Andra lifted his hand, leaving a kiss just above a raw place where he’d scraped off the skin on the pavement today. “I can deal with the attacks, you know. Have been for years now. But what I hate is that even now, when I’m here in your home, you won’t let me in. That you’re suddenly afraid to touch me.”

He stole his hand back from her and tipped her chin up with one knuckle, smiling the way only she made him smile: with his whole chest and all his heart. “I’m not afraid of you, Cassandra Lawler.”

“Prove it.” She reached down and pulled her shirt up and over her head.

Twenty-nine

LJ got up and closed the shed door before any of his neighbors could see inside. “Taking off your shirt in public is not the way to keep me from getting in fights, Rodeo Queen.”

Even as he teased her, he couldn’t help the smile tugging up the corners of his mouth, because he loved the brave, unequivocal way she’d chosen to show him that she trusted him. That she welcomed his touch even on a day like today, when all his rough edges were showing.

By the time he turned around, she had her bra off, too. Her breasts were small and stood out pertly, capped with pale-pink nipples that reminded him of every dirty thought he’d had in the last ten years. He went hard so fast it almost hurt.

She reached into his shorts.

His eyes widened as she gripped the base of his cock in one hand and shoved the elastic waistband down out of her way with the other. It had been way too hot today to wear anything under his shorts, and he was so, so glad.

“Uh, oh God . . .” He blinked.

Andra smiled, her face lightening. She explored all the way up to his tip before she trickled her fingertips back to the base. “So that’s what it takes to finally knock you speechless. I’d wondered.”

She gave him a tentative squeeze. The pleasure expanded into the base of his spine with an itching pressure that wanted to thrust.

“I gotta sit down,” he muttered, feeling behind him for the weight bench and then sitting down with one leg on each side. Her eyes were warm and soft when she looked at him, and that was half of what was making it hard to stay on his feet.

He’d always hated people being afraid of him, but no one’s trust had ever meant as much as hers. She looked at him like she saw something better than everyone else was seeing. Like he was something better.