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  The vehicle came to a skidding halt just inches from where the guy stood. He still hadn’t moved away from me, maybe a little bit stunned that he’d almost gotten hit by the truck.

  My heart was beating so hard and fast it hurt, sweat beading my body, adrenaline rushing through me fiercely.

  And then the driver side door opened, and I heard twin boots hit the gravel before the person came around the front of the truck and I realized who it was.

  Alfie.

  He glanced in my direction and then looked at the man holding me. I saw this rage like I’d never seen before cross Alfie’s face. I could see his hands were clenched tightly at his sides, watched as his chest rose and fell as he breathed harder.

  Before I knew what was happening, Alfie had his hand around that asshole’s throat, hauling him away from me and slamming him against the hood of his truck. Alfie leaned in low, so close to the guy’s face that I could see the prick’s eyes widen at the proximity.

  Alfie’s mouth moved as he spoke, but I couldn’t hear what he said. It was too low and deep, the sound of the blood rushing in my ears still very much prevalent, the rumble of the truck engine drowning out everything else.

  Long seconds passed of just Alfie staring at the guy so intently I actually felt a shiver race up my spine. I swallowed, my trepidation having nothing to do with what had almost happened and everything to do with what could happen in the next moment.

  He stepped back and the guy straightened, stumbling away, his eyes wide as he looked at Alfie. He looked terrified. And then he ran away, tripping over his feet in the process before finally disappearing around the corner.

  I stood there for a long moment just staring at where the guy had run off to, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t even say anything. I was shocked and scared, my body so tight it felt like someone had poured cement in my veins. Then, slowly, Alfie turned to look at me. The rage was now gone on his face and in its place was clear concern. It was then I exhaled sharply, realizing I’d been holding my breath.

  I felt dizzy for a moment before I sagged against the car, my nerves shot, my hands starting to shake. He said nothing as he walked over to me, pulled me into his arms, and just held me. I rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes and listening to the steady beat of his heart. It calmed me, took the bad feeling away from me, just washed it off like it he was cleaning off a dry erase board.

  I didn’t know how long he stood there, but Alfie didn’t say anything, didn’t move. He just held me, giving me the comfort I needed. It was as he held me in his arms, as I rested my head on his chest, that I realized how scared I’d actually been.

  Reality set in, the adrenaline started to fade, and I knew if he wasn’t holding me, I would’ve fallen to the ground.

  “If you hadn’t shown up….” I whispered but didn’t finish my words. I didn’t know if he’d heard me over the rumble of the engine. But I felt his arms tighten around me and knew he had.

  “I don’t want to fucking think about that,” he said against my temple and then gave me a soft kiss. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.” His voice sounded so thick, so tight.

  I pulled back but still had my arms around his waist. I tipped my head up and looked at him, seeing how his brows were pulled down low in concern, the worry on his face still painfully etched in his expression. I wanted to lift my arm and run my finger between his eyes, smooth away the pain it was clear he felt.

  “What did you say to him?” Maybe I didn’t want to know. Maybe I did? But whatever he said to that guy had him looking at Alfie like his life hung in that one moment.

  And I had a feeling it had been.

  He didn’t answer for long seconds, and I wondered if he would. He cupped my cheek, his hand big and warm, the feeling of callouses on the digits telling me what a strong, hardworking man he was.

  “I told him there wasn’t anything more dangerous than when the woman a man loved was threatened.” He stared into my eyes, and all I wanted to do was get lost in them. “I told him I should kill him for thinking he could put his hands on you, that I would have beat the living shit out of him if you weren’t watching.” He swallowed, and I heard how thick his voice was, how real those words were for him. “I told him if he didn’t leave right then, I wouldn’t be able to control the violence that I brought down on him.” His voice went tighter, harder. I felt the danger and reality of his words setting in.

  He pulled me close again, and I hissed out as my banged-up knee came in contact with his denim-clad thigh. He pulled back and looked down at my leg.

