Undaunted - Shirleen Davies Page 0,33
her face, a storm brewing in her eyes. “The thing is, I think you might want more than a few sweaty nights together. If that’s the case, you need to know anything long term isn’t going to happen.”
Hands clenching at her sides, she swallowed the hurt his comment prompted, lifting her chin. “Oh?”
“You and I are never happening again. There’d be no love and no expectation of it, as those feelings for you are long gone.” He waited a moment for her to absorb his words, a little surprised when she didn’t take her gaze away from his. “You want sex with no expectations, I’m your man. A few days or weeks, for as long as the threat continues. When you’re safe, that’s when it ends. Do you get me?”
Mouth dry, mind whirling at his words, she looked away, no longer able to hold his intense gaze. He’d take what she offered, as long as she had no expectations. She’d have access to his body, but not his heart. In truth, his heart was what meant the most to her.
“I see.” She was surprised at the firm response, feeling her entire body quake.
“We’ve always had great chemistry, so this could be a win-win for both of us. I don’t know how long it’s been for you. Doesn’t matter. For me, it’s been a while, and I’m ready for some hot times between the sheets.” Fuse winced as the color drained from her face. Protecting his heart was much more important than sparing the feelings of a woman who’d already dumped him once. The rest? Hell yes. He’d be all in if she was up for just sex. “What do you think?”
Fuse could see the rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips quivered ever so slightly. Not answering, she paced to the window, opening the thick wood slats to look out.
“You have a lovely place here, Scott. A real gem in a beautiful area. You must be very proud.” She didn’t turn to look at him, as if she were shoring up her courage.
Taking a few steps closer to her, he stopped several feet away. “As I told you, I knew it was what I wanted within minutes of seeing it.”
“It’s funny. I had the same reaction when we drove up.”
Fuse remembered feeling a perverse amount of victory at her reaction to his renovated ranch when he’d shown her around. The sense of triumph vanished the instant she realized another woman would share it with him. As always, she’d never been able to hide her feelings.
“It was everything we dreamed about.” She was proud at how strong her voice sounded, not betraying the pain in her heart. Moving a hand to her face, she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, continuing to stare outside.
Licking his lips, he nodded. “Yes.”
They both knew he’d fixed it up for a reason. He was going to have their dream, even if she would never share it with him.
Shifting away from the window, she met his gaze, forcing a small, strained smile. “You’ve done well, and I’m so proud of you, Scott.”
Fuse was the one with all the power. After all these years, working his ass off to become a success, he’d reached the pinnacle of his career as a SEAL. Being accepted as an Eternal Brethren, working alongside his brothers, was an honor he never expected to match.
Then why did he find no joy as he saw the play of emotions cross Brittany’s face? He’d wounded her. Watching her, he refused to offer comfort when the words had been intended to hurt her, stop any expectation of a second chance.
“Thank you.” The words sounded raw on his tongue, wrong to his ears.
“It’s time I got back to my work. The senator will be expecting a call within the hour with an update.” She refused to look at him as she passed him on the way to the hall.
“What about my offer?”
Gripping the door handle, she glanced over her shoulder. “It’s, um…interesting.” Biting her lower lip, she squared her shoulders. “It’s an offer I’ve no interest in accepting.”
Chapter Fourteen
Night Devils Clubhouse
Grizzly glared at the two men across the desk, wondering why Vulture had sent him across country to take over a club of dimwitted idiots. They were worse than he’d expected, and his expectations had been low.
“It’s a damn easy job with a big payoff.”
The club’s VP, Hammer, exchanged a look with Slider, their sergeant-at-arms. So far, Grizzly’s arrival had