her feet, both cheeks now damp. “He’s not right. About any of it,” she sniffles. “You’ve been telling me to stand up for myself and think for myself, Dominic.”
“I have. But, Cam, this isn’t a fight you have to take, babe,” I sigh. “This is your family. Yes, you need boundaries with them. Yes, you need to tell them to mind their own business and you need to step out of their shadow and show them who you really are and what you’re capable of. But, Cam . . .” I shake my head. “That’s your family.”
“I thought you hated my brothers.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think about them. You need them. You can’t let some asshole like me get in between you.”
“I need them?” she asks, her brows lifted. “You know what I need, Dominic?”
My breath still in my chest, my hands nearly shaking at my sides. I wait for her next words, unable to look away.
“I need you,” she whispers.
With those three little words, she takes th
e few steps between us and wraps her arms around my waist. I hold her tight, squeezing her against me for dear life as I struggle to maintain enough oxygen flow to stay cognizant.
No one has needed me before. Not in the way she just looked at me. Women have needed me for an orgasm or a safety net or something to do on a Friday night. There’s never been a female that’s looked at me, the me under the ink and the game, and said they wanted that.
There aren’t words available to give her because I’m not sure what to say to that. My mouth feels dry, cottony, but there’s a warmth flooding me that I’d prefer stick around a while.
Cam melts into my chest, her fingers pressing against my back as she clings on as if she’s afraid I’ll reject her. That’s my fault too.
“I won’t come between you and your brothers,” I say, stroking the back of her head. “You can’t let a guy like me ruin that.”
“A guy like you?” She pulls back so I can see her face. “I just defended you to the smartest man I know—no offense.”
“None taken, I don’t think. Well, maybe not.”
She grins. “You’re definitely the hottest.”
“That makes me feel a little better.”
“And the sexiest.”
“That also helps,” I smile.
“And the sweetest.”
“That’s a lie,” I laugh, watching her gorgeous smile reflect back at me.
She lifts a hand and touches my cheek. “You’re not going to come between me and my brothers. They might be mad and throw a fit, but if they want to act like children, that’s their wives’ problem. Not mine.”
“The last thing I want to do is cause you any problems. I look at you and think all I’ll ever be able to do is fuck you up, and I’d kill myself before I let that happen.”
“I know,” she says, her eyes twinkling. “That’s why I trust you.”
“Tell me one thing,” I say. “Did Graham hurt you?”