She didn’t like a word he said. Conversely, she liked everything he said. That’s what he did to her, confused her until she didn’t know how to think or feel. She liked that he noticed her. She secretly liked that he was jealous, but the rest of it . . . Even that. She needed help. He was making her crazy. She decided the best course of action was to carry on with her story because she was making a point.

“I didn’t date. Not ever. You know I hadn’t been with anyone.”

“Which is one of the reasons you didn’t find yourself over my knee.”

She started laughing. She couldn’t help it, and the sound startled her.

“What’s so funny about that?” he growled, his chin settling on her shoulder.

“That’s such a you thing to say. If you’re trying to convince me I’m safe with you, that’s not the thing to say.”

“You are perfectly safe with me. That doesn’t mean I won’t protect what’s mine. You don’t go anywhere in dresses like that without me right next to you.”

She wasn’t touching that. Not even a little bit. “The point I’m trying to make here, Elijah, is that I never had a home, and that hurt. My grandfather wasn’t who I thought he was, and that hurt. The man he chose for me really wasn’t the man I thought he was, and that hurt big-time. I’ve had enough of being alone. I’ve had enough of never feeling loved. I want that. I don’t want to be hurt. You could hurt me. You did hurt me. The way you hurt me was worse than all the rest of it.”

She knew what she was admitting. She’d had feelings for him long before she’d ever driven the wine over. She had known she was being ridiculous, but she’d still fallen in love with the mythical man—especially after they had ignited together. She thought he felt the same way—that what they had together was love burning so hot and bright they wouldn’t ever be able to be apart. She’d been wrong. Way wrong. She knew she’d been naïve. It had been just sex. Raw. Hot. Over-the-top chemistry.