Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(32)

“What?” He rounded the island, not wanting any space between them.

She swiveled in her seat as he approached, keeping her mug in her hand. It looked an awful lot like a barrier. “Nothing. Just wondering…where we go from here.”

To his bedroom or any flat surface, if she was willing. He kept that thought to himself. For now. It didn’t matter that he was dying to strip her, taste and tease all of her before fully claiming her; they clearly weren’t on the same page right now.

Almost losing her today drove home the conclusion he’d already come to. He wanted something real with her. And now that the threat from Enzo was over, he didn’t want to keep a relationship quiet either. “I’d like to take you on a real date. Then another one and another. And if you don’t have plans, I hope you’ll join us for Christmas dinner in a couple weeks.”

Her bright blue eyes widened. “What will we tell Dillon?”

“What do you want to tell him?” He sat in the chair next to her, even though he wanted to take the mug from her hands and pull her into his lap.

“I don’t know yet. I like you…a lot. But I know you two come as a package deal.”

“Do you not want…” He tried to think of the right way to ask what needed to be said. “Am I not an option for a relationship because of my son?”

She paused for so long he was sure she wouldn’t answer. Dread curled in his stomach. He’d never considered that this was a real issue for her. When she’d thrown out the excuse of him being a dad, he’d thought…hell, it didn’t matter.

Finally, she cleared her throat. “Not in the way you think. My mom wasn’t exactly present. She dragged my brother and me around everywhere. She was rarely home and when she was, she didn’t care about us. She wasn’t abusive, not physically anyway. It was clear she’d have been happier if we weren’t around, dragging her down.”

Aaron took the mug from her hands and set it on the counter. Though he still wanted to pull her into his arms, he captured her hands in his. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just telling you so you know that I know zero about kids. I’m not the best female role model for a kid is what I’m trying to say. And I don’t want to be in his life, then suddenly not be there when we break up.”

He stiffened at her words. “When?”

“Okay, if, but you know what I mean. I’d hate to cause him any pain.”

He nodded because he did. It only made him care for her more. She was concerned about Dillon’s welfare in all this. How could he not adore this woman? “I’ve never brought any women into Dillon’s life. I…haven’t had any women in my life anyway. Not since…” He cleared his throat. “So I understand your concerns. I have them, too. But what I feel for you isn’t casual. I want exclusive. If we need to play the ‘we’re just friends’ game in front of people for a while, then I’ll do it. Not because I want to, but I’ll do it for you.”

She tightened her hands around his. “No, I don’t want that. To be just friends, I mean. I really like you. After today I feel like I should hold onto you and never let go.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “But maybe around Dillon we don’t put a label on you and me. Other than friends. For now, anyway. I just…I never want to hurt that kid.”

Aaron scrubbed a hand over his face. She said the absolute perfect thing and he knew she wasn’t trying. He wasn’t letting her go and as far as he was concerned, they wouldn’t be breaking up. She’d woken something up inside him, made him feel alive, and he wasn’t stupid enough to let her go.

“Come to bed with me tonight?” It came out more like a plea than anything but he didn’t care. He needed this woman like he needed his next breath. He wasn’t even sure they were at that point yet—well, he was at that point. But she’d been through a hell of a lot recently.

Her eyes went heavy-lidded as she got off the chair and moved to stand between his spread legs. Wordlessly she slid her hands up and around the back of his neck, linking her fingers together.

He settled his hands on her hips and tightened his grip. For a long moment he just stared at her. Her eyes were dilated and her breathing was erratic.

His own heart was beating out of control as he looked into her bright blue eyes. After months of holding back, of denying what she meant to him, he was walking a tightrope of control. Now that he had her within his grasp it was hard to think straight.

He reached down and grabbed her ass. She let out a yelp of surprise as he hoisted her up, but she didn’t pause as she wrapped her legs around him.

He crushed his mouth to hers, wordlessly demanding everything from her. After tonight he knew there would be no going back for him. As her tongue teased against his, he walked them out of the kitchen, her lithe body plastered to him.

Very soon they were going to be skin to skin. His body shuddered as he thought of it, of finally having her completely bared to him.

When they reached the foyer, he paused by the bottom of the stairs then veered into the living room. They weren’t going to make it to the bedroom.

The Christmas tree lights and the faux fire from the fireplace gave them more than enough illumination. It would let him see her fully, as he needed right now. As they passed the couch, he blindly reached out and grabbed some of the blankets.