Tamed (Corcoran Team: Bulletproof Bachelors Book 3) by Helenkay Dimon

here.”
    “You’re the one I want to get away from.” The words shot out of her before she could call them back.
    Instead of being offended, he smiled. His hand caressed her cheek and he moved in closer. “Am I?”
    She had no idea what this was or how to react. She knew what she wanted to do but went with dropping her head back against the door. “You’ve made it clear you’re not interested.”
    “Now who’s clueless?” His hands rested on either side of her waist, and his stance widened until his legs straddled hers.
    “You practically ran out after we kissed.” The comment came out as a whisper as she searched his eyes for some explanation of his sudden interest.
    “That’s not true.” His fingers tightened on her waist. “But you are Holt’s sister.”
    She’d known his name would come up. She could almost see the moment when Shane remembered his best friend and began the emotional push away from her. “Don’t use him as the excuse.”
    “Fine.” Shane put a hand against the door right by her head. Wrapped her in his warmth without touching her. “You’re the commitment type and I’m a failure at that. What’s the plan? We have sex a few times and then go back to acting like nothing ever happened?”
    His words touched something deep inside her. She could hear the pain he hid underneath the sensible sentiment. He wasn’t a man who failed at anything, but he viewed his private life as a war zone. His father failed at everything and ran through marriages. For some reason, Shane lumped himself in with the man who’d spent a lifetime ignoring him.
    She put her hand against his chest and felt the thudding of his heartbeat. “Why do you think you’re a failure at commitment?”
    “I’m still paying off my divorce lawyer.”
    “Shane, no.” When he started to pull away, she grabbed on to his forearms and held him still. He could have thrown off her hold, but he didn’t. He stayed, and she took that as a good sign that he was at least willing to listen. “You guys were all wrong for each other. That needed to end.”
    Makena knew she walked a fine line. Patty had never wanted to be a military wife and resented every minute. Shane acted true to who he was, and this pulled them apart, to the extent that were ever really together. Makena wasn’t convinced. She’d never seen a spark and he’d never talked about having a wife as anything more than a convenience...until it became very inconvenient.
    “I made her promises about leaving the army and didn’t.” He exhaled. “I messed up.”
    She refused to let him take all the blame. Not after the whispers she’d heard from Holt about how difficult Patty could be. “You both did.”
    Shane shook his head. “How did we get on this topic?”
    Because his marriage colored everything and talking about it was inevitable. The question was whether they could pivot and talk about them without him bolting. “You seem to think I need a ring.”
    His thumb traced over her lips. “I’m trying to be responsible here.”
    Wrong answer.
“Maybe I don’t want you to be.”
    “Makena.” He said her name like a plea.
    “I am a grown woman.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in tighter against her. “This isn’t about my brother or your ex or even your dad. This is about us. What we feel for each other.”
    His hands rubbed up and down her back. “If we start down this road—”
    “Kiss me.” Enough talking. They could talk this to death and never get anywhere. She was done with that.
    His chest moved in harsh breaths now. “I won’t stop.”
    “I don’t want you to.”
    That was all it took. His mouth covered hers in a blinding kiss. The type that whipped around and shattered all control. She held on through the smack of heat while need pummeled her.
    Her fingers slipped into his hair as she wrapped her body around his. The blood drained from her head, and a wave of dizziness hit her. With an arm around her waist, he