Growing more and more agitated, Hawk stood and began to pace to and fro across the room while Jenna watched him, expressionless. “What woman in her right mind would trust me after a thing like that? I don’t deserve her trust. I don’t deserve her! I have nothing to give her, nothing worthwhile, not even my name! I’m a bastard, the illegitimate son of one of the worst men I’ve ever known—I’m nothing!”
Jenna cleared her throat. He pulled up short, breathing hard, anguish lashing him like a thousand steel-tipped whips, and stared at her.
“Are you done?”
She was looking at him with raised brows, waiting. He sent her a curt nod.
“I wish we knew one another better,” she said evenly, “because I’d love to smack you a good one upside your thick head right about now.”
Before he could formulate
