Protecting Paris

Paris Donovan had a reputation.

The town knew her as easy, but she was the most challenging woman I’d ever met.

She was also the most beautiful, sweetest, and loneliest.

Soon, she’d be mine.

The agony of her past had her believing her dreams would never come true, but the moment I saved her from a threat she didn’t even know existed, she learned that she deserved more than an arbitrary fantasy.

She deserved a happily ever after, and I was going to give her one better than any fairy tale she could have imagined.

The flutter in my chest should have made me feel awakened, but instead, the butterflies froze dead from getting too close to my iced-over heart that nothing and no one could warm. He’d gotten closer than anyone had with nothing more than a look, then burrowed so deep I wanted nothing more than to stay hidden with him, so why did it terrify me? Because I’d die if he rejected me again. That’s why. Damage control. I had to do damage control. “What was your name again? Simon?”

I thought he’d back down, but instead, he smirked, and goddammit, he had a dimple. “It’s Scotty. You’re Paige, right?”

Shit. He was good, throwing me off my game. “It’s Paris.” I crossed my arms and tilted my head, ramping up my defense. “So Scotty. What do you want? Came back to see if you could get between my legs again as easy as last time?”

“Yeah, no.” His chest rumbled. “We’re not doing that.”

“I see. You’d rather me on my knees this time.”

“Stop it,” he growled.

I arched a brow. “Stop what? Saying out loud what you’re thinking in your head?”

“No. Stop pretending to be a bitch to keep me away.” He took a step toward me. “We’re not doing that.”

I stood my ground because if I didn’t, he might think I was affected by him when that wasn’t true. It was worse! But it was also one night, and as much as I wanted to believe in the fairy tale of it all, I was way too practical. I barely knew him even though looking at him right now made me feel like he was a part of my life forever. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t piss me off while we—”

“While we what?” I snapped. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? There is no we.” He made sure of that when he shooed me away like a lost puppy licking the ground he walked on for the smallest crumb of approval.

He got even closer, and I was mesmerized by the intensity on his features that I didn’t see him lift his arm until I felt the comfort of his finger trailing down the side of my face. “While we get to know each other.”

My throat got itchy, and my eyes stung. He was toying with me now. Getting to know each other was just code. “No.”

“No?” He squinted. “Can I ask why not?”

“Because I won’t let you.”

“Why is that?”

I couldn’t help it. My eyes got wet. I wanted to believe him, but if I did that, and things went bad, I could lose Bristol. She was the only friend I had, and I cherished her so much that losing out on the possibility of love was a risk I was willing to take in order to keep her friendship. And a part of me was still traumatized by the last guy I met for a date who punched me in the face when I wouldn’t put out. I wasn’t afraid of Scotty in that way, but I was still terrified. “It was a mistake, Scotty. The night was all romantic, and we’d been drinking, and it never should have happened. I’m sorry if I made you think differently.”

There. A logical explanation. Maybe he’d believe it because I sure didn’t. No matter how many excuses I used or lies I told, it wasn’t a mistake. It was magnificent.

“I disagree. I don’t think it was a mistake, but you’re worth the wait, so I’ll be here as long as it takes to prove it to you.” His eyes went to my sliding door. “How many cats do you have? Are there four of them in there?”

He sounded so sincere, but he wasn’t listening, and I wanted to scream. Why was he doing this? What was the point? And what kind of fool was I for wanting to push him away when I knew he was a good guy, and I was so attracted to him it made my heart skip a beat?

Because he’d go away. He’d betray me. Hurt me. Again. He’d do what every other man on the planet did, and I couldn’t go through it once more, especially not with him. “Why?”

“What happened that night, all of it?” He didn’t need me to acknowledge it because there was no denying something occurred. “Attraction is too tame a word. It was more like… an awareness, the answer to a question I never thought to ask. It was all-consuming. That’s never happened to me. Has it to you?”

I shook my head even though I should have continued fighting him.

“Right. So if you think I’m going to let something that precious slip through my fingers, you’re sorely mistaken. It wasn’t dumb luck that put me here. It was fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough shit in my life to know that when something good is close enough to touch, I’m gonna grab it and hold on.”

Precious.

I’ve never in my life been called precious, and I loved how light it made my body feel, like I was levitating. Even more so now, I needed him to give up. I simultaneously wanted to never see his face again and look at it every day until I died. He made me feel things I never had, and I didn’t want the inevitable to ruin what could potentially take the place of the coffee mug.

“Sure, there was something, then we acted on it, which wasn’t smart.” I powered through with the intention of ending this charade. He’d figure out how damaged I was, and he’d be disgusted, and then break my heart into a million pieces. “I know you’re Bristol’s friend. I know what you did for her, so I know you’re a good guy. But this”—I motioned back and forth between us—“isn’t going to happen. Not again.”

“It’s not?”

“No. We can forget anything happened between us and move past it and be friends for Bristol’s sake.”

He ran his fingers through that sexy-as-hell hair of his and snickered, and a tingle shot off low in my belly and settled deep in my core. “All right, sugar, if that’s what you want.”