  “Fuck.” He said that lone word harshly. He snapped his gaze up and looked into my eyes. “Let me take you to my place and take care of you.”

  I didn’t answer right away. Nothing had ever sounded more perfect.

  “Please. Let me take care of you, Daphne.” Alfie sounded desperate, and I licked my lips and nodded.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, but really, I wanted to say so much more. Really, I wanted to rise up on my toes and press my lips to his, to tell him how in love I was with him. But instead, after we gathered all my stuff off the ground, I slipped my hand in his and let him lead me to his truck.

  Chapter Eight

  Alfie

  Maybe I shouldn’t have brought her back to my place, but on instinct, I wanted her to be in my domain, surrounded by my things… a safe place where I could tend to her.

  I had her sitting on a chair, kneeling in front of her as I tended to her knees. She hissed softly when I cleaned them off with some peroxide, and I snapped my gaze up to look in her face.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. I hated that she was hurt, and I fucking loathed myself that I added anymore pain.

  She gave me a soft smile. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She glanced down at her knees. “Funny how such little scratches could hurt so badly.”

  I looked back down at her knees. I wouldn’t have called them “little scratches,” not with how the skin had been scraped off when she must’ve fallen. But Daphne was a strong woman. She always had been.

  “It looks like it hurts like a bitch.” I went back to working on cleaning up her knees. My anger still pounded through me as I thought about that motherfucker harassing her. The things he called her, the way he tried to touch her… I should have fucking killed him for it.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that. Hear it.” She added that last part softly, and I hated she felt any kind of shame.

  I leaned back on my haunches and stared up at her. I wanted to hold her, to kiss her. I wanted to tell her so much. But I was a fucking coward. “Daphne, people in this world can be worthless fuckers. You are so much better than him, than all of the bullshit he threw at you.” I had to curl my fingers into my palms to stop myself from reaching out and touching her. “And I’m glad I was there to protect you.” I clenched my jaw. “I should have killed him.” I hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud, but as soon as it left my lips, when I saw her eyes widen, I knew I’d let it slip.

  I wasn’t a violent man, didn’t let aggression control me, but when it came to Daphne and someone hurting her, even if that pain came from words, it was like this beast took me over. Couldn’t stop myself as I’d sworn to beat the shit out of that asshole if he didn’t run.

  And I’d do it all over again.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” I uttered and added a bit of antibiotic cream on her knees before putting a bandage on them. That was a lie about being sorry. I wasn’t, because I’d do anything to make sure she was safe.

  Then I just sat there on my knees in front of her, staring at her, my heart thundering. She started breathing a little harder. I saw her pupils dilate, watched as she parted her lips slightly.

  I don’t know why seeing all those things turned me on, but I felt my body react to her.

  I wanted to tell her how I felt, what she meant to me. I wanted to explain that even though this might be the craziest fucking thing both of us could experience,
all it had taken was one look at her to know she was supposed to be in my life.

  She was supposed to be my girl.

  She was always meant to be mine.

  “Alfie?” The way she said my name like a question, this little tremor in her voice, had me rising up. I was still on my knees, but we were at eye-level now, our breathing increasing as the seconds ticked by.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered as I stared into her pretty blue eyes.

  She didn’t respond, and for long seconds, I just reveled in the color, so blue and bright the shade almost seemed artificial.

  “There’s so much I want to say,” she whispered, and I found myself leaning in.

  I wasn’t imaging this, right? The way she was reacting, the tone of her voice, her dilated pupils… she wanted me.

  God, want me, Daphne.

  “There’s so much I want to say too,” I admitted. I heard the sharp inhalation of her breathing and knew my words affected her.

  Just say what you’ve always wanted to say. Stop letting time and fear steal her from you.

