Chasing

Mrs.Right

aComeUndonenovel

KateeRobert

Thisbookisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsaretheproductoftheauthor’simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Any
resemblancetoactualevents,locales,orpersons,livingordead,iscoincidental.

Copyright©2013byKateeRobert.Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproduce,distribute,ortransmitinanyformorbyanymeans.
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EditedbyHeatherHowland
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Theauthoracknowledgesthecopyrightedortrademarkedstatusandtrademarkownersofthefollowingwordmarksmentionedinthisworkof
fiction:Band-Aid, Zumba, 5-hour Energy, Starbucks,Brides, Chevrolet, Diet Coke, Taste of Thai, Will Robinson,Lost in Space, Monopoly,
RiverParkSquare,Seinfeld,HannibalLecter,SilenceoftheLambs,BigAl’sCountryClub,Tarzan,Superman,Blizzard,GirlsGoneWild,
ToyotaCamry,JamesBond,Dr.Phil.

ToSeleste,forremindingmetokeepbreathing.Thisone’sforyou!

ChapterOne

WhenIanWalsergotofftheplaneinhishometownofSpokane,Washington,allhe’dreallywantedwasa
coldbeerandtwelvehoursofundisturbedsleep.

Hisfamilyandfriendshadotherplans.
Hetookalongpullfromhisbeerandsighed.Atleasthe’dgottenoneofthosethings.Allaroundhim,

peoplemilledinthesemidarknessoftheclub.Elleandhernewboyfriendsatattheotherendofthelong
table,andhethankedhisluckystarstheyweremoreinterestedineachotherthanhim.Tobefair,he’dshut
hissisterdowneverytimeshecameoverandtriedtotalktohim.Hejustwantedtobealone.

Itwasn’tinthecardsforhimtonight,though.Alongwithhisbabysister,thecrowdwasfilledwithold

highschoolfriendshehadn’tbotheredtokeepupwith,asidefromtheoccasionalphonecallore-mail.It
wasn’tthathe’dwantedtocutalltieswiththisplacewhenhe’dshippedoutoverseas—he’djustnever
been good at long-distance communication. Hell, outside of his family, the only person he talked to
regularlythesedayswasNathan,andhisbestfriendhadn’tbeenabletomakeittonight.

Ian’smotherperchedonthechairnexttohim,effectivelyblockinganychanceofescape.Evenknowing

hewassafehere,thefamiliartightnessstartedinhischest.Hewantedtoaskhismomtomove,tolethim
havetheendseatatthetable,butthenhe’dhavetoexplainhimself,andhehadn’tseenfittoshareallthe
gorydetailsofhismostrecenttour.AsbadasithadbeenwithNathanbyhissidewhenthey’dbeenin
Iraq,ithadbeenathousandtimesworsewhenhe’dshippedouttoAfghanistanalone.Justthinkingabout
ithadthepressurebuildinginhischest.

He made a conscious effort to breathe—in through his nose, hold for three seconds, out through his

mouth.

Itdidn’thelp.
Neitherdidhismother.
“Yoursisterwentthroughalltheefforttoplanthispartyandyou’vespenttheentiretimesittinginthe

corner,glaringatanyonewhotriestotalktoyou.You’rebeingrude.”

Asmuchashelovedhismother,dealingwithherwasthelastthingheneededrightnow.“Nooneasked

meifIwantedthis.”

Ifhehadbeenasked,hewouldhavefoundawayoutofit.Butthere’dbeennotimetoescapeonceElle

pickedhimupfromtheairportandhustledhimhere,barelygivinghimenoughtimetoshoweratherplace
ontheway.

Here,withthecountrymusictwanging,balloonsattachedtoeveryavailablesurface,andtheclashof

toomanypeopleintoosmallaspace,hisnerveswereshot,andhehadanastyheadachestarting.Atrioof
laughingwomenbumpedintothetable,oneofthemfallingagainsttheballoonsonthefarthestcorner.One

oftheballoonspopped,startlinghimhalfoutofhisskindespitethefactthatheknewitwascoming.He
dughisfingersintothetable,fightingforcontrol,buttherewastoomuchnoise,toomuchmovement,too
mucheverything.

“IanChristopherWalser—”
Ellechosethatmomenttojumptoherfeet,lookinglikeavirginsacrificeinadenofiniquitywearinga

whitedresswithherhairpulledup.“Mom!Ijusthadthebestideaaboutthewedding.”

Theirmomzeroedinonherlikeasharkscentingblood.“Ihardlythink—”
“Comeon.”Ellehustledaroundthetable,grabbedtheirmother’shand,andpracticallydraggedherout

ofherseat.Shepausedlongenoughtopeekaroundtheclosestclusterofred,white,andblueballoonsto
winkatIan,andthentheyweregone,disappearingthroughthemassofpeople.

That had been a close one. He rubbed his hands over his face and then down his sternum, where the

pressure hadn’t decreased. If anything, it was a thousand times worse, like there was an invisible
gargoyleonhischest,slowlysmotheringhim.

Christ,hehadtogetoutofherebeforehelostit.Hewasalreadyhavingahardtimeholdingstill.He

kept reaching for where his gun should be holstered—had been holstered. Not anymore, though. Ian
wouldn’tsurviveanothertour.Orrather,hisbodywouldprobablysurvive,buthewasn’tsurehissanity
would.Hecouldn’trememberthelasttimehe’dhadmorethanfourhoursofnightmare-freesleep.

Hefinishedhis…Honestly,hewasn’tsurehowmanybeershe’dhad.Notenoughtodulltheirrational

shit flickering through his head. It didn’t help that the owner of the club he was currently sitting in
belongedtohisbabysister’sthugofafiancé.

That, at least, gave him something to focus on besides his own misery. Gabe Schultz was a scary

motherfucker,tallandpackedwithenoughmuscletomakemostguysthinktwicebeforemessingwithhim.
Hisbestfriend—Gabe’slittlebrother,Nathan—hadthesamebuild,butatleastNathanhadareasonforit
whenhewasintheservice.Hisbabysister’snewguy,ontheotherhand,lookedliketrouble.Justlikethe
assholeshe’ddatedbeforeIanhadsteppedinandputanendtothat.

MaybefocusingonElleandGabewasn’tthebestideahe’dhadeitherbecausetheroomsuddenlyfelt

even hotter. Hoping moving around would calm him down, he slipped out of his seat. The crowd of
peopleseemedtopressinonhim,smotheringhimashemadehiswaytothebar.Itwasatrickofthemind
—noonewasactuallytouchinghim—butIan’smindwasmorethanadeptatthiskindofthingnow.

Air.Heneededair.
Givinguponthebar,heheadedfortheelevatorliketherewasagoddamnmonsterbreathingdownhis

neck.Amansteppedintohispath,hisheightinstantlymakinghimathreat.No,thatwasn’tright.There
werenothreatshere,andthisguywasgrinningliketheywerethebestoffriends.Ianblinked,belatedly
recognizingthefaceofhisoldquarterback.Despiteplayingbesidetheguyforfouryearsinhighschool,
hisnameslippedthroughIan’sfingerslikesand.

Theguyclappedhisshoulder.“Hey,man.Longtime,nosee.”
Hecouldn’tdothisnow.Eventhatsmalltouchhadhimclenchinghisjawandscramblingforcontrol.If

he didn’t get out of here soon, he was going to lose his shit completely. “Yeah.” When the guy only
grinnedwiderandlookedlikehewassettlingdownforagood,longtalk,Ianslidaroundhim.“Beright
back.”

Ifhehadanythingtosayaboutit,he’dneversetfootinthishellholeagain.Elle’sfiancébedamned.
Ianstoppedtryingtoholdhimselfincheckandmoreorlessjoggedthelastfewstepspasttheelevator

tothestairwell.Assoonasthedoorclosedbehindhimandhehitthestairsrunning,themusicdimmedto
a dull throbbing sound. Helpful, but not near enough. He caught a glimpse of the bouncer’s raised
eyebrowsasheshovedthroughthedooronthegroundfloorandmadefortheexit.

Itdistractedhimenoughthathedidn’tseethewomanuntilheranherover.
“Oomph.”
Ianhadthepresenceofmindtocontroltheirfallsoshelandedonhislapinsteadofscrapingherface

alltohellontheconcreteoutsidethedoortotheclub,buthetookthefullforceoftheimpact.Heblinked
at the sky for a second while he relearned how to breathe, but his instincts, born of too many combat
situations,wouldn’tlethimliethereforlong.Mightaswellpaintatargetonhisforehead.Herolledto
thesideandimmediatelygotaneyefulofbeautifulbrunette.

Shefrowneddownathim,theexpressiondoingnothingtotakeawayfromherold-schoolmoviestar

looks.Whythehellwashenoticingherlooksrightnow?Nodoubtshewasabouttoriphimanewone.
He braced himself—he deserved it after knocking her down like this—but she just frowned harder and
gavehisshoulderapush.Whenherealizedhestillhadhisarmsaroundher,Ianclimbedtohisfeetand
pulledherupwithhim.Heclearedhisthroat.“I’msorry.”

Sheleanedaroundhimandeyedthedoorhe’djustblownthrough.“Where’sthefire?”
Atthereminderofthescenehe’djustleft,hischesttightenedalloveragain.“Idon’twanttotalkabout

it.”

She opened her mouth—probably to deliver the scathing comment she’d held back initially—but

stoppedandreallylookedathim.Underthosegreeneyes,hefeltstrippedbare,asifshecouldseeevery
singlethinghetriedtohidefromtherestoftheworld.

Hehatedit.
Before he could escape her scrutiny, she smiled. The change took her from gorgeous straight into

breathtaking.

“So, you kind of fail at the whole Prince Charming gig,” she said, “but think you can help me find

somethingtotakecareofthis?”

Shemotioned,drawinghisattentiondownherbody.Iantemporarilygotcaughtuponthebrilliantpink

skirtthathuggedeverycurvebeforehelandedonherlegs.Thoughhe’dtakenthebruntofthefall,she’d
skinnedupthesideofherrightleg.Itwasn’taseriousinjury—he’dseenmorethanafewofthoseinhis
time—buttherewasalreadyathinlineofbloodwellingalongherskin.

“Shit. I am so sorry.” He looked around for the bouncer. The man still stood by the door, his arms

crossedoverhismassivechest.“Hey!Yougotamediconstaff?”

Hereyeswentwide.“No,seriously.That’sreallyokay.Iwasjustthinkingmaybewecouldfindafirst-

aidkit.”Whenhemovedcloser,sheheldupahand.“Don’tyoudarethinkofcarryingmeanywhere.It’s
justascratch—notlikeIlostalegorsomething.”

Blood,hecouldhandle,butlossoflimb?Theflashbackhitsohardthatitalmosttookhimtohisknees.

HowonesecondJoneswasthere,thenexthewaslaidout,bothofhislegsgone.Themanhadmadeit,but
IanstillhadnightmaresaboutthosefirstfewsecondsaftertheIEDexploded,howthepalesandhadbeen

coatedwithredanddarkerthings.

“Hey.”Thewomansnappedherfingersinfrontofhisface,startlinghimbacktothepresent.Shewas

frowningagain.“Areyouokay?”

Thefactthatshehadtheballstoaskthatwhenshewastheonebleedingmadehimfisthishands.“I’m

fine.”

“Oh,Iseriouslydoubtthat,physicalperfectionaside.”
He was still trying to process her response when the woman touched his shoulder, the press of her

fingersopeningupsomethinginhischest.Something…freeing.Ianclosedhiseyesforamoment,taking
hisfirstfullbreathsinceheenteredtheclubhoursago.

Shekeptrightontalking,oblivioustothechangehertouchbroughtaboutinhim.“Areyoureallyokay?

Becausemostpeopledon’tfleeaclublikethere’sascarymanwithanaxchasingthemfornoreason.”

Thechoicelaybeforehim—Iancouldmakeupanexcuseandleavelikeapansy,orhecouldattemptto

carryonaconversationwiththiswomanwithoutlookinglikehewascomingunhinged.Hecouldtellfrom
thelookonherfacethatshewouldn’tletthisgo,sohetookanotherdeepbreathandwentforahalf-truth.
“Ihateclubs.Themusicistooloud,andthecrowdsaretoothick.”

