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His words brought tears to her heart. They were the sweetest words a man had ever spoken to her, and she could tell he meant them. "What now?" she asked. "What do we do now? About us?"

He shook his head as he flattened his hand over hers. "I don't know. I haven't been in this position before."

"You've never been close with a woman?"

He smiled faintly. "Did I tell you I don't like people?"

She laughed softly. "You did, actually. That includes women who think you're handsome and charming?"

He raised his brows. "I don't know. I've never met a woman who considers me handsome and charming."

She smiled. "That's a very unsubtle way of fishing for compliments."

He grinned. "Did it work?"

"Yes." She turned so she was fully facing him. "Jacob Hart, I find you both handsome and charming. And an amazing lover. Does that make you want to run away?"

He paused, and she knew he was actually considering the question. Looking inside to see how he felt. Then he shook his head. "Nope. Don't want to be anywhere but here."

Her smile seemed to bubble up inside her. "It's where I want to be as well."

His answering smile held a tenderness that was heart-meltingly sweet. He reached up and tangled his fingers in a lock of her hair, and then leaned in to kiss her.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

It was a slow, tender kiss of so much more than sex, and it made her insides turn to smushy jelly.

He kissed her for a long time, sitting there on the couch with her, one hand holding hers to his arm, the other in her hair.

It was intimate and tender, unlike anything she'd ever experienced, almost more intimate than making love, or at least in a different way.

After a long time, Jacob broke the kiss, but before she could miss him, he leaned back on the couch, and drew her down with him, nestling her against his body while he stretched out on his side, tucking her against him.

She wiggled around so that she was facing him, then laughed when she saw his frown. "What?"

"I had spooning plans. You can't be staring at me if we're going to spoon."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "We can spoon in a minute, but first I wanted to talk."

"Am I in trouble?" But his voice was teasing.

"I just want to tell you that you make me feel treasured, and I really appreciate it."

His smile faded. "You deserve to feel that way."

"Thank you." She took a breath, summoning courage, courage that might shatter the moment. "But there are still shadows in your eyes. I want to help those shadows fade. Is there a way I can help you?"

He was quiet for a moment. "When my family says something like that, I just want to get up and walk away. And I do. But when you say it…" He paused. "I feel hope. It's a flicker. Fleeting. But it's there."

She smiled. "Hope matters."

"Yeah." He leaned in and kissed her again.

She kissed him for a moment, then put her hand on his chest. "Talk to me, Jacob. How can I help you?"

"Mmm..." He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her against him.

She laughed and let him draw her against him. "You're not very subtle with your conversation avoidance."