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Hearing her say it out loud made the reason sound ridiculous. Had I changed my looks because of her?

Fuuuck.

“I got lazy and canceled my hair appointments.” I dismissed it with a wave of my hand.

Laughing, she raked a hand through my hair,ruffling it.

“Oh yeah? I can’t see you as the forgetful type.” She styled my hair with her fingers. “You have a gorgeous head of dark brown hair. It makes me feel special that I inspired this look.”

Kiera tilted her head, studying me. “The shaggy style looks good on you.” She kissed my cheek. “But I also love the clean-cut look. You look fabulous regardless of what style you choose. You’re the hottest nerd I know.”

Her words blazed through me like sunshine on the Equator, irrevocably searing.

I flipped her onto her back, loving her softness against my body. “Are you saying you’ll still find me attractive if I’m bald?”

I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her floral scent.

She giggled and squeezed my cock, rubbing her thumb over the crown. “I findhimextremely handsome, and he’s bald.” He twitched, loving her touch.

“I can fuck you all night.” I brushed her hair away from her face and studied her gorgeous features. Those brown eyes could see into me, and those lips were made for me. “How are you feeling? Still dizzy from fainting? I’ll help you fight the fear.”

“Thank you.” She offered a warm smile. “I’m dizzy from the orgasms. I don’t remember anything about today other than them.” She pinched my assplayfully.

There was one question that never left my brain since our first night together. “Did you faint that night at the hotel and then wake up? Was that why you left suddenly?” Maybe she hadn’t wanted me to see her in a vulnerable light.

She twisted her lips. “Are we going to talk about this now?”

“We have to, Kiera. It’s been bothering me.”

Resigned, she touched my face delicately. “It has nothing to do with you. That night with you was unforgettable. You ruined me for other men.”

Joy burst in me. “Then my deed is done. I can die a happy man.” I buried my face in her throat, wanting to feel her pulse. “You ruined me for other women too.”

“We’re each other’s ruination . . . a destruction so that something new can be built.”

I cupped her face in my hands. “I love that mind of yours. So if I wasn’t the problem, what happened?”

“I got an urgent call that my mom was admitted to the hospital. Her health took a nosedive during that time. She’s my only family, so I left. I didn’t want to wake you. It wasn’t your problem.”

If anyone knew what it felt like to have a family member ill or on their deathbed, it was me.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Why didn’t you contact me after?”

“I was scared.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’d never had a one-night stand before, Forrest. It was a detour from my normal dating routine. So that was something I had to come to terms with, and the stress of my mom’s health made it worse. I assumed we both got what we wanted that night, and that was that.” She paused for breath and looked at me. “You didn’t reach out to me either.”

“I had a lot going on too. I had to deal with an old enemy. Besides, I’d assumed you weren’t interested, so I dropped the idea even though I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“What kind of enemy? Do you have a lot of enemies in business? The medical field?”

Fuck. I hadn’t meant to share that detail. She’d been so honest with me, I forgot I had to filter my answers regarding my personal vendetta. The second enemy I’d been after was caught the day after we’d hooked up. Like her, my mind had been on other things. Despite that, I didn’t want her anywhere near the darkness surrounding me. She was too bright and innocent for that kind of world.

I had to craft an answer that was the truth, but also kept her safe.

“It doesn’t matter what field you’re in. Success comes with enemies.” I smoothed out her hair. “We’ve lost so much from assumptions. Let’s not do that anymore, okay? I want you to share anything that concerns you with me.”

“Same here.” A hint of sadness gleamed in her eyes. It wasn’t my intention to ruin the mood for tonight.

A question swam in her eyes, but she didn’t ask.