“Icanunderstandthat.”Shetookastepcloserandslidherhandlower,tohisforearm.Herperfume,

somethinglightandairy,wrappedaroundhim,holdinghiminplacemorefirmlythanifshe’dfastenedan
anchor to his ankle. Between that and her fingers playing against his skin, the pressure in his chest
decreased a bit more. “The top floor has no crowds, and they only play the most tasteful of classical
music.It’saprettychillatmosphere.Andquitefrankly,youlooklikeyoucouldusesomechillrightnow.
Whatdoyousay?Wanttogoinandhelpmefindafirst-aidkit?”

Iandidn’twanttogobackintothatclub,buthecouldn’tmakehimselfletgoofherhand.Anastypanic

attackwaitedontheedgesofthisawareness,eatingawayathiscontrol.Butdamnit,heneededtomake
sure she got patched up. He tried to smile. “I should probably buy you a drink, too. Seeing as how I
knockedyoudownandall.”

“Darling,youjustsaidthemagicwords.”Shegrinnedagainandgavehisarmasqueezethatmadethe

five steps toward the door feel manageable. “I’m a sucker for a man who wines and dines me. And if
you’relucky,I’llevenletyouplaydoctor.”

ChapterTwo

AsRoxanneledthewayintotheclub,shecouldn’thelpglancingbackatthemanfollowinghertomake
sure he was okay. He was so freaking tense she’d be surprised if his entire body didn’t hurt tomorrow
morning. Muscles weren’t meant to be locked up like that. She should have let it go when he said he
didn’twanttocomebackinside,buttherewassomethingaboutthehauntedlookinhisinkyblackeyes
thatcalledtoher.Shecouldn’tmakeherselfwalkaway—orstoptouchinghim.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d avoided male company for…a really long time. All that deprivation

obviouslymadehersusceptibletoabeautifulmaninneed.Hell,himknockingheronherasswasthemost
actionshe’dseeninmonths.Evennow,herskintingledfromthememoryofhisbodycradlinghers.

Lonelinesshitherhardenoughtotakeherbreathaway.Afewhourswouldn’thurt,wouldit?She’djust

makesurehewasokay,getalittlerecreationalhumaninteractiontogowithherBand-Aids,andthengo
home.Everybodywon.

Theystoppedinfrontoftheelevator,andthoughshewouldn’thavebelieveditpossible,hewentever

tenser. Drawn by an impulse she couldn’t quite put her finger on, Roxanne stepped closer and slid her
hand into his. “It’ll be okay. I promise.” What was she doing, making promises she had no way of
followingthroughon?Hadn’therparentstaughtherbetterthanthat?

Butapparentlyshe’ddonesomethingright,becausehesmiledather,theexpressionlikearainbowafter

adevastatingthunderstorm.Damn.Sheabruptlydecidedshe’ddoawholelotmorethanmakepromisesto
keephimsmilinglikethat.Beforeshecouldmakeafoolofherself,thedoorsopened,andhefollowedher
intotheenclosedspace,neveroncelettinggoofherhand.

Astheyslidpastthecountryfloor,Roxannefeltapangofguilt.She’dpromisedshe’dshowupforher

bestfriend’sbigbrother’shomecomingparty,butitwasn’tlikesheknewtheguy.Buthangingoutwitha
goldenboywarheroandbunchofhisfriendsdidn’tsoundlikemuchfunafterthedayshe’dhadatwork.
Sheslantedaglanceatthemanstandingnexttoher,clutchingherhandasifitwerealifelineanddoing
whatsherecognizedasbreathingexercises.

Ellecoulddowithoutherforonenight.
Theelevatordoorsopened,depositingthemonthetopfloor.Roxannecouldalmostseethemusclesin

hisshouldersrelaxingashesteppedintothedimroom.Thereweretablesandafewcouchesscattered
aroundthebar,eachwiththeirownlamp,takingupthecentralpartoftheroom.Combinedwiththelight
music,itcreatedasenseofintimacyandcalmthatcouldn’tbefoundonanyoftheotherfloors.

Shedidn’tmakeahabitofhangingoutonthisfloorontherareoccasionssheactuallycametoGabe’s

bar—whatwasthepointofgoingdowntownifshewasn’tgoingtodanceuntilherfeetcriedformercy?—
but it was definitely the right choice for this guy. She motioned at the room. “Couch or table? Your

choice.”

Hehesitatedbutfinallyledthewaytoafaintingcouchinthecorner.Shedidn’tmissthatitwasinthe

leastpopulatedcorneroftheroom—orthatitfacedtheexit.Beforeshecouldsayanything,heguidedher
downandkneltinfrontofhertoexamineherleg.Thefeelingofhishandsonherbareskinshortedouther
ability to speak, the warmth of his fingers spreading way farther north than it had any right to from the
innocenttouch.

God,ifshewasreactingtothispoorguyhelpingherout,itreallyhadbeentoolongsinceshe’dbeen

touchedbyaman—oranyone.

Whenhefinallylookedup,shewashavingahardtimedrawingafullbreath.Despitethefactthathe

kneltatatotallyrespectabledistancefromher,hispresencedominatedherawareness.Basedonthesheer
amountofmuscleandthehardlookofhisface,shefiguredthisguyhadseenathingortwo—notallofit
good—butherotatedhercalfthiswayandthatasifshewerethemostfragilethingintheworld.

Hetookadeepbreathasifsteelinghimselfandsaid,“Stayhere.I’llberightback.”
Before she could argue—and, really, what was she going to say?—he stood and strode to the bar.

Roxannedidn’t make ahabit of playingdamsel in distress, butthere was nodefying the command he’d
just given her. Even as she leaned back, she wondered what the hell she was thinking. Of course, the
answer was that she wasn’t thinking. She’d taken one look at that too-pretty-to-be-real face and just…
reacted.Shecouldmakeexcusesandchalkituptoloneliness,butthereasoningdidn’tmatter.Whatever
thisguywasrunningfrom,forasplitsecondhe’dneededher,andshe’drespondedtothatneedwithout
makingaconsciousdecisiontodoit.

“Here.”
Shelookedupintimetoacceptashotglassfilledwithamberliquid.Hesetasmallfirst-aidkit,two

beers, and a second shot on the small table next to the couch, and knelt in front of her to touch her leg
again.Helooked…anxious.Almostasanxiousashe’dbeenoutside.Butthen,whenhecuppedhercalf
again,someofthewildnesslefthiseyesandheseemedtorelaxalittle.

Roxannefrowned.Nowaydidsheimaginetheshiftinhisdemeanor.Didtouchingheractassomekind

ofpanicrepellent?Feelingstrangelyhesitant,shereachedoutandsetherhandonhisshoulder,herthumb
brushinghisneck.Heclosedhiseyesandinhaleddeeplythesamewayhe’ddoneonthestreetwhenshe
touchedhisarm.

Interesting.
Itwasonlythenshenoticedtheclothinhishand.“YouknowIwasjustkiddingaboutplayingdoctor,

right?”

“You’rebleeding.”
“It’sbarelyascratch.AndIdoknowmywayaroundafirst-aidkit.”
Heglancedather,andtherewasn’tanounceofgiveinthoseeyes.“Thisismyfault.Takeyourshotand

letmetakecareofyou.”

Hisfault?Maybe,butshe’dhadworsedonetoheronaccidentduringherDarkDaysofPartyingafter

sheturnedtwenty-one,andnotasingleoneofthoseguyshadcared.Hell,shehadn’treallycaredeither.It
wasn’tlikeheshovedherdownonpurpose,andshewasn’tallthatgoodatlettingotherpeopletakecare
ofher—especiallystrangerswhohandledherasifshereallymattered.

Butsheknewalosingbattlewhenshesawone.Keepingonehandonhisneck,Roxannetoastedhim

anddownedhershot,tryingnottohisswhenhepressedthewarmclothtoherleg.Okay,thathurt.Alot.

Shereachedforherbeernext,themovebringingherface-to-facewiththisstranger.Shefroze,pinned

in place by the heat in his gaze. Holy shit, where had that come from? One second, he looked ready to
bolt, and now… She’d heard about those romance-novel looks—the ones the hero pulls out to turn the
heroine’s knees to putty—but she’d never believed they existed. Considering the entire all-consuming-
lust-that-turns-to-love-and-ends-happily-ever-afterscenewasbullshit,shefiguredthelookwasallpartof
thefiction.

Shewassofreakingwrong.
Then he blinked, turning down the heat enough to release her from his spell. She sat back, trying to

convinceherselfthatherhandsweren’treallyshaking.Thatshedidn’twanthimwithadesirethatwasn’t
theleastbitrational.Butshedid.God,shedid.Anditdidn’tmakeanysense.Sure,hewasbyfarthemost
handsomemanshe’devertalkedto,butRoxannedidn’tmakeahabitofbeingsweptawaybylooksalone.

“Did I ruin your plans for tonight?” As he spoke, he carefully cleaned away the blood, revealing a

smallscrape.Damn,shewasgoingtohavetowearbootsortightsuntilthatthinghealed.

Focus,Rox.Shesippedherbeer,strivingtosoundunaffectedeventhoughshefeltnothingofthesort.It

waskindofdifficulttoplayhard-to-getwhenrunningherfingersalonghishairlineatthetopofhisneck.
Butifhertouchactuallysoothedhim,shehadnointentionofleavinghimhanging.

Nottomentionshewasenjoyingtouchinghimentirelytoomuchtobesafe.
“Nothingtooimportant.”Afterall,shedidn’treallyhaveanyconnectionwithElle’sbrother.Shewas

justthereforherbestfriend.Speakingof…“Justasecond.”Roxannepulledoutherphoneandtypedina
quicktexttoElle.

Somethingcameup,soIcan’tmakeit.Coffeetomorrowtomakeituptoyou?
Herphonebuzzedalmostimmediately.Youaren’tmissingmuch.It’satrainwreck.We’lltalkmorein

themorning.

Maybeitwasgoodthingsheskippedit,afterall.Shedroppedherphoneintoherpurseanddredgedup

asmile.“So,Charming,what’saguylikeyoudoinginaplacelikeSpokane?”

“Charming, huh?” He smiled a little, but those shadows slid through his eyes, hinting that he had a

wholelotmoregoingonthanjustaprettyface.“I’mmilitary.”

Ah,thatexplainedthecrazytensionthinghehadgoingon.Despitethefactthatsheprobablycouldn’t

throwarockinSpokanewithouthittingsomeoneassociatedwiththeAirForcebasejustoutsideoftown,
she didn’t make a habit of associating with men in uniform. They tended to have issues, and she had
enoughissuesformultiplepeople.

Even now, there was a little voice inside her—one that sounded terrifyingly like her mother—that

whisperedforhertorunawayfromthisman.She’dneverthrowncautiontothewindbeforewhenitcame
toastranger,evenonewholookedlikeAdonis,butdespitetheshadowsinhiseyesandthedemonshe
was obviously fighting, Roxanne could almost see the sexual tension straining between them. He was
staringatherlikehewantedtoeatherwhole,andshewasmorethanokaywiththatplan.

He ran his thumb parallel to the scrape, that small contact sending sparks shooting through her entire

body. Who knew the calf was such an erogenous zone? She cleared her throat. “You didn’t take your

shot.”

Withoutmissingabeat,hedownedtheshotandthensatnexttoher,closeenoughthathisthighpressed

againsthersandhehadtoprophisarmonthebackofthecouchbehindher.Theaddedcontactofhisbare
armagainstherbackdidwondersforherdancinghormones.Ifshewasn’tcareful,shecouldgetaddicted
tohowtouchingthismanmadeherfeel.

Afrissonoffearspikedthroughher.Whenwasthelasttimesomeonehadaffectedheronthesamelevel

asthisguy?Who’dmadeherentirebodyheatwithjustalook?

Shecouldn’tremember.
Run,hermother’svoicewhispered,moreinsistentthistime.Sheknewwhathappenedwhenpeoplelet

theiremotionsgetawayfromthem—she’dseenthewreckageeverydaywhileshewasgrowingup.Her
motherhadalwaysclaimedthereasonthingswithherfatherwentsofarsouthwasthatthey’dlovedeach
other too much to begin with. No one could hold up that kind of love indefinitely, and there was no
stoppingitfromsouring,fromturningintosomethingawholelotclosertohate.

Yeah,she’dseenwhatcamefromcaringforsomeonetoomuch.Roxannehadnodesiretoexperience

thekindofpainthatcamewithlovingsomeone.

