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“Tyson is zero of those things.” Eve gave her a reassuring smile. “If you are going to take a risk, take a risk on him. Now, I’m going to get breakfast.” Eve glanced at me. “I’ll tell Mum you’re busy.”

After what Layla had just said, I was going to be busy. Busy proving to her and reminding her I wasn’t any of those things.

Eve closed the door after her.

“You really think I’ll hurt you?” I asked, my eyes on her back.

She looked over her shoulder. “I’m not going to give you the opportunity to.”

That was a punch to my guts. What did I have to say to prove to her she needed to take a risk on me?

“I won’t hurt you, Layla.” My hand ran up her back and I didn’t know why but what I had just said made her go stiff.

“Dad used to say the same thing.” She ripped her eyes off me and threw the blankets back, getting up.

“Cyrus hurt you?”

She shook her head, keeping her mouth clamped shut.

Why did I have a strong feeling her whole ‘no relationship’ thing came directly from her father. Suddenly I hated Cyrus for a new reason.

I got up, just before she ripped my top off her. “Can you at least stay?” I put my hands on her hips and pulled her in. “Just one day out of your life, spend it with me?” I wanted her to feel comfortable with me. Relaxed. That was only going to happen if she was around me and learned to trust me. “Watch bad movies with me and stay in bed?”

“You want to stay in bed all day?”

“With you, yes.”

She was thinking about it.

“Come on, it’s the weather for it.” I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to me. I saw her glance out the window. It was one of those rare summer days where it was raining. Most likely it was still hanging around from the storm last night. “Come on, Layla. One day. Just with me.”

She sighed, debating. I kissed her cheek, then the corner of her mouth, and then, when I wanted her lips, she pulled away.

“You sure your parents won’t mind?”

I grinned. She was totally going to agree. “Believe it or not, I’m allowed to have girls over.”

“Then if that is the case, why don’t you?” She tilted her head back, looking up at me.

I couldn’t really answer that without freaking her out. I couldn’t tell her the truth that she was the first female I’d trusted and liked enough to bring home. I trusted her to be near Hannah and Eve. I knew she wasn’t going to freak out with my parents being who they were. And most of all, I liked her. Really liked her.

I always knew whatever girl I brought home I would have to be serious about.

“You’re just special.” And that was summing up what she meant to me lightly. There was something about her. I didn’t know what but maybe it was because she was the whole package. Anyway, I was addicted to her. I had been since I first laid eyes on her.

It wasn’t just her body; it was all sides to her. Her friendship with Hannah, her loyalty to her club, her love for her family. And I knew she had given me one shot and I blew it. So now I had to prove to her I was worth a second shot.

I ran my hands down to her sides and, as if she knew how much it pleased me when she came to me, she slowly curved into me.

If she was staying, that meant I could repeat last night. I dipped my head. Yeah we were repeating last night. I wanted to see that expression on her face again and I wanted to hear her again.

Then my door flung open and I groaned.

“Why the fuck don’t you knock?!” I yelled, and Layla jumped at my sudden outburst.

Mum frowned. “You’ve got someone with you.”

“Yes. Didn’t Eve tell you that?”