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“The bastard raped you, didn’t he? He should have gone back to jail.” Max turned back to her, his arms dropping to his side, his face filled with rage, his fists clenching and releasing. “Death is too good for a bastard like him.”
Mia could feel Max’s entire body vibrating with anger, but she realized that he wasn’t angry with her. She held out her arms to him, and Max strode toward her, scooping her off the sofa and settling down with her on his lap, his arms tight around her. He hated Danny. And he trusted her, knew she hadn’t betrayed him willingly.
“He violated me. He didn’t rape me. He wanted me to suck him off...and I did. You were almost on the plane. You just needed a few more minutes. I didn’t care, Max. I would have done anything he wanted right at the moment, as long as he didn’t hurt you,” she told him desperately.
“Fuck! I would rather the bastard had killed me than to force you to do that…” Max’s voice trailed off, his face blanching, his expression slowly changing to one of realization. “The night you recovered your memory, in the shower…?”
“I still have nightmares about him. I was dreaming about it, and I woke up with my memory returning. I wanted to replace the bad memories with good ones. And I did,” she confessed.
“Shit. That had to be hard. You didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to. I wanted to so very badly. And itwashard. But it wasn’t difficult,” she said with a tremulous smile, trying to dispel some of the remorse she could see on his handsome face. “I’ve always wanted to, but you never seemed to want that, so I stopped trying.”
“Oh, baby…I wanted it. I wanted your sweet mouth on me so badly that I knew if it happened, I wouldn’t be able to stay controlled,” Max told her bluntly.
“It was good,” she told him with a tiny smile. “It will keep the nightmares away.”
“I’ll keep the nightmares away. You’ll never have bad dreams again. I’ll replace every moment of sorrow you’ve had with happiness. I swear I will,” he said fiercely, though his expression lightened.
Mia doubted that Max could force the Sandman to make all of her dreams good ones, but looking at his display of savage determination, she almost believed he could. And she certainly knew he’d try like hell to do it, even if he had to drag the fabled creature of folklore to their bedside every night to sprinkle magic sand in her eyes. Lifting her arms around his neck, she murmured, “Just love me like this forever. It’s enough.”
“I’ll never stop,” he agreed, the tension starting to leave his body. “Just promise me you won’t ever try to protect me again. Not at your own expense. I would have rather died than to let him lay a finger on you,” he growled.
Mia’s eyes filled with tears, the sincerity of Max’s statement, a re-avowal of what he’d said earlier, hitting her like a slug to the stomach.
My husband would die for me, just to avoid seeing me hurt.
Knowing she loved him just the same, she answered carefully. “I’m not sure I can make that promise. It wouldn’t have saved me, Max. Danny still would have hurt me that day. But it saved you.”
He brushed away her concern. “Promise,” he insisted.
“No,” she refused. “I can’t. Could you make the same promise? You said no more lies, and I won’t lie to you. I’d protect you if I could.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll just make damn sure you’re never in a position where you have to make that decision again. And no more running.”
She shook her head. “No more running,” she agreed.
“If you need to run, I’m going with you,” he announced adamantly. “If you had told me you needed to disappear, I would have arranged it…for both of us.”
“But your career, your business—”
“Don’t mean a damn thing without you. Do you think I’d give a flying fuck about money or anything else if you were in danger? I’d disappear with you, be presumed dead along with you to protect you and your brothers without hesitation.” His body tense once again, he shot her a laser-sharp, exasperated look.
Mia sighed, shooting him back an apologetic expression. “I’ve been through over two years of counseling, and it’s still hard to believe someone can love me like you do,” she confessed. “I’ve come a long way, but I’ll have my insecure moments,” she warned him. “I’ll still find it hard to absorb that it’s finally over. That we’re all safe now.” It was hard to comprehend the fact that Max would drop everything in his life for her. Sure, she’d learned to value herself, accept herself the way that she was by working things out with a good counselor, but accepting Max’s love was the hardest thing she’d ever done. What had she ever done in this life to deserve him?
“Take all the time you need, baby. I’ll convince you eventually,” he uttered quietly, his eyes unrelenting as they connected with hers, the love shimmering and flowing white-hot between the two of them, making Mia’s pulse hammer.
Stroking his hair, she told him, “You’re amazing, Max Hamilton.”
“Did you think so when I was smacking your ass?” he asked with a wicked look.
“Yes. It made me want to be naughty all over again,” she answered truthfully.
“Sweetheart, I want you to let me know if I ever scare you, or push your boundaries,” he warned her dangerously. “My control when it comes to you isn’t exactly reliable.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Max. And I never could be. I know you’d never hurt me. You make me feel safe.” Mia knew she’d never be frightened of Max, no matter how hard he pushed her with his bossiness. The man was an incredible mixture of arrogance and vulnerability, dominance and tenderness, and it fascinated the hell out of her. But she’d never be nervous about any of those qualities. Every part of Max turned her on. He wanted to protect her, and he’d give his life for her. She could never be afraid ofthatkind of love.
“You’re safe now, and I’m going to make damn sure you stay that way,” he grunted.