She pushed her worries away. It didn’t matter if he seemed to affect her on a foundational level—he

was a stranger. She’d never see him again after tonight. With that knowledge freeing up the last of her
restraint, she leaned into him and laid her hand on his thigh, just high enough that his entire body went
still.Pretendingshedidn’tnotice,shesaid,“So,whatdoyoudoforfun?”

“Fun?”
“Yeah, you know. That thing you do when you’re not working. Gardening, Zumba, underwater basket

weaving,younameit.Everyonehassomething.”

“Ihaven’treallyhadalotoftimeforhobbies.”Whenshejuststared,morethanwillingtowaithimout,

hesighed.“Ispendalotoftimeinthegym.”

Yeah,shecouldtell.Theredidn’tseemtobeasoftspotonhisbody,thoughshewastemptedtodoa

morethoroughexaminationjusttosatisfyhercuriosity.“Doyouwearspandex,gruntalot,andslapother
guys’asseswhileyoumutterencouragement?”

“Actually,Iusuallyjustrununtilmythoughtsstopcircling.”
Thereitwasagain,thathintofsomethingdarker.“Isthattheonlythingthathelps?”
“I’ve been told that I should try meditating, but all that time sitting still and being alone with my

thoughts…” He shook his head. “I like to sweat out my stress. And this helps.” He motioned between
them.

Whoa. So she hadn’t been imagining the way he seemed to relax the more he touched her. Caution

warnedhertokeepthingslightandflirty.“Ibetyousaythattoalltheprettygirls.”

“Onlyyou.”
Hislowvoice,pairedwiththesmolderingwayhewaslookingather,damnnearhadRoxannefanning

herself.Shescrambledforsomethingtosaythatdidn’tinvolve“sex”and“now.”Whatweretheytalking
about? Oh, right. Exercise. “I get it—the whole sweating it out thing. I do yoga. Concentrating on
breathing,andperfectingandholdingtheposes,actuallytakesalotmoreeffortthanyou’dthink.It’smy
happyplace.”

“Yeah,I’veheardit’sgreatforthat.I’mnotexactlyayogaguythough.”
“What?Youmeanyoudon’twanttoworkonyourflexibility?I’msodisappointed.”
Hisgrinwasquickandwicked.“TheadvantagetobeingtheguyisthatIdon’thavetobeasflexibleas

mypartnerdoes.”

Theimagehiswordsbroughtappearedinhermind,ofherheelsproppedonhisshouldersashebent

herinhalf,leavingheropenandhelpless.Shewantedthat.Shewantedthatbadly.

Roxannetookalongdrink,maintainingeyecontactasshedid.Thensheleanedacrosshisbodytoset

herbeerontheoppositetable,lettingherbreastspressagainsthischest.Itwasarookiemove,buthis
breath caught in the same way hers did at the contact. She slid back into place slowly, prolonging the
touch.“GoodthingI’mflexiblethen.”

Hisgazedroppedtohermouth,andforalongmoment,shethoughthemightmakeamove.Thoughpart

ofherreallywantedhimtoleaninandkissheruntilshecouldn’tthinkstraight,therewasanother,more
intelligentpartofherthatwantedtoknowmoreabouthimfirst.“Youeverthinkaboutjusttakingoff?You
know,settledownonsomedesertedbeachsomewherewheretherearen’tatonofpeople?”

Hedidn’thesitate.“Everydamnday.”
Sheunderstood,atleastonsomelevel.Oneofthethingsshe’dalwaysdonewhenthefightingbetween

hermotherandthecurrentloveofhermother’slifegottoointensewasputherheadphonesonandplan
outallthevacationsshe’dtake—onesshewouldnevercomebackfrom.Ifthisguyhaddifficultydealing
withcitylife—orwhateverpassedasitinSpokane—shecouldseewhyhe’dwanttogetaway.“I’mnot
goingtosayItotallyunderstand,sinceIhavenoideawhatyourthoughtprocessis,butinyourplaceI’d
haveconsideredanicelittlebeachsidepropertyinMexico.”

“Hawaii.”
Totallynottheanswersheexpected.“What?”
“IconsideredHawaii.OrmaybeFlorida.I’veseenenoughoftheworldtoknowthatIwantedtobein

theStates.”Heshifted,lookinguncomfortable,asifhe’djustsharedsomethinghehadn’tmeantto.“What
aboutyou?Haveyoutraveled?”

“NotasmuchasI’dliketo.”Sheshrugged.Itwasthegreatironyofherlifethatshe’dspentsomuch

timewishingtobeanywherebutSpokane,andthiswasexactlywhereshe’dstayed.“Igowheremywork
is,andrightnow,myworkisinSpokane.Businessisslowlyexpanding,though,soIhopetherewillbe
moreopportunityfortravelinginthefuture.”

Despitehergeneraldistasteforeverythinginvolvingweddings,she’dputoutanadinalocalmagazine

todrumupbusiness.Inthiseconomy,weddingswereoneofthefewareasofpartyplanningthathadn’t
taken a hit. If she wanted to keep her lifestyle, she had to do more than plan sweet-sixteen bashes and
corporateparties.

“Doyoulikeyourjob?”
She started to give him a generic answer, but he actually looked interested. “There are days when I

want to light my office on fire and walk away without looking back, but they are few and far between.
MostofthetimeIloveit.”

“Tellmeaboutit.”
Yeah, she didn’t think so. Though Roxanne had wanted to know more about this guy, she didn’t

particularly want to share more about herself. Even giving him those few details, she felt strangely
vulnerable. Besides, what more did they really need to know about each other? He was obviously
interestedinher,andjustsittingnexttohimwassomeofthebestforeplayshe’deverhadinherlife.

Shegavehisthighasqueezeandbitherlip.“Idon’tthinkIwill.”
Hetorehisgazeawayfromhermouth,butitseemedtotakealotofeffort.“Whynot?”
Thiswasherlastchancetopathimontheheadandwalkaway.Inthetwentyminutesthey’dbeenhere,

thismanhadalreadymanagedtoconnectwithheronalevelshewasn’tcompletelycomfortablewith.If
shedidn’tleavenow,thisentirethingcouldbackfire.

Butthenhetwinedalockofherhairaroundhisfinger,histhumbrunningalongthestrandandmaking

herwanthimtotouchotherpartsofherbodythesameway.

She swallowed, trying to reclaim her bravado. “Let me ask you something, and I’d like you to be

perfectlyhonest.Soundgood?”

“Sure.”
“Ideally,how’stonightendforyou?”Whenhestared,shesnappedherfingersinfrontofhisface.No

waywasshegivinghimtimetocomeupwithsomecareful,PCanswer.Shewantedthetruth.“Answer.
Now.”

She got exactly what she was looking for. He met her gaze directly. “With you bent over the nearest

availablesurfaceandmefuckingyouuntilwebothforgetournames.”

ChapterThree

Forasecond,Ianthoughthe’dmisreadthesituation.Hereyeswentwide,somethingflaringintheirgreen
depths. Disappointment soured the whiskey in his stomach, but he tried to sit back and look as
nonthreateningaspossible—whichwasn’teasysincehecouldn’tquitemakehimselfbreakthephysical
contactbetweenthem.Yes,shewasgorgeous,andyes,hewantedherjustashe’dtoldher—nakedand
bentoverthenearestavailablesurface.

Butitwasmorethanthat.
Ian wanted her naked and wrapped around him because merely touching her kept the darkness inside

himatbay.Madehimfeelateaseforthefirsttimeinaslongashecouldremember.Howmuchbetter
wouldthisstrangeconnectionbetweenthemworkifhecouldtouchmoreofher?Nottomentionshewas
themostinterestingwomanhe’dmetinyears.Hewasn’treadytolethergo.Notyet.

Butifshedidn’twantthis,hecouldandwouldcontrolhimself.Afterall,he’ddoneenoughdamageto

thiswomantonight,betweenbowlingheroverandgettinghercutupfromtheasphalt.

It’dservehimrightifshetoldhimtofuckoffandwalkedaway.
Butshesmiledathimasifhe’djustgivenareallybrilliantanswer.“Wonderful.”
Ianheldhisbreath,barelydaringtohopeshemeantwhathethoughtshemeant.Hefeltlikeherdamn

handwasimprintedonhisthigh,bringingbothpeaceandanearlyoverwhelmingneed,buthestilldidn’t
move.Hecouldn’taffordtomisreadthissituation.“Andthat’swonderfulbecause…?”

Sherotatedherbodyawayfromthedoorandscootedclosertohimonthecouch,herpinkskirtriding

upuntilitwouldtakethebarestofnudgestoseeifsheworepantiesunderit—somethinghe’dbeendying
toknowsincehefirstkneltinfrontofher.Shemovedherhandfartherupthisthigh,thecontactburning
throughhisjeansandmakinghiscockthrob.Whenheswallowed,hergrinwidened.Oh,yeah.Thelittle
bratknewexactlywhatshewasdoingtohim.

Thatshecouldswitchsoeasilyfromdrawingoutthingshenevermeanttosayaloud—likethefactthat

he spent considerable time fantasizing about taking off and never coming back—to this level of teasing
onlymadehermoreenticing.

Shedrummedhernailsonhisthigh,eachlittlecontactstokinghisneedforherhigher.“It’swonderful

becauseIwantthesamething.Sowhydon’tweskipthesmalltalk?”

“Getrightdowntobusiness,youmean?”
“Honey,ifitfeelslikebusiness,you’redoingsomethingwrong.”
Movingslowly,Ianhookedahandaroundthebackofherneckanddrewhercloser.Hestoppedjust

shortofkissingher,enjoyingthewayherbreathstutteredandhernailsdugintohisjeans.Here,thisclose,
theirbreathintermingled,andthefaintscentofthewhiskeythey’dbothdrunkteasedhim.Hewantedto

tasteher,toexplorehermouthandtakehistime.

She took the decision away from him, closing the last bit of distance between them and nipping his

bottom lip. That small pain was like a match igniting his desire. Helpless to resist his need for her, he
abandonedhisplantotakethingsslow.Theirlipsmet,andtherewasnoteasing,nobeatingaroundthe
bush.Sheopenedforhimimmediately,hertongueswipinghis,takingasmuchashecouldgive.Itmade
himwonderifherboldnesswouldextendpastkissing.

Thepressureinhischestloosenedanothernotch.Itwasmorethanthepromiseofsex,morethanjust

physicalneeddrivinghim—

No,hewasn’tgoingtoruinthisbythinkingtoomuch.Shewantedhim.Hewantedher.They’dfigurethe

restoutastheywent.

Evenknowing going downthis path mightend horribly, Ian pressedher palm againstthe bulge in his

jeans, letting her feel how much he wanted her. She broke the kiss long enough to say, “Is that a giant
freakingbananainyourpocket,orareyouasreadytogetoutofthisclubasIam?”

He laughed and reclaimed her mouth. Though it could be chalked up to them having just met, he

suspectedhecouldknowthiswomanforyearsandstillbesurprisedatthethingsthatshesaid.

Shestrokedhimthroughhisjeansasheslidhisfreehandupherleg,desperatetohavetheanswertothe

panties question. When he hesitated at the hem of her skirt, she gave a breathy moan he felt more than
heard.Hetracedthepathofskinonherthighjustsouthofthehemline,andshetiltedherhipsasifinviting
himtotakemore.Thatdecidedit.Ianslippedhishandbeneathherskirtandgroanedwhenhefoundher
bare.Shewashotandwetandmorethanreadyforhim.

Ashestrokedhertonguewithhis,heworkedherwithhisfingers,zeroinginonherclit,unwillingto

movefromthisspotuntilhefelthercomeapartinhisarms.

…

Ifhekeptitup,Roxannewasgoingtoexploderighthere,onacouchinthemiddleofabar.Sure,their
backsweretothewall,andthankstoafewwell-placedshadows,shewasprettysurenoonecouldsee,
butallitwouldtakeisforsomeservertowanderoverandthey’dgetaneyeful.

Shelovedeverysecondofit.
“You are so goddamn wet.” He made an appreciative noise deep in his throat and thrust two fingers

deepwithinher.Roxanneangledalittlefartherawayfromtherestofthebarandopenedherlegswider,
givinghimbetteraccess.OhGod,thatfeltgood.Toogood.Toomuch.Notenough.Shedidn’tevenknow
anymore.

