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She looks up at me, her lips parted. “This is a bad idea,” she says, but she’s not convincing either of us.

“I don’t care.”

I step into her space, press her back against the cool metal of the counter, and kiss her. Not soft, not gentle—just all the heat and hunger that’s been building since the first moment I saw her. She makes a sound in her throat and grabs my shirt, twisting it in her fists, pulling me closer.

I break the kiss for air, forehead pressed to hers. “You’re mine,” I say, and she doesn’t disagree.

“Shut up and kiss me.” She tugs my shirt, brings me back down for another kiss—hotter, deeper. I let myself lose control for a second, hand tracing the line of her jaw, down her neck, resting on her hip. She sighs into my mouth, and it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.

When we finally break apart, she’s breathless, lips bruised and eyes wild.

Holy hell, she looks wrecked. Good. I want her marked up by me and no one fucking else. I step in, just close enough to smell her skin, and I know damn well the point of no return is long gone.

But she catches her breath and glares at me like she wants to set me on fire. “I think we need to get a few things straight,” she says, voice rough but firm, and damn if that doesn’t make my cock twitch. “I don’t do casual. And I don’t share.”

Fuck. The words hit me dead center. Caveman pride surges up as I crowd her against the counter, fists digging into the metal so I don’t just throw her over my shoulder and haul her upstairs to prove my point.

“Good,” I tell her, voice low. “Because I don’t do casual either. And if any motherfucker even thinks about touching you, I’ll break his fucking neck.”

She stares at me, waiting for the bullshit. But that’s it. I mean every word, and she can see it.

Her mouth quirks, almost a smile. “You’re intense, Bones.”

Damn right I am.

“I’m all in, Eden. You’re mine. And I sure as hell don’t share.” I nip her lower lip for emphasis, just hard enough to get her eyes blazing again.

She hums in her throat, satisfaction mixing with heat.

We understand each other. No games. No bullshit.

Just us.

She laughs, and it’s real—light, shaking, relieved. The sound of her laughter does stupid things to my insides, but I don’t let up. I watch her, drink in the sight of those flushed cheeks and the set of her jaw. It’s like the air changes around us, becoming sharper, clearer, and I know I’m making progress with her.

She schools her mouth, hides her smile behind her teeth. “I’m willing to give you a shot, Bones.” Her voice is low, steady. “But we need to set some rules. I don’t do second chances. You screw this up, I’m done. No arguments, no groveling.”

That’s my little hellcat. I want to kiss her again, but I want to settle this first.

“Baby, I only need one shot,” I growl, forehead dipping to hers. “Once you’re mine, you stay mine. I won’t ever fuck this up.”

“We’ll see,” she breathes out, and I hear her stomach growl loudly, breaking up the intensity of the moment.

“You hungry?” I ask. Fuck. Did she even get lunch today? Goddamn it. I need to do better than letting her work all day long without eating. I make a mental note to make sure she gets something to eat no matter how busy we get.

“Starving,” she says.

“Let’s get some dinner.” I pull out my phone. “Do you like pizza?”

Her stunning eyes light up. “Do bears shit in the woods?”

I laugh and pull up the local pizza joint’s app. “Have you ever had Mario’s special Italian pie?”

“Oh my God.” She laughs. “Now, you’re speaking my love language.”

I hurry up and put in our order, then we end up back in the apartment above the garage, sharing pizza and her favorite diet soda. She sits cross-legged on the couch, hair down and cheeks still flushed, and it’s all I can do not to drag her into my lap and take her right there.

But I wait, not wanting to rush and fuck this up.

Later, as I say goodnight at her door, she looks at me with those impossible hazel eyes and says, “Don’t make me regret this, Bones.”

I brush my knuckles over her cheek. “You won’t.”