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said and looked down at their hands.
    Did she even notice that she was rubbing his fingers, playing with his hand? He was holding her hand to comfort her and yet here he was reveling in the touch of her fingers against his skin.
    “I’d kill him if they let me for all he did to you,” Max said fiercely.
    She looked up at him in surprise. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
    “I think when I saw you and helped you bring Jules into the world you were forever ingrained in my life.”
    He reached up to cup her cheek and she flinched away. It broke something in him to see her react instinctively like she was going to be hit. A man’s hands weren’t meant for hurting any woman. He’d show her that his hands would never hurt her.
    “I won’t hurt you,” Max said softly. “I’m going to touch your cheek, that’s all. Will you please let me?”
    Nicole gave a quick jerk of her head as a yes and he slowly touched her cheek. She whimpered, a sound that was a mix of fear and longing. Max didn’t move his hand, he left it there and when he tried to move it she placed her own fingers over his to keep their connection. It was a step, a huge step in the right direction. One where she could accept him and he could show her love.
    “I should go now,” he said huskily.
    “You’ll come back soon?” she asked quickly.
    “As many times as you want me too.” Max smiled. “How about we go into the city on Saturday and find Jules a costume?”
    “I never said yes to going,” she pointed out.
    “Will you go with me to a costume party and dress your son up as a peanut?” Max grinned as he asked.
    Nicole nodded. “I think I’d like that, but no to the peanut.”
    “Well, find something else then,” he answered. “One more thing.”
    She still held his hand against her cheek. “What?”
    “A kiss?”
    He waited anxiously for her response, would it be yes or no?
    “Yes,” she whispered, and he almost didn’t hear it.
    Max tempered his passion. She didn’t need the full force of his need. When that time came Max wanted her to ask for it, in that he’d give her the control and take his cues from her.
    “Push me away when you want me to stop,” he said against her lips.
    Nicole was so still as his lips touched hers that he wondered if she was frozen in fear. Her fingers tightened against his on her cheek, and he knew she was right there with him. He rubbed his lips against hers with gentle pressure and gave her lips a soft lick, asking for entry into her mouth. Nicole gave him access hesitantly and his first taste made him groan. Her tongue barely touched his and she imitated his movements and he felt like he’d been given the sweetest nectar in the universe. She gave him a precious gift of a kiss and he wanted to savor every second. He felt her hand against his chest gently pushing him away. Max pulled back without hesitation and held her hand against his heart.
    “Thank you for that, it means more to me than you’ll ever know,” he said huskily, and stood. He shrugged into his leather coat that was lying over the back of the sofa. “I’ll head out so you and the little guy can sleep.”
    “Text me and let me know you got home okay,” she said quickly from where she still sat.
    Max smiled. “You’re looking out for me, huh?”
    Nicole pursed her lips. “Someone has to. Text so I don’t worry… please?”
    “As soon as I walk through the door, I promise,” Max replied. “Lock up behind me.”
    “Okay.”
    He stepped out into the cool night and waited to hear the locks being put in place before he went down the steps from her upstairs apartment. If he was a guy who could skip in joy he probably would’ve. Instead, he just grinned like a fool as he got into his car. It was the most he’d smiled in a long time because he felt his face ache from muscles that usually scowled. It took him a little over an hour to weave his way through traffic back to lower Manhattan and his empty apartment. Compared to the