She broke the kiss and gasped as she went under, the orgasm crashing into her with the strength of a

hurricane-force wind. He tucked her face against his neck, his fingers drawing out the aftershocks until
shewasashakingmess.

Andshewantednothingmorethantodoitagain,evenwiththevoiceinsideherscreamingwarnings.

Eventhoughallhe’ddonewasworkheruntilshecame,itfeltlikeawholelotmorethansex.Maybeit
wasbecausesheknewhehadapastthathauntedhim,justlikeshedid.Theywerelikemessed-upkindred
spirits.

Knowingthatsentanothershockoffearthroughher,dampeningherafterglow.Butthensheraisedher

head to find him looking at her with the smuggest, most satisfied male expression she’d ever seen. He
leanedforwardandspokeinherear,hisvoicecarryingagrowlthatsentaboltofneedthroughherso
intensethatitwaseverythingshecoulddonottograbhishandandpressitbackbetweenherlegs.“I’m
dyingtotasteeveryinchofyou,andyouwillbecomingonmymouthtonight.”

Oh.My.God.
Screwworryingaboutfutureproblemsthatshe’dneverhavetodealwith.Theyhadtogetoutofhere—

rightnow—orshewasgoingtounziphispantsandclimbontohislap,andthenthey’dbothendupinjail
forpublicindecency.

“Let’sgo.”Sheinchedherskirtdownandpushedtoherfeet,wobblinginawaythathadnothingtodo

withbooze.“Comeon.”

Hisgazerakedupherbody,asifmemorizingthepathsomepartofhisbodywouldtakelater,andhe

rosewithapredatorygrace.“Go.”

Therewasathreatandapromiseinthatoneword.Fromthewayhemoved,hewasgoingtotakeher

whenhegotholdofher,regardlessofwheretheywere.

Oh,hotdamn.
Aboltofpuredesireshotthroughherbodyasshebackedaway,bumpingintoachairasshedid.She

ignoredthepainradiatingthroughherhipandkeptmoving,stoppingjustinsidetheelevatordoors.

“Comegetme,”shemouthed.
His eyes flared and he started making his way to her, but the doors slid closed before he could get

there.

Holy.Crap.Roxannetookashudderingbreath.Astheelevatordescended,shesmoothedherhairback

andtriedtolooklikeshejusthadn’thadatop-fiveorgasminthemiddleofaclubwithallherclotheson.
What to do when she reached the ground floor? Should she bolt? Would this man really put that much
effortintochasingher?Andifsheran,wherecouldshegotomakesurehefoundher?

Fivefloorsleft.
Obviously,shewasputtingtoomuchthoughtintothis.She’djustwalkoutthefrontdoor.Ifhecaughtup

withher,hecaughtupwithher.Ifhedidn’t,well,atleastshegotafantasticorgasmoutofthedeal.

Oh,theliesshetoldherselftobeokay.
Thenumberstickeddown.
Twofloorstogo.
One.
Roxanne tried out a smile in the reflective surface of the doors, but it looked shaky at best. Then the

doorsrolledopenandtherehewas,leaningagainstthewallacrossfromtheelevatorasifhehadn’tjust
sprinteddowntenflightsofstairs.Aslowsmilespreadoverhisfaceatthesightofher.

Forasecond,shejuststoodthere.Butthenthedoorstriedtoclose,jarringheroutofshock.Damn.She

wasmostdefinitelyinoverherhead.Therewasonlyonethingtodoaboutit—brazenherwaythrough
this and deal with the consequences tomorrow. She walked toward him as if she owned the place,
stoppingjustoutofreach.“Impressive.”

“Ilivetoplease.”Damn,hedidn’tevensoundoutofbreath.Shewouldhavebeenapanting,sweating

messifshe’ddonethesamething.

“Thatremainstobeseen.”Whenhereachedforher,shejumpedsidewaysandslidpasthimandoutthe

frontdoor.Agiggleescapedherthroatashecursed.Shemadeitthreestepsdownthesidewalkbeforehe
hookedanarmaroundherwaist,spunheraround,andliftedhercleanoffherfeet.Anotherlaughslipped
free.

While one arm branded her lower back, keeping her plastered against his chest, he looped the other

underherassandliftedheruntiltheirmouthswereeven.“Youlikebeingchased.”

Afactshehadn’tknownuntilafewminutesago.Sheloopedherarmsaroundhisneck.“Maybe.”
Helookedaround.“Youhaveacararoundhere?”
“Twoblockseastandablocksouth,onWashingtonandSecond.”
“Goodenough.”Hetossedheroverhisshoulder.
“Holyshit.”
Heslidahandupherskirt.“Carefulthere.Ifyoumovetoomuch,Imightdropyou.”
Shefroze,awhimperescapingwhenhepushedtwofingersintoher.“That’snotfair.Someonemight

see.”Heatshotthroughherbodyattheverythought.

“Thinkso?”Hepressedakisstoherbarethighastheyroundedthecorner.Theyreachedhercaralltoo

soon,andhetookhistimeslidingherdownhisbody.Assoonasherfeettouchedtheground,hepressed
heragainstthecarandtookhermouth.

God,thethingsthismandidtoher,andthey’dbarelygottenstarted.
She unbuttoned his pants and took him in hand, needing him to feel as out of control as she did right

now.Herestedhisforeheadonhers,hiseyesclosed,hisbreathingjagged.Whenwasthelasttimehe’d
beenwithsomeone?Shedecideditdidn’tmatter.Hewasherewithher,fightingforcontrolexactlythe
wayshewas.

Hestilledherhandwithhisown.“Ineedyou.”
Roxannesmiled,doingherdamnedestnottoacknowledgehowdeeplyhiswordsrockedher.Because,

eventhoughsheshouldreallyknowbetter,forasecondshealmostconvincedherselfhewasn’ttalking
solelyaboutsex.Butthat’sallthiswas—allitcouldbe.“Thentakeme.”

“Iknowsomewherewecango.Unlockyourcar.”
“Youthinkwecanactuallylastlongenoughtomakeittowhereveryou’retakingme?”
Hegrinned,theflashofhumorsurprisingherjustasmuchasthelastonehad.“Iwouldn’ttakethatbet.”
“Meeither.”

ChapterFour

Roxannemadehimdrivesoshecouldhaveherhandsfree.Or,rather,soshecouldhaveherhandsfullof
him.

“You’rereallytemptingfaterightnow.”Heinhaledsharplyasshestrokedhim.“Orisityourgoalto

havemedragyourassintothebackseatbeforewegetthreeblocks?”

“Hmmm?”God,hefeltgood.Sheranhernailslightlyalongtheundersideofhiscock.“I’msureIhave

noideawhatyou’retalkingabout.”

Theveinsonhisarmsstoodout,andhisknuckleswerewhiteinthepassinglights.“Ibetyoudon’t.”

Shewenttounbuckleherseatbelt,buthestoppedherwithahandonhers.“Keepiton.”

“You’rejoking.”
“DoIlooklikeI’mjoking?”
No,helookedlikeamanabouttolosecontrol,hiseyeswildandhisbodytense,asifhedidn’ttrust

himself.Andyethewasstillmanagingtoworryaboutherbucklingupforsafety.Shedidn’tknowwhether
tofindthatendearingorannoying.“Okay,fine.”

Theseatbeltwouldimpedewhatshewantedtodo,butshe’dworkaroundit.Havinghimthiscloseand

available was too much temptation to resist. Roxanne slid down in her seat, thankful that the center
consolewasn’thuge.

“Whatareyou—”Hegaveamuffledgroanwhenshesqueezedhiscockontheupstroke.“Christ.”
Shedecidedshelikedthewayhesoundedwhenhewaslosingcontrol,sosheswirledherfingeraround

his tip again. She stroked him, spurred on by every harsh breath and every curse that came out of his
mouth.Sointowatchingwhatshewasdoing,sheactuallystartledwhenthecarstoppedandhefistedhis
handsinherhair.Heallowedhertwomorepumpsbeforehepulledherhandoffhimanddrewherintoa
kissthatwassodesperateitcurledhertoes.

“Ican’twaitanylonger.”
Well,hell,shewasn’tallthatinterestedinwaitingeither.Sheglancedoutthewindow.They’dbarely

madeitthreeblocks.Nowaywouldtheymanagetogetwhereverhewastakingthem.“Howfarawayare
we?”

“Toofar.”
Yeah, she thought so, too. A slow smile spread over her face. “There’s a little hotel just around the

corner.Takealeft,andthenaleftonMonroe.It’sonFirst.”It’dtakealloftwominutestogetthere.Inthe
meantime…

Shedugthroughherpurse,comingupwithoneofthecondomsshe’dshovedinthereafewweeksago.

Afterrollingitoverhiscock,sheunbuckledherseatbeltandclimbedintohislap.Heopenedhismouth

butanythinghemight’vesaiddissolvedintoalowgroanasshesankontohislength.Whenhishandsfell
toherwaist,Roxannelaughed.“Drive,cowboy.”

“Youcan’tseriouslyexpectmetodrivewhileyou’redoingthatwithyourhips.”
Shesuckedonhisearlobe,draggingherteethoverthesensitiveskin.“Drive,orIstopwhatI’mdoing.”
“Jesus Christ.” He maneuvered her to one side and took a deep breath that came out totally uneven.

“Okay.Icandothis.”

“Betterhurry.Thisfeelssodamngood,Icouldcomerightnow.”
He gripped her chin, forcing her back until she could meet his eyes. Gone was the slightly desperate

man she’d had so much fun prodding, replaced by something else entirely. Something dangerous. “You
willholdoffuntilwe’reatthathotel.”

“And if I don’t?” Pleasure already spiraled through her, spiking from the nearly bruising force of his

fingers,fromthefacttheywereinthefrontseatofhercar,inthemiddleofthestreet.“Whatwillyoudo
then?”

“ThenIcallacab,andIgohomewithoutfinishingthis.”
“Youcan’tbeserious.”
“Thencallmybluff.”
Shefroze,herentirebodypulsingattheveryidea.Ifsheonlygotonenightwithhim,she’dbedamned

beforeitwascutshort.“Hurry.”

“That,Icando.”Hetuckedherfaceagainsthisneckandthrewthecarintogear.Despitehisfreehand

urging her on, fingers digging into her ass, he didn’t speed through the streets. She shoved his shirt up,
needingtofeelmoreofhisskinagainsthers.Witheachdownstroke,herclitrubbedagainsthim,thesheer
pleasurethreateningtooverwhelmher.

No, no, no. She couldn’t come. Roxanne tried to pull back, to slow down, but he held her in place,

forcinghertokeepuptherhythm.“Charming,I—”

“Almostthere.”
OhGod.Shewasgoingtocome,andthenhe’dleave.“Please.”Evenasshebegged,herhipskeptup

therhythmguaranteedtosendherovertheedge.Itwastoogoodtostop,nomatterthethreathangingover
herhead.

Hecursedandpulledintothehotel’stinyparkinglot.Withinseconds,heparkedandshutoffthecar,

andthenbothhishandswereonherhips.“Comeforme.”

Asifherbodyhadbeenwaitingforhiscommand,herorgasmrockedhertoherverysoul.Andthenit

keptgoing,waveafterwavehittingashemovedagainsther,prolongingthepleasureuntilitdamnnear
hurt.Sheslumpedagainsthim,shakingsohardshewasprettydamnsureshewouldn’tbeabletowalkthe
distanceitwouldtaketogetaroom.

Hekissedherforehead,theintimacyofthattinymoverockinghernearlyasdeeplyastheorgasmhad.

Hadn’tMarilynMonroesaidsomethingaboutarealloverbeingabletothrillyouwithaforeheadkiss?
Thisdidn’tfeellikeathrill.Thisfeltlikehe’dreachedpasteverysingleoneofherbarriersandtouched
herdamnsoul.

Hespoke,drawingheroutofherspiral.“Wasn’tthatworththewait?”
“Ican’tfeelmylegs.”

Heranhishandsuptheoutsideofherthighs,drawingoutasigh.“Ithinkyou’llrecoverjustfine.Which

isgood,becauseI’mjustgettingstarted.”

Shebelatedlyrealizedhewasstillhardinsideher.“Holyshit.”
“You’rewelcome.”Heliftedherandsetherbackinthepassengerseat.“I’llgetusaroomandberight

back.”

