“I’m afraid,” she murmured as she pulled back to take a breath.

“Of?” I bent over her and captured her lips with mine again, snaking my hand down her thigh and hitching it over my hips.

“Us.”

“Why?” She was being candid, and I needed to take advantage. She held things inside so much. I needed her to talk. I needed to know what I was working with.

“Your history. Our history,” she breathed.

“What do you mean?” I pulled my lips away from hers and searched out her beautiful browns. Her eyes were hooded with lust and her eyelashes were so long they shaded her high cheekbones. She was completely fucking breathtaking.

“I’m afraid . . . your history and what Kyle did to me . . . I’m just afraid.”

“Stop speaking in code, babe. What did Kyle do to you?”

Her chest continued to heave beneath me. She was still so turned on, it took every ounce of my energy not to forgo the conversation and take her right there on my floor. But I needed the answer. I needed to know what the obstacles were, if any.

“He cheated on me,” she murmured. Lust overrode any pain that she might have felt at saying those words.

“When?”

“For years, off and on. And with your history, I don’t know if I can trust—”

“Don’t do that. I’m not him. My history means shit. I would never, ever fucking cheat on you. You’re all I need. Do you hear me?” I tipped her chin up to meet my eyes. Her browns widened as she took me in. “I have never cheated on anyone and I’m not starting now. I told you—you’re it for me, end of story. Don’t put Kyle’s shit on me. He’s an idiot who didn’t know what he had. I can tell you, Georgia, I will never make that mistake with you. I know exactly what I have and she's loving, and empathetic, and beautiful and sexy and irresistible. And mine.” She stared at me as I finished. I waited breathlessly for her reaction. Finally, she took my head in her hands and pulled me to her in a ravenous kiss. I held her fiercely to my body as she crawled up me and locked her legs around my waist.

“I take it that’s a yes?” I murmured between kisses.

“Smart ass.” She nipped me playfully.

“You’ve got a dirty mouth too, beautiful.” I grinned at her. “Makes me hot as fuck.”

“Oh my God.” She laughed and pulled away from me.

“So no more taking it slow?”

She peered up at me through her eyelashes and shook her head, a soft smile spreading across her face. It took my fucking breath away.

“And your boyfriend is going with you to collect your things, including your pussy?” I arched a playful eyebrow at her. She narrowed her eyes at me as she tried to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

“That’s what I thought. Now make me breakfast, woman.”

“I don’t think so, dear.” She planted her hands on her hips after I'd released her from my iron grip. It was so fucking hot.

“I’ve got a conference call, and your man is starving.” I lifted my shirt and rubbed my stomach with a frown. Her eyes flickered down to land on my abs and I watched them darken with lust. So the girl had a thing for my abs? I'd have to remember to use that to my advantage next time around.

“What do you want?” she asked without tearing her eyes from my stomach. I laughed a full-bellied laugh and pulled her into my arms, kissing her forehead.

“Toast and orange juice is fine.” I couldn’t tear the grin from my face.

Owned me.

This girl completely fucking owned me and I loved every minute.

10

“You ready for this?” I squeezed her knee as she directed me to Kyle’s apartment building in DC.

“As I’ll ever be,” she huffed and then opened the door of the Jeep.

“Hey.” I slipped a palm around her neck and brought her against me. I rested my forehead against hers as we huddled over the console. “Everything's going to be okay,” I murmured before brushing my lips against hers.

“Yep.” She nodded, but I could tell she was still worried. I frowned and massaged her neck before letting her go. We stepped out into the cold December air. She’d finally agreed to let me come up to DC with her to collect her things and now here we were, the weekend before Christmas, and I was about to see her douchebag ex for the first time since the summer.

Georgia finally confessed he’d been harassing her with phone calls and texts, threatening to come down, begging her to talk to him, insisting he would throw her stuff away or bring it to the beach house for her. Neither was a viable option. I didn't want him anywhere near her in North Carolina, especially if he was as unstable as he sounded.

We walked up the steps and took the elevator to his floor. She slowed as we approached the apartment door, hesitation and dread pouring off her body. I grabbed her hand in mine and brought her knuckles to my lips for a kiss.

“It’s going to be okay.”

She nodded and then dropped my hand from hers. She tapped softly at the door.

“Georgia, God, it’s so good to see you.” Kyle swung the door open and looked about to embrace Georgia before his eyes landed on me. Confusion and then anger flared. His jaw hardened. “What’s he doing here?” he asked, without tearing his gaze from mine. I clenched my fists at my sides. So he wasn’t going to make this easy.

“He’s here to help.”

“I could have helped. We didn’t need him, Georgia.” Kyle tore his eyes from mine and back to her. He stretched his arms and scooped her against his body in a hug that was more than friendly and lasted way too fucking long in my opinion. I narrowed my eyes and waited for her to push him away. She recoiled as he slid his hands up her back and then his gaze caught mine again. The asshole was doing this for my benefit. I clenched my teeth, waiting for her to take action because if she didn’t, I was going to fucking annihilate this guy and not think twice about it.

Finally, Georgia pushed him away with a weak smile. He moved aside and we strode into the apartment. A white puffball of a cat sauntered up and curled itself around Georgia’s legs.

“Hey, sweetheart, I've missed you.” My beautiful girlfriend nuzzled into the cat’s fur while Kyle watched her and I watched him. Georgia showered attention on her pussy for a few minutes, which made me a sick fuck because I kind of liked the sound of that, before glancing around the apartment.

“I thought you had my stuff in boxes?” She tilted her head and looked at Kyle.

“A few things, I didn’t have time—”

“You said you were throwing out everything if I wasn’t here to get it this weekend.” Her gaze cut to him and I was sure she was shooting daggers. She was pissed and I was ready for her to lay into him. I also wondered if Kyle got turned on as much as I did when she was all angry and hot. And then I was pissed again and wanted to kidnap her and her pussy and leave everything else behind, mostly Kyle.

“I wouldn’t have. I just wanted to see you. We need to talk, which is why I’m kinda fucking pissed that you brought this guy. He your bodyguard? Come on, Georgia. We were together for years, and you just left. I wanted to talk and you never answered my calls. You owe me a conversation.”

“She owes you nothing,” I spat.

His eyebrow arched at me. “Not your concern, buddy. Just talk to me for a minute, in private.” He glanced from her to me.

“Not happening.” I stepped closer to her.

“Okay, stop with the pissing contest. I’ll talk to you for a minute, Kyle, but that’s it. I’m here to get my stuff and I’m leaving.”

“Sure, babe.” Kyle placed a hand at her back and guided her down a hallway, a sneer on his face as he glanced back at me. What was she thinking? I was here so she wouldn’t have to be alone with him. I was her fucking boyfriend and here she was ducking off into a room to have private time with her ex? Not fucking cool. My blood was boiling.