He swallowed the rest of his drink and poured himself another, topping my glass off too. “No. I want you in my penthouse, but I understand your reluctance to move in with me.”

His words warmed me. I wasn’t the kind of girl to believe in fairy tales. I always had to be the breadwinner, the provider for Hawk and me, but there was something so appealing about letting Bane take care of me if that’s what he wanted to do. His protective instincts were ingrained, but he was such a juxtaposition. Here he was, the owner of the largest gentlemen’s club in California—probably the entire West Coast—who acted and...