Shenodded,watchingashecleanedhimselfupandgotoutofthecar,wonderingwhatthehellshewas

gettingherselfinto.

…

Iantookinthehotelroominasingleglance—couch,chair,king-sizebed.Typicalhotel,thoughtheview
wasn’ttooshabby.He’doriginallybeenplanningontakinghertothehousehe’dboughtbeforemoving
backhere,butthiswoulddo.Besides,thedamnplacewasstillinprettyroughshapeanddidn’thavea
singlepieceoffurnitureinit—notexactlythebestplacetobringawomanhewasintentontakingagain
andagainuntiltheywerebothtooexhaustedtomove.

Heguidedherontothebedandpulledoffherheels.Howthehellcouldshewalkinthosethings?He

appreciatedhowsexytheylooked,though.Whenhetuggedonherbunched-upskirt,sheliftedherhips.
“Zipper.”

“Yes,ma’am.”Hehadtheskirtoffinrecordtime,quicklyfollowedbyhershirtandbra.Naked,she

stretchedout,givinghimaneyeful.Andwhatafuckingeyefulitwas.Impossiblylonglegs,aflaredwaist
thatperfectlyfithishands,breastshecouldspendallnightworshipping.Christ,shewassomethingelse.

“Likewhatyousee?”
“YouknowIdo.”
Shetwirledherfingers.“Yourturn.Losetheclothes.”
Hestrippedoffhisshirt,alltooawareofhereyesonhim.
He worked out almost compulsively—it was only thing that quieted his thoughts when they started

spinning out of control. So he ran or lifted weights until everything disappeared, until he could only
concentrateonthenextrep,thenextmile.Andthenheworkedoutsomemore.

Hestillcouldn’tbelievehe’dtoldheraboutsweatingawayhisdemons.Hedidn’ttellanyonethatstuff.

Admittingtohismanyweaknesseswastoopersonaltodowithfriends,andhedidn’tliketoworryhis
family.Hewasdealingwithit—moreorless—sotherewasnoneedtoscarethemoversomethingthey
couldn’tcontrol.

Ianreacheddownandhookedthebackofherknees,topplingherbackontothebed.Heranhisfingers

over her stomach and circled his thumb over her clit. She rocked against him and he closed his eyes,
trying to remember all the reasons why unprotected sex wasn’t an option. His cock wasn’t listening. “I
don’tsupposeyouhavemorecondoms?”

“I’monthisnewfangledthingcalledbirthcontrol.SinceIhaven’tbeenwithanyonesincethelasttimeI

gottested,I’mgoodthere,too.”Shepattedhisarm.“Ipromiseyou’resafefrombig,badme.You?”

Hedidn’twanttoadmithowlongithadbeenforhim,butthatdidn’tstophisinstinctivebalkingatthe

idea of putting this woman at risk. Even after the short time they’d spent together, he found himself
wantingto…Hell,hewasn’tsurewhathewanted.“Iwouldn’thaveletitgetthisfarifIwasn’tsureI

wassafe.”

“Thenwhyarewewastingtimetalkingaboutthis?”
Fuck,yeah.Heslidanarmunderherwaistandliftedherhips,thenshovedintoher,sheathinghimself

tothehilt.“Christ,youfeelgood.”Evenbetterthaninthecar.Havingherwrappedaroundhimlikethis,
herhipsrisingtomeethisthrusts,silencedhisdemonscompletely.Forthefirsttimeinaslongashecould
remember,hisentireworldnarroweddowntothepresent.

Thepastandallitsshadowshadnoplacehere.
Hefocusedonhercompletely.Onthewayherbackarchedwitheachstroke.Onthehazylookinher

eyes.Onhowherveryscentdrovehimwild.Hewasclose.Tooclose.

Needing her to finish again before he let himself go, he circled her clit with his thumb again. She

thrashedasakeeningsoundcamefromherthroat.“Charming.”Shethrewherheadback,herentirebody
going tense. Then and only then did he give into the need to pound into her, pressure building until he
finally let go completely. His release shot through him, taking with it all his tension and worries and
thoughts.

Heslumpednexttoher,theirbreathingharshinhisears.“JesusChrist.”
Shelaughedhoarsely.“Thataboutsumsitup.”
Helaythere,listeningtotheirharshbreathingforafewseconds.“MynameisIan.”Shefrownedand

openedhermouthtosaysomething,buthebeathertothepunch.“Nexttimeyoucome,you’regoingtosay
myname.”

Shelookeddownforalongmomentbeforemeetinghisgaze.Asmallsmilepulledattheedgesofher

lips,makinghimwanttokissheralloveragain.“IthinkIcanmanagethat.”

“Good.”Suddenlyexhausted,helethiseyesdriftshut.Shewasn’tcloseenough,though.Hepulledher

againsthimsoherbackwasagainsthischest.Forasecond,shetensedup,butjustwhenhewasaboutto
letgo,sherelaxedwithasigh.Thetensioninhisshoulderswasgone,whichfeltstrangebecauseithad
beentheresolonghe’dactuallygottenusedtoit.

He’dbehappyaboutthatinthemorning.Rightnow,hejustwantedalittlerest.

ChapterFive

Ianreachedacrossthebedforhiswoman,needingtofeelherinhisarmsagain.Evenhalf-asleep,hefelt
herlosskeenly.Whenallheencounteredwasrumpledsheets,heopenedhiseyes,immediatelyblinking
againstthebrightsunlightfilteringthroughgauzycurtainsonthefarsideoftheroom.Sunlight?Whattime
wasit?Herolledoverandsquintedataneongreenclockperchedonthenightstand.“Holyshit.”Tenin
themorning.

Whichmeanthe’dsleptdamnneareighthours.
Nowonderhefeltlikehe’djustshotgunnedtwo5-hourEnergydrinks.Hecouldn’trememberthelast

time he’d slept so long, which probably wasn’t a good sign. The therapist the Army had forced on him
sureashelldidn’tthinkso,butwhatdidsheknow?Shesatinherchair,dressedinsuitsthathadnever
seenasmudge,glassesperchedatexactlytherightangleforhertolookdownonhim.Shesaidsheknew
whathewasgoingthrough,butshedidn’tknowadamnthingoutsideofhertextbooks.Thewomanwould
pissherselfifsheeverhadthemisfortunetostumbleintothemiddleofrealcombat.

Heclimbedoutofbed,wishinghecouldleavebehindthememoriesaseasilyastherumpledsheets.

Lastnighthehadn’tbeenthinkingaboutnightmares,though.Lastnighthisentireworldhadbeenconsumed
withher.Whichdidn’tmakeawholelotofsense.Thefewtimeshe’dtrieditsincehisfirsttour,sleeping
next to someone usually left him edgy and exhausted, but right now he couldn’t imagine feeling better
rested. There was something about that woman that eased him in a way he’d never thought possible—
especiallywithastranger.Asstupidasitsounded,withherhe’dactuallyfeltsafe.Smallwonderthatthe
resulthadbeenafullnight’ssleepandthecorrespondingenergyboost.Hell,runningamarathonsounded
likeagreatidea.

No.Onsecondthought,hehadabetteridea.Surelyshewouldbeupforanotherround—orthree?His

entirebodyleapedtoattention.Yes,anotherroundwithher—rightafterhegotherdamnname—woulddo
wondersforhismorning.

Ianpulledonhisjeansandroundedthebrightredwall.Thebathroomdoorstoodopenandempty.What

thehell?Heturnedaroundasifheactuallyhadjustwalkedpasthersittingonthecouch,buttherestofthe
roomwasjustasemptyasthebathroom.Ashewasturningaroundagain,apieceofwhitetapedtothe
doorcaughthiseye.Hereadit,frowned,andreaditagain.

Ian-

Thanksforlastnight.Ithinkwebothneededit.

-R

P.S.Cabfareandthecabbie’snumberareonthenightstand.

Hestalkedbacktothenightstand,hisstomachinknotsashetookinthetwentysittingthere.Noway.

She did not leave him cab fare as if he were some whore who’d shown her a good time, which was
exactlyhowhefeltrightnow.Yes,he’dbeenlookingforadistractionlastnight,sotheendresultwould
havebeenthesame,buttherewasnodenyingthestingofhowshe’dhandledthis.Christ,couldn’tsheat
leasthavewokenhimupbeforesheleft?

But,no,she’dsneakedoff,leavinganotebehindlikeafuckingcoward.Hedroppedthecashontothe

coffeetable.Hemightbekindofscrewedupinthehead,buthewasn’tagoddamncharitycase.Thatthis
woman—thesamewomanhe’djustbeenthinkinghadmadehimfeelsafe—seemedtothinksostuckinhis
throatlikeaknife.Themoneyonthetabletaintedthememoryoftheentirenight.Hewantedtofindher,to
shakeher,toremindherhowshe’dbeggedhimlastnighttotakeheragainandagain.Buthowcouldhe?
Hedidn’tevenknowhergoddamnname.

Stalkingbacktothebed,herubbedhischestasifthatwoulddissipatethepressuresettlingthere,and

dughisphoneoutofhisjacket.HeyankedonhisshoesasNathanpickedup.“What?”

“YouditchoutonthewelcomehomepartyIdidn’twantinthefirstplace,andthatishowyouanswer

thephonewhenIcall?”

“Whenyou’recallingbeforenoononaSaturday,yes.So,Irepeat—what?”
Despiteeverything,Iansmiled.He’dmissedthebastard.“Ineedaride.”
“Whereareyou?”
Hereadofftheaddressonthestationery,tryingtoignorethehandwritingjustbelowitthatseemedto

taunthim.Heneededtogetoverit,though.Itwasfinished,sotherewasnopointindwelling.

Easiersaidthandone.
“I’llbethereintwenty.”NathanhungupbeforeIancouldsayanythingelse.
Calling Elle obviously wasn’t an option under these circumstances, but he would rather have called

Nathananyway.Nathanwouldcome,noquestionsasked,regardlessofthetimeorcircumstances.After
whatthey’dbeenthrough,Ianwouldn’thesitatetodothesame.

He glanced at the note and shook his head. No number. She couldn’t have been clearer than if she’d

actually written “Thanks for the sex, now let’s pretend this never happened.” It should have made him
happy—arelationshipwasthelastthinghewantedorneededrightnow—butinsteadofrelief,slowand
steadyangerbuiltinhim.

He was dressed and waiting outside when Nathan pulled up. The man didn’t look like he’d spent a

relaxing night at home. In fact, he looked like he’d been on a worse bender than Ian had last night. He
raisedhiseyebrowsasIanclimbedintohistruck.

“Apparentlythehomecomingpartywentbetterthanexpected,”Nathansaid.“What’dEllehavetosay

aboutthat?”

“Shedoesn’tknow.”Picturingwhathissisterwouldsayifshefoundout,hewinced.“Shedoesn’tneed

toknow.”

“Thenyoumightwanttodosomethingaboutthathickeyonyourneck.”
Ianmadeaconsciouseffortnottoreachuptowherehecouldstillfeelhermouthonhim.“MaybeI’ll

justwearascarfforafewdays.”

“You’re on the wrong side of the state to take up dressing like a hipster.” Nathan shook his head, a

smallsmilebreakingthroughtheexhaustionplainonhisface.“It’sgoodtohaveyouhome.”

Hewishedhecouldsayitwasgoodtobehome,butheandNathanneverliedtoeachother.Yes,they

occasionallyomittedthehelloutofthings,butthatwasadifferentstoryaltogether.“How’veyoubeen?”

“Sameold,sameold.Iwasplanningoncominglastnight,butIhitthepointofnoreturnonmynewest

pieceandIcouldn’tleave.”

ThiswasasideofNathanhehadn’tseen.Thoughhisbestfriendhadtalkedaboutartalotwhilethey

wereinIraq,itwasn’tuntilhegotoutofthemilitarythathefinallyfollowedhistruecalling.Mostpeople
didn’tgetthatchance,andIanwasgenuinelyhappyforhim.He’dbehappier,though,ifhethoughtNathan
wasequallyhappy.“Youdidn’tmissmuch.”

“Yeah,Gabementionedyouleftearly—withoutsayinganythingtoanyone.”Nathanclearedhisthroat.

“So,uh,how’reyouadjusting?”

