of me to stay last night, but I never would’ve forgiven myself if someone had broken in when you were vulnerable, or if you’d have puked and choked in the middle of the night. But I can’t be sorry, because I got to see you like this…” His eyes dropped, and Gillian knew he could see her hard nipples through her T-shirt.
He cleared his throat and went on. “I want to date you, Gillian. Call you and talk into the wee hours of the night. Send you texts to let you know I’m thinking about you. Take you out to dinner and make out in my car in the parking lot when I drop you off. I want to get to know your friends, and to laugh with you. Eventually, when the time is right for us both, I want to hold you all night as you sleep after we’ve made love. I want to taste every inch of your body and have you explore mine in return. We’ve had a connection from the start, and as much as I want to get to know you intimately right now, I want to savor learning everything about you. Learn who Gillian Romano is. What makes her tick.”
Every word out of his mouth made Gillian fall for him more. She wanted to shake her head, tell him no, that she didn’t want to go slow. That she wanted to feel his hands and tongue on her right that second. But another part of her wanted what he’d described. Wanted the giddy feeling that came with getting to know a man. Wanted the phone calls and texts. Wanted the sexual tension.
She wanted to be wooed. Mostly because she had a feeling Walker would make her feel just like she longed to feel…as if she was wanted. And she had a hunch he’d never make her feel like she came in second.
“I…I’d like that.”
His shoulders dropped as if he’d been afraid she’d turn him down. It was hard to believe that this man, this strong-as-hell, beautiful man, would be worried about her turning him down.
“But you need to know, I’m not a drama queen,” she added.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I’m different from most women. I don’t do drama. Women in general are really bad about that. They get jealous and bitchy and have to be all dramatic about it. They don’t get their way, they cause a scene. They think they should be getting more attention than they are, so some dress more flamboyantly and outrageously. That’s not me. I say it like it is, but don’t do it for any kind of reaction. I prefer honesty to lies because it’s just easier.”
“I like that. It’s a relief.”
“But, Walker, if we do this…don’t cheat on me.”
He looked shocked at her words. “Why would you even say that? I don’t cheat. And I can’t imagine, if we get together the way I want to be with you, that I’d ever be stupid enough to fool around.”
Gillian shrugged. “Others have.”
“Cheated on you? Then they were idiots.”
His words were immediate and heartfelt, and they made Gillian relax a fraction. “They wanted something more than me, I guess. One also hit me. You do either of those things, and I’ll be done with you faster than you can blink.”
Walker sat up straight, and when he spoke, his tone was low and kinda scary. “Someone hit you?”
Gillian realized that she was about to have an extremely pissed-off alpha man on her hands if she didn’t do damage control. Pronto. “Yeah, one guy. Once. It was the last time I saw him. I left his ass that day and pressed charges. My point is that I don’t put up with shit like that. Especially not from someone I’m dating. I’m worth more than that. I’m a damn good girlfriend. Attentive and generous. When I’m with someone, I put them first. If they need me, I’m there, and I want to find someone who feels the same way about me. And cheating, stealing, and knocking me around isn’t looking out for my well-being. It’s not putting me first.”
She could see that Walker was having a hard time letting go of the thought that someone had hit her. She gentled her tone. “It happens, Walker. Unfortunately, all the time. Walking down the street, men feel as if it’s okay to whistle and cat call. They don’t hesitate to ogle our boobs and tell us how turned on they are. A lot