  “There wasn’t a day that went by in all these years that I didn’t think about you. That I didn’t want you, Daphne.” I reached out and cupped her cheeks. “There isn’t anyone in this world that I hold closest to my heart than you.” I smoothed my thumb along her cheek. “Time and distance may have separated us…” God, could I say the words?

  Yes. Because she deserved to know.

  “But for me, it’s always you, Daphne.” I let it hang between us. She stayed silent, and as the seconds ticked by, I worried I’d fucked up. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” I heard the pleading tone of my voice. I needed her to know what I was saying, to really understand the words.

  I continued to stroke my thumb across her cheek, marveling at how silky she felt, how perfect she was. For me. Only me. No other woman had even had a chance compared to Daphne. And I knew they never would. If she refused me, refused to give us chance, I had no fucking doubt in my mind I’d live one hell of a lonely life.

  “What are you saying?” Her voice hitched as she asked that.

  You know, baby. God, you know, and you feel it too. I sense it, see it, hear it in the way your breath hitches. There has to be a chance for us.

  “Daphne.” Fuck, my voice was thick, barely audible. Tell her the truth. The truth. “I haven’t been with anyone, Daphne. Anyone. I can’t get hard for anyone but you.” There, I’d said it, told her one of the deepest secrets I held inside me. “I’ve only wanted to be with you. I’ve only ever wanted you.” I held my breath as I stared at her, watched her expression as she really let my admission sink in.

  I love you. I want you to be mine. Only mine. Please be mine, Daphne.

  “You’re my everything.” Fuck, my voice was so damn thick.

  And as the seconds ticked by, all I could think about was her reaction. Would she tell me she had to leave? Would she tell me I’d crossed a line? A million and one things passed through my mind as I thought about the “what ifs.”

  But then she did something I hadn’t expected. She leaned forward and kissed me, had her hands on my cheeks, cupping my face. I felt my eyes widen, the shock filling me. But dammit, this felt good. She felt right. Perfect.

  I groaned, a sound I couldn’t hold in even if my life depended on it.

  The kiss started off soft, almost tentative. Slow and sweet. It was taking everything in me to hold off from taking control, to let her do this at her own pace, her own time. Her warm, sweet breath moved along my lips, and I felt the slightest tremble of her lips against mine.

  The light pressure of her mouth on mine let me know this was real, that I wasn’t fantasizing about this like I had a hundred different times.

  But Daphne pulled away far too soon, and I couldn’t stop the gruff sound of disappointment that left me. I wanted to bring her back to my mouth, to devour her lips, plunge my tongue inside the sweet, hot depths of her and never let go.

  “Daphne,” I groaned her name. “Baby.” I couldn’t stop the endearment as it spilled from my mouth. “I’ve thought about that kiss every day for years. Years.”

  “I have too,” she said softly.

  I couldn’t stop myself from standing, from pulling her up so she stood, so her body was only an inch from mine. I slid my hand behind to cup her nape. Her skin was so soft, so warm.

  I wrapped my other arm around her waist, pulling her so she was flush with me. She felt so fucking good. The way her breasts pressed against my chest had my cock jerking, the fucker already so damn stiff, so thick and hard for Daphne.

  Fuck. I didn’t want to be a dirty bastard, not with her, never with Daphne. She deserved so much more. But that passion, that rawness I felt for her, that I’d kept bottled up for years, that grew until it consumed me, tried to claw its way out, push forward, take Daphne as its own. My desire was like its own fucking entity living inside me, and it wanted Daphne with a ferociousness that made me feel insane.

  I might never have been with a woman before, but I’d spent so much fucking time envisioning all the things I wanted to do to the woman I loved. And although I had no sexual experience, I knew without a doubt I could make her feel good. I could please her.

  “I’ve wanted to hear you say those words for so long, Alfie.” Her voice was thick, her emotions as clear as my own.