Christ,hedidn’twanttotalkaboutthis,notinthewakeofwhathappened.Heshrugged,tryingtokeep

thetensionfromhisbody.“I’mfine.It’sjust…”

“Notaseasyasyouexpected.”
“Yeah.”Exactly.
“It’llgeteasier.”
ConsideringNathanmusthavehadthesameadjustmentissuesIanwasgoingthroughfouryearsago,he

figuredtheguyknewwhathewastalkingabout.Still,thiswasfuckingawkward.“Goodtoknow.”

“Yep.” Nathan nodded and changed the subject, obviously as uncomfortable talking about this shit as

Ianwas.“AreyoustillplanningoncrashingwithElleuntilyougeteverythingsettledwithyourhouse?”

Spendingtimeathissister’s—knowingGabewouldbewithher—afterthefiascooflastnightsounded

likeaspecialkindofhell.Thenagain,crashingathisparents’wasn’tmuchofanoptioneither.Heloved
hisparents,butwitheverythinghewasdealingwith,havinghismomtrytomicromanageeveryaspectof
hislifesoundedevenworsethanhavingtofacethefactEllewaspracticallylivingwithathug.“Thatwas
theplan.”

Nathanmusthaveheardthehesitanceinhisvoice.“There’sanotheroption,ifyou’reinterested.Ihave

aloftabovethegallery.IusuallyonlyuseitwhenI’mneck-deepinaprojectorIworklateatthegallery,
soit’semptyandquiet.Youcancrashthereaslongasyouneed.”

He wouldn’t have to face his mother’s meddling or run the risk of losing his temper with Elle’s new

man.Ianalreadyknewhowthatcouldbackfire,havinggottenatasteofherunhappinessafterhe’dbeatthe
crapoutofherpiece-of-shitex.Bytakinghisfamilyoutoftheequation,he’dhavesometimetobreathe
andfindhisbalance.Maybethenhecouldactuallyletgoofhowpissedhewasoverhowthismorning
turnedout.“I’dreallyappreciatethat.”

NathanpulledaU-turnatthenextintersection.“Ithoughtyoumight.Now,let’sgetsomecoffee,andyou

canfillmeinonyourmisadventureslastnight.”

…

RoxannesatatthetinytablewhileElleordered,wishingshehadn’tpushedforacoffeedatethismorning.
Ofcourse,whenshe’dsendthattextfromtheclublastnight,shehadn’tconsideredthatshe’dbecoming
fromahotelwhereshe’djustspentwhatwasquitepossiblythebestnightofherlife.

WithElle’sbrother.
As soon as he’d said his name, the terrifying thought had taken root. Ian wasn’t exactly the most

commonofnames,andwhatweretheoddsthere’dbetwodifferentIansatGabe’sclubonthesamenight?
And then there was the panic attacks and the fact he was military. The more she’d thought about it, the
morehersuspicionhadcementedintosomethingclosertotruth.

Roxanne shifted in her seat, all too aware of how her body ached from the things they’d done. And,

God,shewantedmore.Somuchmore.Thesexhadbeenpossiblythebestinherlife.Oh,whowasshe
kidding?Nooneelseshe’deverbeenwithcouldcomeclosetomakingherfeellikeIanhadinonenight.
Nottomentionhe’dneededher.Thatwaswhy,evenwithherownpanicdemandingsherunasfarandfast
asshecould,shehadn’tleftuntilhe’dfallenasleepdeeplyenoughtoreleaseherhand.

Thenshe’dsneakedofflikeathiefinthenight.
Sheshookherheadandtookadrinkofherquadwhitemocha.Itdidn’tmatterhowgoodthesexwas—

sheknewhowthesethingsended.She’dstartcaringtoomuch,they’dendupfallinginlove,andtheman
wouldleave.Thespecificsonwhytherelationshipsfailedvaried—cheating,lying,feelingsmothered—
butthemenallleftprettyquicklyaftersaying“Iloveyou.”

JustlikeMomsaidtheywould.
“Are you trying to torture me?” Elle leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. She looked

freshlyscrubbedandpeppy—exactlytheoppositeofhowRoxannefelt.Herbestfriendgrinned,blueeyes
dancing.“Yousayyoumetaguy,andnowyouwon’ttellmeanythingabouthim.Isthisrevengeformy
holdingbackthedetailsaboutGabe?”

Howthehellwasshegoingtodealwiththis?NowayonGod’sgreenearthcouldsheadmitthetruthto

Elle.IfIanwaswhoshebelievedhimtobe—andshewasabout99.9percentcertainhewas—avoiding
himwouldonlyworkforsolongbeforeherbestfriendstartedgettingsuspicious.Ellewasn’tanidiot.

Itwouldjustfigurethattheonemanwho’dmakeherreconsiderherone-nightstandrulewastotallyoff-

limits.

Maybeitwastimeforachangeofscenery?Herbusinesswastotallyportable.Shecouldplanparties

anywhere in the world—preferably somewhere far, far away where she’d never have to worry about
runningintoIan.She’djusthavetomakethemovefast.

Liketoday.
Roxanneswirledherdrink.Wherethehellwouldshemove?DefinitelynotCanada—she’dbeperfectly

contentneverhavingtoworryaboutbadgermaulings.NotMontanaeither,forthesamereason.Florida
mightbenicethistimeofyear…

Annnndshe’ddefinitelybeenquiettoolong.“I’msorryaboutskippingtheparty.”
Ellewavedthataway.“LikeIsaidinmytext,itwasamess.Momwasinrareformandharpingonmy

brothereverytimeheturnedaround,despitethefactablindmancouldhaveseenhowmiserablehewas.
Gabetriedtohelp,butIthinkhejustmadeitworse.Youdidn’tmissanything.”Shesippedhercoffee.
“Stopstalling.Tellmewhathappenedlastnight.”

Floridawaslookingbetterbythesecond.“Idon’twanttotalkaboutit.”
“OhmyGod,yousleptwithhim!”
“Elle, hush.” Roxanne looked around the coffee shop, but as usual, there wasn’t anyone other than

Marge, the old woman who ran the store in the mornings. Unlike Starbucks, this little hole-in-the-wall
place didn’t get a ton of traffic. She and Elle liked it because it was close to both the gallery and
Roxanne’s office, and they usually had the place to themselves. Not to mention the coffee was the best
she’deverhad.

“Wasitgood?Didherockyourworld?”
Yes.“Seemylastcomment—we’renottalkingaboutthis.”
Ellelaughedandactuallyclapped.“Thatmeansitwasfantastic.Ifithadbeenterrible,you’dbetelling

meallaboutit.Whenareyouseeinghimagain?”

“I’mnot.”Whatshewasgoingtodo,however,wasfindadamncomputersoshecouldbookaflightout

ofhere.Nowaycouldsheholddownthislevelofdeceptionforanylengthoftime.It’donlybeenafew
hours, and she felt like she had a giant sign tattooed on her forehead that read I

HAD

SEX

WITH

BEST

FRIEND

’

OLDER

BROTHER

Ellefrowned.“Whynot?”
Thiswasthecruxofthematter.RoxannehadnevergoneintogreatdetailswithEllewhenitcametoher

issuesandherparents,andshewasn’tabouttostartnow.Andshedefinitelywasn’tgettingintowhyIan,
specifically,dancedacrosseverysingleissueshehad.“It’scomplicated.”

“So uncomplicate it. This is the first guy in a really long time that has got you all worked up—no

offensetothoseotheronesyoudated.And,really,allheneedstodoisfeedyousomeyummyfood,and
he’sin.”

“Hey!Youmakemesoundeasy.”
“Onlywhenitcomestogoodfood.”Ellestartedtosaysomethingelse,butthenherentirefacelitup

withasmileasshecaughtsightofsomethingoverRoxanne’sshoulder.Sheshovedtoherfeetandheld
outherarms.“Ian!”

“Hey,Ellie.”
Hisvoicewentthroughherlikealightningbolt.No.Itcouldn’tbe.Theuniversewouldn’tbesocruel.

Roxanne turned, the possibility of escaping to Florida going up in smoke. There, hugging Elle with the
easeoflongfamiliarity,wasIan.ThesameIanshe’dspentpartofthenighttangledupwith.

Sheshouldhaveboughtaplaneticketassoonassheleftthehotelroom.

ChapterSix

Ianlookedupfromhugginghissisterandfroze.Thereshewas—theverywomanhe’dgivenupanyhope
ofeverseeingagain—sittingrighthere.Consideringtherestofthecoffeeshopwasempty,shehadtobe
herewithElle.“Who’syourfriend?”

“Oh!I’mbeingrude,aren’tI?”Ellegrabbedhishandanddraggedhimovertothetable.“Thisismy

bestfriend,Roxanne.”

Thiswasthebestfriendhe’dheardsomuchabout?Inthecoldlightofmorning,shelookedevenmore

put-togetherthanshehadlastnight,wearingalongdressthatlookedanythingbutmatronly,herhairdrawn
backintoaprofessionalponytail.Heheldouthishand,curiousastohowshe’dreact.“Roxanne.”

“Right…”Shetookhishandgingerly,asifhewerecoveredincontagiousdiseases.
“Nathan,youknowRoxanne.”
Nathannodded.“Alwaysapleasure.”
“Surething.”Herskintookonawaxytone,andIanshiftedsohecouldcatchherifshepassedout.He

mightbepissedashellthatshewalkedoutonhimthismorningwithoutgivinghimawaytogetholdof
her,buthedidn’twantherhurt,either.

Ellelookedfromfacetoface,hersmileslowlydimming.“So,whatbringsyouguyshere?”
WhenNathandidn’thelpfullystepin,Iansighed.“I’mgoingtostayintheloftabovethegalleryfora

littlebit.”

Hissister’sfacefell.“Oh…okay.”
Christ,hedidn’tlikehurtingherfeelings,buthecouldn’thavethisconversationnow.“Sorry,Ellie.”
“No,it’sokay.It’sreallyokay.”
“IthinkI’mgoingtobesick.”Roxanneshotoutofherchairanddisappearedthroughthedoorwayon

thefarsideoftheroom.

Elle frowned, temporarily distracted from her disappointment in him. “Sorry about that. I think she’s

kindofhungover.”

Itwasn’tahangover—itwasherMO.Ianconsideredhimselfanexcellentjudgeofcharacter,andthe

woman was a runner if he ever saw one. He turned and met Nathan’s eyes, conveying everything he
neededtointhatoneglance.Monthsspentinclosequartersunderdangerouscircumstanceshadallowed
themtheabilitytocommunicatewithoutspeaking.Makingasoundandgivingawayyourlocationmeanta
rainofbullets.

Nathan nodded, though he looked amused. Of course he thought this was funny—Ian couldn’t have

stepped in it worse if he’d actually tried. His friend took Elle’s elbow and guided her to the counter.
“WhileIorderourdrinks,IwantedtohearyourthoughtsonthenewartistIjustpickedup.”

Elle cast a glance over her shoulder at Ian, looking so hurt that he wanted to hug her again. But he

couldn’ttellhereverythingwasokay,becauseitwasn’t.Mostoftheissueswereoutofhiscontrol—only
timeandspacewouldhelphimsettleatthispoint—buttherewasonethinghefullyplannedondealing
withrightnow.

Thedoorwayledtoashorthallwithtwodoors.Sinceonlyoneofthemwasclosed,therewaslittle

doubt where Roxanne had gone. The door opened under his hand, so he stepped inside and closed it
behindhim.

Shestoodinfrontofthemirror,herhandsbracedoneithersideofthesinkandherheaddown.“Get

out.”

“Idon’tthinkso.”Hemovedcloser,intentionallycrowdingher.“Didyouknow?WhenItoldyoumy

name,didyouknowwhoIwas?”

“What?No!”Roxannethrewupherhands,lookinglikeshewantedtostranglehim.“Okay,fine.Maybe

Isuspected,butallthepiecesdidn’tclickintoplacerightoffthebat.”

Thatsoothedsomeofthebetrayalthathadbeenrisingeversinceherealizedsheknewhissister.No,

not knew—they were best friends. Before he could say anything else, she took a deep breath and
straightened her shoulders. “It’s not a big deal, okay? We shared a one-night stand, so let’s leave it at
that.”

So she was going to play it like that. Fine. “So you just walked away, despite knowing who I am,

thinkingyoucouldcarryonwithyourlifelikenothinghappened?”

