Free Sweet Seduction Sacrifice by Nicola Claire

to be around to hear it when it does. You wear your work clothes as though they are tailor made for you, every curve defined, hinting at what beauty lies beneath. You have a backbone in there, I saw it. When you threw those flowers out and didn't care what anyone thought of you destroying over five hundred dollars worth of goods on the street." He sighed and pulled me closer, his face softening. "You clean your store - a store you would lay down your life for - in socks whilst singing at the top of your lungs. How can I not want any of that?"
    He'd seen me, really seen me, in less than a day. How was that possible? And not once did he mention Brett. He didn't define me by what I had done with Brett, by the mistakes I had made. He didn't judge me, or pigeon hole me because I had a criminal ex-boyfriend who was on radar. Everything he had said he had witnessed today, first hand.
    He wanted me.
    Holy crap.
    "I think I need a drink," I said under my breath and pushed firmly against his chest. He started laughing, but let me go.
    "I bare my soul and you step away," he muttered as though to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.
    "You have to admit, you move fast," I offered, taking a large gulp of my beer, but not feeling anywhere near as uncomfortable about his intentions as I had before. Just feeling slightly overwhelmed and ridiculously turned on. I needed space to breathe, but I no longer needed it to run from him.
    Not that I had openly accepted every word he had said, but I had to admit to myself that it was impressive. That he was impressive. That I was drawn to him before he spoke those beautiful words and now I had no hope of ever pulling away again.
    "I know what I like when I see it, sweetheart. And I like the look of you."
    I stared at him for a beat, then slowly lifted my bottle to my lips, still holding his intense blue-blue gaze.
    "Do you always get what you like?" I asked.
    He smiled, that sexy, ohmigod smile. "Always."
    "I may not be what you've bargained for," I added, trying to be nonchalant.
    His smile widened, if that was at all possible. "I do hope so," he said, not looking away.
    I swilled the beer around in the bottom of the bottle, knowing the fizz would be destroyed, but no longer caring.
    "I can be difficult," I said, from out of nowhere. Admitting faults was not a great way to impress. But Brett had called me difficult. Many times. A thorn in his side, the millstone around his neck. A bubble of laughter came up and escaped through my lips. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into," I muttered, staring at the floor.
    "I like what I see so far," he admitted softly, then suddenly appeared before my eyes, taking the bottle from my hand and placing it on a nearby table. He lifted his hands and took hold of both of mine, resting them against his hard chest, his thumbs running over the back of them, sending shivers across my skin. "I want to see where this takes us. And while you need protection, I'll be your bodyguard."
    "You'll what?" I asked amazed.
    His hand came up and brushed a few strands from my face. "I can protect you."
    "What about Ben?"
    "He can get to work on finding Elliott, the sooner he's under control, the safer you'll be."
    I stared at him for a moment, letting all of that sink in. Getting Brett under control, as he said, was important, but Ben was a trained bodyguard - I assumed - and Dominic was not.
    "You're a lawyer," I stated, obviously.
    "There is more to me than my law degree," he answered, still stroking his thumbs over my skin. "I intend to show you just what."
    I huffed a breath out in frustration. There was no way Dominic could take on bad guys if they came knocking. He had manicured fingernails for God's sake.
    "What if I don't want you to be my bodyguard? And just what do you think a bodyguard does anyway?"
    "You don't have a choice in this, sweetheart. The moment you licked me, your choice was already made."
    "What?" I demanded, incredulously. What did he just