  I rested my forehead against hers, closed my eyes for a long moment, and struggled with my emotions and everything I felt. “Me too, Daphne. Me. Too.” I pulled back and opened my eyes, seeing all those raw, untamed emotions covering her face. I knew I wore the same ones. “I love you, Daphne. Can’t you see that now? Can’t you hear that in my voice, see it in my eyes?” I stared into her blue pools. “And as I stood in front of you right before I left for work, before I left town, I wanted to tell you all of these things. But I was afraid, a coward. I couldn’t risk losing you hearing you say you didn’t want me too and then having to leave.” I cupped her cheeks in my hands, pleading with her without saying anything more.

  Her body felt good against mine, her softness to my hardness. This wasn’t about sex, wasn’t about anything else except telling Daphne what she meant to me. Because I couldn’t have kept that inside me any longer.

  “I’ve never wanted anyone else. I’ve never been with anyone, because all I wanted was you,” she finally admitted.

  A shuddering breath left me after she spoke. I felt like my heart plummet to my stomach, my fingers tingled, and I felt lightheaded. “God, Daphne,” I said so gravelly I didn’t even know if she understood me. “I’ve never been with anyone either,” I repeated. “I’ve saved myself for you. Only you.”

  The heat between us was tangible, the chemistry and electricity leaving me on a ledge. I didn’t know if I’d ever find solid ground again. I didn’t want to leave this moment. I wanted to stay in this little bubble of perfection where it was just the two of us, where nothing could touch what we had.

  My entire body was strung tight, my heart racing.

  “I crave you,” I said, the words coming out of me on their own.

  “Kiss me,” she said slowly, softly.

  Fuck, there was nothing I wanted more than to do just that, but I had to let her know we didn’t have to do more than what we were currently doing. Talking.

  “Daphne, sweetheart, we don’t have to do anything but talk. Just being here with you is good enough for me.”

  She shook her head. “So much time has passed. All I want is you. Finally.”

  This was what finally being happy, finally living was about… felt like.

  Because I never had a chance of living without her.

  I leaned in an inch, our mouths so close if I said one word they’d brush together. “Tell me what you want, Daphne, and it’s yours.” I had my hand on the back of her head, keeping her close, a part of me afraid she’d leave. I tangled the strands in her hair. “Because all I want is you.”

  “I want you, Alfie.”

  “Then let
me give you what you want. What I want.”

  Chapter Nine

  Daphne

  Every part of my body was on fire. I was wet, needy. Ready. The synapses in my brain were firing rapidly, my thoughts fuzzy and unfocused. All I could think about was being with Alfie and not worrying about anything that would happen afterward.

  Repercussions.

  Worries and fears.

  Crossing that friendship line.

  Because right now, it all felt so perfect. I’d been waiting for this moment for so long that having it right in front of me almost seemed dreamlike. Unreal.

  But God, it was so real. The feel of his warm breath along my skin. The gentle glide of his fingers against my cheek. The taste of him still lingering on my lips and tongue.

  I pushed everything else aside and just gave in to this moment.

  I gave in to Alfie.

  With my hands on his biceps, I just let myself feel him. He was hard and strong beneath my fingers, and his arms around me kept me pressed right up against his body. And then there was the feeling of his length digging into my belly, his erection big and hard. Long and thick.

  He didn’t act ashamed about his arousal, that it was clear and evident I felt it.

  “I’m going to give you whatever you want, Daphne. Anything. Everything.”

  Hearing him say that, declaring that, had my heart racing impossibly harder.

  I just wanted to be wrapped up in everything that was Alfie. He made me feel safe, protected, but most of all wanted.

  God, he made me feel wanted.

  He’d always made me feel so beautiful.

  Desire slammed into me, made everything so clear, made me so hyperaware of every little thing. I knew I wouldn’t stop this from going further. I wouldn’t stop this from going all the way.

  My heart was in my throat, beating wildly, intensely, threatening to choke me. The flavor of him on my lips from our earlier kiss was more potent than anything I’d ever tasted before.