“That’sexactlywhatIthink.”Sheraisedherchin,bringinghermouthdangerouslyclosetohis.“And

honestly?I’vehadbetter.”

Oh,fuckno.RagetemporarilyblackedoutIan’svision.Onesecondhewasstaringdownather,stillnot

quitebelievinghismysteriouswomanwashisbabysister’sbestfriend,andthenexthismouthcrashed
down on hers. She opened for him immediately, her hands fisting the front of his shirt as she arched
againsthim.Hestrokedhertonguemercilessly,drawingmoanaftermoanfromherandmakingherwrithe
againsthim.Hecouldtakehernow,andshe’dbemorethanwilling.Hell,she’dbecomingonhiscockin
lessthanthirtyseconds.

Buthewasn’tgoingtogivethattoher.Notlikethis.
He made himself step back. Roxanne actually made a sound of protest before she seemed to catch

herself.Shepressedahandtohermouthandglaredathim.“You’reanasshole.”

“You’renoinnocent,either.”Hestraightenedhisclothes.“Thisisn’tover.”Thenheturnedandwalked

outofthebathroom.

…

BythetimeRoxannegothershittogetherenoughtoleavethebathroom,IanandNathanweregone.Elle
satattheirtable,frowningathercupofcoffee.SheglancedupwhenRoxannereclaimedherseat.“How
doyoufeel?”

For a second, she didn’t understand the question, but then she remembered the choked-out excuse for

herretreat.Allshe’dwantedwasalittletimealonetofindhercenter,andlookhowwellthatturnedout.
“I’mfine.Where’deveryonego?”Notthatshereallycared.Allthatmatteredwasshedidn’thavetoface

Ianagainrightnow.

“ApparentlytheywentofftomoveIanintotheloft.”Ellefrownedharder.“Hewassupposedtostay

withmeforalittlewhileuntilhecouldmoveintothehousehebought,butnoweverything’schanged,and
Idon’tknowwhy.”Shepickeduphernapkinandstartedshreddingit.“Doyouthinkhe’sokay?”

ThelastthingshewantedtotalkaboutrightnowwasElle’sbrother,butitseemednomatterwhichway

shewent,shewasstuck.Besides,shecouldn’tleaveherbestfriendlookingsomiserable.Roxannetooka
hastysipofhercoffee.“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Hewasjustsoquietlastnight,andheaboutbitmyheadoffeverytimeItriedtotalktohim.Idon’t

knowwhattodo.”

Consideringhowwild-eyedhe’dbeenwhenhefirstranherover,Roxannedidn’tfindthatdifficultto

believe. “Maybe he just needs some time to adjust to life back home. Give him a few days. I’m sure
everything’sfine.”She’dbesurerifhehadn’ttossedandturnedlastnightbeforeshe’dleft,mutteringin
hissleep.Shehadwatchedhim,hadlistenedtohimsaynameswithsuchanguishthatshedidn’thaveto
guess what happened to the men they belonged to. To see such a strong man so vulnerable had woken
somethinginher,somethingshe’dthoughtdeadandgone.

Shewantednothingtodowithit.
“Yeah, I guess so. The problem is that he won’t talk to me about it.” Elle glared at her coffee. “No

matterhowoldIget,healwaysseesmeashisbabysister,inneedofprotecting.Evenifheneedstotalk,
hewon’topenuptome,andit’sgoingtotakehimagestowarmuptoGabe,soit’snotlikeIcanaskhim
totalktoIan.”

Roxanne saw where this was going and tried to jump the train off the tracks. “Didn’t you say he and

Nathanarebestfriends?Andthey’reoldwarbuddies,too,right?”

“You know how guys are. Neither one of them likes to talk about stuff that bothers them. Heck,

something’sbeenupwithNathanrecently,too,andnotevenGabeknowswhatitis.No,Ianwon’ttalkto
Nathan about stuff.” Elle turned those baby blues on her, and Roxanne knew she didn’t stand a chance.
“Hemighttalktoyou,though.”

“Me?”
“Yeah. You’re the most social person I know, and it’s pretty much your job to do damage control—

whichyou’reamazingat.”

“It’seasierwhenthey’restrangers.”
Ellegaveherastrangelook.“Well,technically,Ianisthenextbestthingtoastranger.It’snotlikeyou

knoweachotheroranything.”

Unless she was talking in the biblical sense. Roxanne rubbed her temples and tried to breathe. Last

nightwassupposedtobesomecarefreefunwithastrangerwhohadshadowsinhiseyes,astrangerwho
wasinexplicablycalmedbyhertouch.Nowaycouldshehaveknownshe’dreactthewayshedid.She
mightnotbewillingtoadmitasmuchtoIan,butshecouldatleastadmitittoherself.And,ifthescenein
thebathroomwasanyindication,thesparkthatlaybetweenthemwasjustwaitingtobeignitedagain.

Whichwaswhysheneededtostayasfarawayfromhimaspossible.“Elle,Idon’tknow.”
“Comeon.You’resogoodatgettingpeopleoutoftheirshells—youdiditforme.”
“Yeah,becauseyou’reasweetwomanwhojustneededalittlekickintheasstogooutandgetwhat

youwantedoutoflife.”Roxannetookanotherdrink.“Idon’tknowifyounoticed,butyourbrotherisn’t
exactlyasweetwoman.”

Ellesnorted.“Maybenot,butit’sentirelypossiblethatheneedsthesametreatment.”
“Maybe.”Again,shethoughtbacktohowhauntedhe’dseemedwhenhelethisguarddown.Asfurious

ashewaswithherrightnow,shewasn’tsureitwasagoodideatotakehernormal,bluntapproach.“I’m
notreallygoodatcoddling.I’mbetteratbullyingpeopleintodoingwhatIwant.”

Ellefrownedharder.“Maybeheneedsthat,too.Actually,I’mnotreallysurewhatheneedsrightnow.”
IfRoxannehadherguess,she’dsayhewantedsomepeaceandquiettosettleintohislifeandfindthe

rhythmofthingsagain.ButEllewouldn’twanttohearthatthebigbrothershe’dmissedsomuchwanted
nothing to do with her for a little while. And God only knew what their mother would say. Roxanne
shudderedtoeventhinkofit.

Sheshouldstayoutofit.Theywerealladults,andIanhadbeenfendingforhimselfforyears.Hecould

handlethewomeninhisfamily.

Shebitherlip,picturingthelookinhiseyeswhenshefirsttalkedtohimlastnight.He’dbeensooutof

control,almostpanicked.Goddamnit.“Fine.”

Ellelituplikeshe’djustwonthelottery.“You’llhelp?”
“No schemes and no plotting. I’ll talk to him, but that’s all I’ll promise.” God only knew what she’d

say.Whensheleftthatnotethismorning,she’dhadnointentionofeverseeinghimagain.Nowshewas
supposedtoseekhimout.

He’dprobablytellhertotakealongwalkoffashortpier.Whichwasgood,becauseifhedidthat,she

couldgobacktoElleingoodconscienceandsayshe’dtried.Thenshewouldmoveonwithherlifeand
forgetallabouttheconfusingmassofemotionsbeingaroundIanWalsermadeherfeel.

Itwasagreatplan.Absolutelynothingcouldgowrong.

ChapterSeven

Shecoulddothis.Really,shecould.Shecouldwalkinthere,smile,andaskIantodinner.Lunch.Coffee.
Breakfast. She shook her head. No, not breakfast. Breakfast would only remind him of her taking off
before he woke up. Which she was totally justified in doing as far as she was concerned. One-night
stands,bydefinition,onlylastedforonenight.

Maybesheshouldjustcallhiminstead?
She paced outside the door to the gallery, debating with herself. Call or go in there? She couldn’t

decideifcallinghimmeantshewasacowardorjustreallysmartforavoidingtemptation.Butthelatter
didn’texactlyringtruebecauseshewastryingtogetholdofIantomeethim,whichsortofdefeatedthe
purpose.God,shewasoverthinkingthistoacriminaldegree.She’dnevercaredenoughtogetriledover
somethingassillyastalkingwithaman—evenamanashotasIan.Itwasn’therstyle.

Thinkingabouthowhothewasdidn’tdoadamnthingforhercontrolbecause,insteadoffocusingon

allthosedeliciousmuscles,shekeptgettingsidetrackedbythelookonhisfacewhenshe’dtriedtobrazen
herwaythroughtheirencounterinthebathroom.Ifshedidn’tknowbetter,she’dthinksheactuallyhurt
him.Themanhadenoughgoingonwithoutheraddingtotheweighthecarriedonhisshoulders.

It was better for both of them that she’d left when she did. Yes, there had been an intense kiss in the

coffeeshop,butshewasmorethancapableofpretendingthatdidn’thappen.NeithershenorIanneeded
thekindofpainthatcamefromafailedrelationship.

AndthatwastheonlykindofrelationshipthatexistedinRoxanne’sworld.
Takingadeepbreaththatdidnothingtofortifyher,Roxannethrewbackhershouldersandheadedinto

the gallery. She barely paused to give Elle a wave—if she stopped now, she’d talk herself out of this
entire mess—before moving up the stairs next to the offices. She’d only been here once before on an
errandforElle,butsheknewtheloftheldtworooms,abathroom,andafullkitchen.Eventhoughthey
weredowntown,thelocationabovethegallerymutedthetrafficsounds.Shecouldn’thavepickedabetter
placeifshewereasoldiertryingtofindherbalanceineverydaylife.

Sheconsideredthedooratthetopofthestairs.Knock,orjustwalkin?GoodLord,shewasaboutto

talkherselfrightoutofthis.Forasecond,shehopeditwaslocked.Itwouldbejusttheexcusesheneeded
towalkaway.

Itopenedbeneathherhand.
Of course it did. She wasn’t going to get a single break when it came to Ian. To hope for one was

stupid.Chinup,Rox.Youcandothis.Justkeepyourgoddamnpantiesonandeverythingwillbefine.
Maybe if she said that enough times, she’d actually start to believe it. She was doing this for Elle, not
becauseshecaredonewayoranotheriftouchinghimsoothedthehauntedlookinhisdarkeyes.

Roxannegrittedherteethandthrewthedoortherestofthewayopen.“Honey,I’mhome.”
Ian came around the corner, his chest bare and a goddamn towel wrapped around his waist. She

watchedasingledropofwatertrailbetweenhispecsanddownhisabs,andlickedherlips.Howwas
shesupposedtokeepherheadonstraightandherpantiesinplacewhenhewasstandingthere,half-naked
andlookinggoodenoughtoeat?Hell,shecouldstillfeelhismouthonhersfromtheirkissatthecoffee
shop,andshewasn’tagoddamnsaint.

Hislipstwistedintosomethingthatwasn’tquiteasmile.“Whatanunexpectedpleasure.”
She’dgivehimunexpectedpleasure…Wait,no.Shewasheretotalk,notlosecontrolandmouthoff.

Roxannecrossedherarmsoverherchestandtriedforherownsmile.“Whydon’tyouputsomepantson?
I’mheretochat.”

“Idon’tthinkIwill.”
Justwhenshethoughtthiscouldn’tgetanymoreuncomfortable,hewentandmadeitworse.“Whynot?”
“I’mcomfortable.”Heleanedagainstthewallandmirroredherpose.“Saywhatyouneedtosay.”
“Ian…”Notexactlythewarmestwelcome,butshehadn’texpectedanythingdifferent,notaftertheway

she’d bolted this morning. But what did he think was going to happen? He showed up, blew her damn
mind,andthenheldhercloseasifsheweretheonlythingkeepinghimfromhisworstfears.Connection
ornot,shecouldn’triskspendingmoretimewithhim.Sheremindedherselfthatshewasdoingthisfor
Elle,notbecauseshefeltinexplicablydrawntohim.

Whenshedidn’timmediatelycontinue,Ianraisedhiseyebrows.“Yes?”
Well, crap, she wasn’t sure where to go from here. There wasn’t exactly a playbook for this kind of

thing.Roxanneclearedherthroat.They’dnevergettotalkingaboutthestuffthatbroughtherhereinthe
firstplaceiftheydidn’tgettheotherstuffoutofthewayfirst.“Obviously,youhavesomepent-uprage.
Hitmewithit.”

