Page 65 of Protecting Love

But he broke it sooner than she wanted.

He caught her wrists gently but decisively, creating space between them as he stepped back. Not rough. Not angry. Controlled in a way that made her chest ache with what was going to come next.

That he was regretting more than just opening up with her.

“Paris,” he said, his voice strained.

The loss of him was immediate. The warmth. The solid certainty of his body so close she could feel his heat.

The thought that maybe he wanted this just as much as her.

That his looks, his glances, his lengthy stares were real flirting.

She swallowed. “I⁠—”

“This can’t happen,” he said, dropping her hands and putting more space between them. As if he needed it to function again.

The words landed harder than she expected. Worse than if he’d laughed. Worse than if he’d kissed her again.

Her hands fell to her sides, feeling suddenly useless. “Because of your job?”

“Because of everything,” he said. His jaw flexed like he was holding something back. “Because I don’t do impulsive. And because if I don’t stop this now, I won’t.”

That didn’t help.

That only made her want to dig her feet in for some more.

Did he not realize it was as if he’d just tossed a red flag in front of her to charge?

She didn’t do well being told to back down when she was ready to dig in.

She laughed softly, because the alternative was letting him see just how deep that cut. “Wow. So I finally get you to break that perfect control thing, and you shut it down like it never happened.”

“It happened,” he said immediately. Too quickly. “That’s the problem.”

He took another step back, putting distance between them that felt deliberate and necessary and absolutely brutal. His dark eyes stayed on her, conflicted as if walking away cost him something too.

“I shouldn’t have let you do that,” he added.

Oh no. Now she understood what went through London’s mind when instinct kicked in over thought.

“Let me?” she asked, stalking closer.

One step. Then two.

He was against the wall this time.

And smirking. Humoring her.

Did he not know you didn’t do that to a woman?

“Yeah,” he said. “What, do you think you can take me?”

“Gun or not, yep, I can.” She slapped her hands on his chest. “Fight me off. Because I know you don’t want to.” Their gazes were locked, but there was silence. “You say you don’t lie. Prove it.”

His mouth crushed hers.

There was no holding onto the other. Nothing like that.