Treasured (The Salvation Society) - Victoria Pinder Page 0,7
down at his hands, which were bigger than my waist, but I wasn’t afraid now. So I said, “He beat me.”
His face went white, and his hands curled. I reached out and squeezed his thumb and ignored the energy that rushed in my veins as he said, “Wait. What?”
Time for the whole truth. If he didn’t want that night, I would get it. Maybe I wasn’t ready for a one-night stand either. “I didn’t leave when that happened. I left when he threw our one-week-old baby against the wall. I almost let my son die because I was afraid to get out. I’m not that stupid anymore.”
He reached out and hugged me.
I leaned in to his embrace. I hadn’t expected this. I had never expected to feel desire in my veins again. He said, “Mary, that’s horrible. A real man protects a woman.”
That was the fairy tale. He let me go, and my stomach twisted like I was experiencing a physical loss. “You can leave now if you want. I’ve been getting help, but that’s generally the deal-breaker conversation.”
There was a knock on the door. I jumped up, but he slowly followed and said, “I’d like to stay and for you to eat.”
I opened the door and saw two plates of food and a bottle of wine. I waved the server in. “You ordered room service?”
He tipped the server, who quickly left, and said, “I charged my room.”
I locked the door once again and crossed my arms as I walked toward Dwayne. “Why?”
He showed me the cheeseburger and fries he ordered for me and said, “You seem fragile, and I need you to have your strength tonight.”
Well, he wasn’t into me eating salads. My mouth watered for the carbs I would normally avoid. I picked up my burger. “Seriously?” I took off the paper and smelled the meat. I’d not had one of these since graduating high school. I scooted into the small couch and held it to my lips. “I thought men liked frail women.”
He sat beside me and bit into his. As he finished, he winked at me. “Personally, I’ll need a woman who can kick my ass once in a while.”
“I’ll never be that physically strong.”
He scooted closer, took another bite, and said, “Oh, I mean one who can tell me what I did wrong and not want to walk out the door when I fuck something up.”
I took a bite. Wow. It was better than the memory burned into my mind of my friends pressuring me to eat lunch like I was anorexic. “Funny. I’ve been hoping a girl like that shows up for my brother.”
“You have a brother?”
He poured the wine. I finished my burger. He’d been right—I didn’t remember when I ate last. I put my napkin on my lap, holding my plate, ignoring the fries, and said, “Yeah. My brother was arrested briefly for beating the crap out of my ex. Judge exonerated him.”
He handed me a glass. “I like him already. I would have joined him if I knew you then.”
I picked up his hand and let his fingers wrap around mine. I squeezed his hand as I said, “You could probably kill him with these hands of yours.”
“I promise to be gentle with you.”
I laughed and closed my eyes as I imagined being with him and not breaking in half. “That would be nice. My therapist said I should honor my inner goddess and expect the next guy I love to be the best man I can imagine.”
Dwayne put his arms around me, sending my heart soaring. Yes, this was all temporary and the only reason I let him in. “And what do you imagine for this guy?”
“Just to be good to me and my son. I’ve not thought too deeply other than what I’ve already said. What about you, Dwayne?”
His gaze narrowed as his hands explored my body more freely. “What about me?”
I put my plate on the desk and then cupped his face. “What do you want in your woman besides for her to call you out on your crap?”
I tugged on his shirt. If he was staying, I needed to taste him soon. My skin burned for him.
“I’d like a woman who can dance with me, laugh with me, and… one that makes amazing cheeseburgers.”
I laughed, and he tossed his shirt on the floor.
Those muscles were all real. The red leaf with angel wings and a diamond caught my attention on his upper arm, but I stuck to