Page 53 of Ice King

“Maybe both. Maybe I just want to protect you. Is that so wrong?”

If he only knew how many times I’d wished I’d had a man to protect me, finally believing there were no chivalrous men left in the world. When we were this close, it usually felt as if I could jump out of my skin, but right now, I felt at ease with him. As if he already knew everything about me.

Or as if we belonged together, which was completely crazy, more unhinged than fucking in a locked bathroom in a sleazy hole in the wall bar. I was obviously comfortable enough to slip the tip of my finger through the open V of his henley shirt. The simple touch of his heated skin seared my fingertip, but I craved touching him.

I needed to, as if he’d become the air required to breathe.

His was more labored, his gaze falling ever so slowly to the task I was performing. “There’s nothing wrong with a man longing to protect a woman as long as it’s for the right reasons and she doesn’t find out she should have been protected from him.”

Ford didn’t move a muscle, allowing me to take my time caressing his skin. I could feel the ache burning deeply within him, much like my core remained on fire. This was a crossroadsand something told me if the wrong road was taken, the consequences would be severe.

All the rules of common sense and those of self-preservation should come into play. If I closed the door, there would never be another intimate moment shared. If I didn’t…

The ache was real, a painful reminder I was very much still a woman, Hoffman incapable of beating it out of me. But I was fractured, maybe completely broken inside and for me, sex didn’t just mean an act of passion, but one of dominance. I feared losing myself more than anything else.

Which was why I stepped inside, placing my hand on the door. His look of disappointment was as painful as sending him away, but it had to be done. I couldn’t trust myself, so how could I trust anyone else?

“Thank you for a nice evening.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes right away, forcing myself as he took a deep breath. When I did, he’d already turned his head.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for what you did tonight. That meant a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome.”

How many awkward moments would we share from here, how many what-if questions might we experience? Or was I simply reading too much into what had happened between us?

With another deep, almost angry sigh, Ford backed away, nodding just one as he looked at me longingly. But he was allowing me to choose instead of the other way around.

Only when he disappeared from view did I start to close the door, but even before the latch hit the doorjamb, something escaped from deep inside.

A feeling.

A set of emotions.

An unrequited need that refused to be denied. My mind was a blur, my vision foggy, yet one thing was made very clear. I didn’t want this to be the end. Instead, a beginning. What was wrong with me? I didn’t know. I couldn’t fathom why the man had affected me with absolute ferocity. Like a lion would.

Or a wolf.

Completely predatory and possessive. I was caught in a limbo of longing and fear, yet the desire that had been pooling in my system, igniting my core was winning. And I was thrilled at the thought of letting go.

If only for one night.

I threw open the door, peering into the night. “Ford. Wait.”

He appeared as if he’d been hovering just behind the parameters of the exterior light. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. Wait,” I mused, throwing out my hand. “No, that’s not right. Everything is. Everything is wrong and the only person who can make it right is you.”

Maybe I should have added the words ‘for now,’ or maybe I assumed he’d realize what I’d meant. Whatever the case, there was no turning back now.

His eyes searched mine, his body language changing and I finally nodded to tell him I wasn’t kidding.

He rushed toward me, backing me into the house as he gathered me into his arms, kicking the door shut with his foot. Every time he used any force, the building shook or the people around us noticed.

How he’d handled the men who’d manhandled me had been foolish, an action that could have gotten out of hand and potentially even gotten him kicked off the team. That was if the assholes were stupid enough to file assault charges. While I had no doubt they’d been more interested in challenging the wolf versus being interested in me, I doubt they’d be so stupid as to admit they’d been bested in three seconds flat to anyone.

Even though I didn’t condone physical violence of any kind, the fact he’d taken up for me without question would forever linger in my soul. Another clear sign the man wasn’t simply all about brawn and bravado.

His lips crushed mine, his tongue finding the depths of my mouth even as he backed me further into the cozy living room. We were all hands and desire, my fingers rolling over his shoulders while his massive hands cupped my buttocks. The taste of him was incredible, pushing limits of decency I hadn’t known existed. I wasn’t a tiny girl by any means, but he made me feel so protected, as if nothing and no one could ever get to me.