“I might not know your history or your family, but I’ve worked with you for more than three years. I know the kind of man you are. You’re hardworking, dedicated, smart as hell, a good leader, respected by the rest of the crew—”

“I get in fights, I’ve been a shit to my family for years, I push people away before they can try to get close, I’ve never in my life had a close friend—” He cut himself off, blowing out another hard breath. She could feel him shaking his head, but even more telling were his words.

He’d never had friends because he’d felt out of place from the time he was a little boy. He was different. He was amazing, in her eyes, but he’d always been different from everyone else. She had a little experience with that herself, having been absorbed by her passion for renovating houses even as a kid. That wasn’t normal, and she’d taken shit for it, but thankfully she’d still had some really good friends along the way. Hayden from almost the beginning, and others here and there, some of whom she still kept in touch with.

Cole hadn’t had that. He hadn’t trusted anyone enough to let them really get to know him and his differences. Ever, she realized now. Not the kids at school, not his brothers, not his coworkers, not any women along the way.

Her heart ached for him, for the loneliness he must feel. And the fear, still today, he apparently felt about letting someone know him.

That he had opened up this much to her made her breath catch. She instinctively knew it was more than he’d let anyone else in, and that was likely what caused him to panic at her place the other night.

“Have you ever spent an entire night with a woman?” she asked, remembering their conversation from the other night and suspecting his answer before he said it.

He blew out a humorless laugh. “No.”

“But you think you can do it tonight?” she asked gently, all hints of her earlier refusal to leave gone.

“I want to, but…” He went silent and she waited for the but.

“Cole?”

“I don’t want to mislead you.”

“You don’t want me to think we’re in a relationship. Because you don’t do relationships. Because they’re confusing.”

He laughed a little. “You definitely get full credit for listening. But where do we draw the line? I like being with you. I love the hell out of ravishing you. But I’m not capable of anything more.”

“Maybe I’m not asking for anything more.”

Yet.