“Youcamehereforareason,anditwasn’ttoletmeyellatyou.”
“Thishastobeoneofthestrangeststandoffsinhistory.No,please,youairyourgrievancesfirst.No,

no,Icouldn’tpossibly.”Whenheonlystared,shethrewupherhands.“Fine,okay.”Shewasgoingtogo
about it like she always did—headfirst, without thinking too much. “It goes like this. Your sister is
worriedaboutyou.”

“My…sister.”
Someoftheangerhadleachedoutofhisvoice,replacedbyconfusion.Roxannefiguredshemightas

wellrunwithitwhiletheopportunitypresenteditself.“Yeah.Youhaveyourentirefamilyfreaked.They
thought they were getting their golden boy back.” Though after spending one night with him, she could
have told them Ian was damaged goods. Whatever nightmares he’d seen in the last ten years had made
sureofthat.

Hismouthtwisted.“I’mnotthesamepersonanymore.”
“Obviously.”Theshadowswerebackinhiseyes.Howblackeyescouldhaveshadowswasamystery

foranotherday—allsheknewwasthatsomethinghauntedthisman.Itmadesense.Plentyofmencame
backfromwarwithmorescarsthantheyleftwith,andsomeofthosescarsweren’tphysical.

Logical.
But her response was anything but logical. She wanted to hug him…or something. Which was crazy.

Roxannedidn’tknowhowtocomfortpeople.Whilegrowingupwithherparents,thehousehadn’texactly
beentheepitomeofemotionalhand-holding.Hermotherwasn’tthetypetokiss“owies”betterorrock
hertosleepaftershehadanightmare.She’dbeensowrappedupinfirstonedissolvingmarriageandthen
thenextandthenext,thatshehadn’thadtimeforherdaughter—excepttovoicepreciouslittletidbitsof
relationshipadvice.

Sheshookherhead.Donotlookatthenearlynakedman.Justdon’tdoit.“Eventuallyyou’regoingto

havetodealwiththem,youknow.”

“I’maware.”
Hesoundedsomiserableshecouldn’tstopherselffromreachingouttotouchhisarm.Assoonasshe

realizedwhatshewasdoing,shesnatchedherhandback,butthedamagewasdone.

…

Iannearlygroanedwhenherfingersbrushedhisskin,comfortinghimeventhoughheshouldknowbetter
bynow.Theserenitythiswomanofferedknewnoreason,though.Itwasbeyondcomprehension.

He hadn’t expected Roxanne to show up, but here she was. Not that she wanted to be. She couldn’t

makeherreluctanceanymoreobviouswiththecarefuldistanceshekeptbetweenthem.She’drefusedto
lookdirectlyathimsinceshewalkedin,hereyesflittingaroundtheloftevenassheaskedhimquestions
hedidn’twanttoanswer.

Shedroppedintoanearbychair,makingherselfathomethesamewayshe’ddoneatthebarlastnight.

Didshewalkintoeveryroomasifsheownedit?Theonlytimeintheiradmittedlyshortacquaintancethat
she’dseemedlessthansureofherselfwasinthecoffeeshopbathroom.Thathadn’tlasted,though.The
secondsherealizedhewastherewithher,she’dbeenallattitudeandbravado.

“Youhaven’ttoldthem,haveyou?”
Heblinked.“Toldthemwhat?”
“Whatever it is that happened to you over there.” Roxanne held up a hand when he started to speak.

“Don’ttrytoplayitoff.Ifyoudon’twanttotalkaboutit,that’sfine.Weallhavethingswedon’twantto
talkabout.”

What were the things she didn’t want to talk about? What dark thing could she possibly have in her

past?Heshookhishead.Heknewbetterthantojudgeabookbyitscover.Yes,Roxannewasgorgeous
and possessed with the kind of self-assurance that took some people a lifetime to accomplish, but that
didn’tmeanshit.

Reluctantly,hesankintothecouchacrossfromher.“Idon’twanttotalkaboutit.”Wouldneverwantto

talkaboutit.Evenifshehadskeletonsinhercloset,shecouldn’tunderstandwhathe’dgonethroughany
morethanthetherapisthe’dseenbefore.She’dpathishandandtellhimsheunderstood,orworse,that
it’dgetbetter.Hecouldn’tdealwiththat,notfromRoxanne.

“I’m not really sure where to go from here.” She pressed her lips together and frowned. “You’re not

makingthiseasyonme.”

“ShouldIbe?Because,lasttimeIchecked,you’retheonewhosetthetoneofourinteractions.”
“That hurts. Really, it does.” She pressed a hand to her chest, drawing his attention to the dress she

wore. Though he’d registered it at the coffee shop, he hadn’t taken the time to really notice anything

besidesthefactitcoveredupthescrapeonherleg.Itwasn’tparticularlytightorover-the-topsexy,but
the green folds accented her curves without quite revealing them, which only make the slice of skin it
showedofherchestthatmuchmoretantalizing.

“Why are you really here, Roxanne? Just because of my sister?” He braced himself for her to agree.

She’d made her stance on what happened between them pretty damn clear when she up and left this
morning. Hell, if he was going to be perfectly honest with himself, he wasn’t in a good place to start
somethingserious,andifshe’daskedhim,hewouldhaveadmittedtoasmuch.Butthatdidn’tchangethe
truth—hewaspissedbecauseshe’dtakenthechoiceawayfromhim.

Ianleanedback,enjoyingthewayhergazejumpedtohischest,hisstomach,andlower,beforejumping

awayagain.Shewasasnervousasacatinaroomfullofrockingchairs,whichmeantshewasn’tentirely
unaffected.Good.“Iknowyou’renothereforyourgoddamncabmoney,becauseyouneverplannedon
seeingmeagain.”

“EvenifIdid,it’snotlikeI’mgoingtodemandyoupayitback.”
Hereasydismissalannoyedhimevenmore.“Idon’tneedyourfuckingcharity.”
“ThenmaybeIwasjustpayingyouforagoodnight’swork.”Shecrossedherlegs,whichflashedabit

ofcalfthatherefusedtobedistractedby,evenifhecouldseeherscrapefromlastnight.“It’simportantto
showyourappreciationforsuchthings.”

Did she just call him a whore? “Woman, a night with me is worth a hell of a lot more than twenty

bucks.”

“Ifyousayso.”
He hated this, hated how unaffected she seemed, when he wasn’t the least bit relaxed right now. He

pushedtohisfeet,onlyhishandonthetowelholdingitinplace.“Idosayso.”

“Whatareyoudoing?”Roxanne’snarrowedhereyes,andherentirebodytensed,asifsheweregoing

torun.

“Ithinkyou’refullofshit.Youwereallovermeinthebathroomjustthismorning—I’dthinkifitwere

onlyworthtwentybucks,youwouldhavemanagedtokeepyourhandstoyourself.”

“Ipanicked.Sosueme.”
Heheldouthishand.“Proveit.”
“Provewhat,exactly?Thatyou’reanass?BecauseIthinkthatpointcanbelaidtorest.”
“Proveyoucankissmenow,withoutemotionsrunninghigh,andbeunaffected.”Shecouldn’tdoit.He

wassureofit.Evenbeinginthesameroomhadhimricochetingbetweenwantingtoshakesomesense
intoherandwantingtoholdherclosebecausehestillcouldn’tquitebelieveshewashererightnow.

Shelookedathisoutstretchedhandasifitwereasnakethreateningtobiteher.“IthinkI’mgood.”
“Whathaveyougottolose?”Heforcedhisvoicetobelight,asifitdidn’tmatteronewayoranother,

whenthetruthwasthatrightnowitwaseverythinghecoulddonottoyankhertoherfeetandhaulherass
intothebedroom.Orsimplyshoveheroutoftheloftandslamthedoorinherfaceformakinghimfeel
likehewaslosinghimselfwhenhe’dtakensuchstridestoregaincontrolofhislife.

“Youhavenoidea.”
“Chickenshit.”
Roxanne’sgreeneyeswentwide.“Youdidnotjustcallmethat.”

“Actually,Idid.”
Sheslappedhishand,buthecaughtherwristbeforeshecouldyankitback.Iandidn’tpull,though.He

justwatchedher,silentlychallenginghertogothroughwiththis.

“Youaresuchapaininmyass.”Whenshegottoherfeet,heusedhermomentumtohaulheragainsthis

chest.Roxannemadeasoundsuspiciouslyclosetoawhimper.

“What’swrong?”
“You.You’rewhat’swrong.”Heheldstillasshesmoothedherhandsoverhispecsandmoveddownto

hisstomach.

“Idon’tunderstand.”
“This.”Sheslappedhisstomach,butnothardenoughtosting.“Whothehellhasafreakingeight-pack?

They’relikeunicorns.Theydon’texist.No,that’snotright.I’msurethereareguyswhohavethem,but
they’rethekindofguywhoisobviouslycompensatingforsomething.Youaren’t.”

“Sowhatyou’resayingisthatI’maunicorn…”
“Asexyunicorn.”Shetouchedthetopofhistowelandstopped.Foralongmoment,theonlysoundin

theroomwastheirbreathing.“God,thisisn’tfair.Ifyouwerejustaprettyface,it’dbesomucheasierto
resistyou.”

It wasn’t admitting she felt the connection between them, too, but it was damn close. He cupped her

face, moving slowly and giving her time to react. His lips had barely touched hers when she melted
against him with a little moan. Unaffected, his ass. But just like in the bathroom of the coffee shop, Ian
didn’tcapitalizeonit.Iftheyendeduphavingsex,itwasgoingtobeonhisterms.Anddamnit,Roxanne
wouldadmitshewanteditasmuchashedid.

Still,hecouldn’tresistanglinghismouthtodeepenthekiss.Shehookedherfingersinthetopofhis

towel,butshedidn’tgofurther.Forhispart,hedidn’ttrusthimselftotouchheranywhereotherthanher
face without losing control. All too aware of how tenuous his grip on said control was, even now, Ian
gentledthekissandtookastepback.

Theonlyproblemwas,Roxannedidn’tletgoofhistowel.Itstayedinherhandsinsteadofaroundhis

waist.

Theystaredateachotherforthreeheartbeatsbeforehergazecoasteddownhischesttohiscock.He

couldalmostfeelhergazethere,strokinghimthesamewayshe’ddonelastnight.“YouandIbothknowI
canhaveyounakedandcomingonmycockinsideofthreeminutes,yourself-controlbedamned.”

Roxannelickedherlips.“I…uh…I’mgoingtogonow.”
“That’sprobablywise.”
Butshedidn’tmove.

ChapterEight

Roxannetwistedthetowelinherhands.Sheneededtogo.Sheneededtogorightnow.Buthowwasshe
supposedtogoanywherewhenIanwasstandingthere,sexyasallget-out,lookinglikesomeoffspringof
Adoniswho’dwanderedintothewrongapartment?

“Thisisamistake.”
Hedidn’tmovesomuchasamuscle.“Thenleave.”
“I’mgoingto.”Butshetookastepclosertohiminstead.
“Stop.”Heheldupahandasiftowardheroff.Ifitweren’tforthefactthathe’djustkissedherand

wasnowstandingatfullattentiondownsouth,she’dthinkshewasmisreadinghissignals.Buthehad,and
hiscockwasraringandreadytogo.Still,sheobeyedthecommand.Shewashelplesstodoanythingelse.

Iannoticed—heseemedtonoticeeverything.“I’mnotamistake,Roxanne.”
No, he wasn’t. He was a goddamn miracle. One she had no idea what to do with. “I don’t do

relationships,”shesaid.“Idon’tdocommitment.Idon’tdolove.”

She’d tried, truly tried, on all counts in the past, desperate to prove her mother wrong, but they all

endedthesame—intearsandheartbreak.Catchingherlastex-boyfriendinherbedwithanotherwoman
the day after he brought Roxanne roses and said “I love you” for the first time had been the straw that
brokethecamel’sback.Whenshe’dconfrontedhim,he’dactuallyhadtogalltotellheritwasn’ther—it
washim.Shecouldn’tgothroughthatagain,especiallysinceshesuspectedarelationshipwithIanwould
bejustasintenseaseveryinteractionthey’dhaduptothispoint.Theinevitablebreakupmightactually
destroyher.

“WhosaidIwasaskingforanyofthose?”
Thatshouldhavereassuredher.Itsureashellshouldn’thavefeltlikeaslapintheface.Butnoneofher

reactionstothismanfellintotheneatlittleboxesshe’dcreatedforherself.Shemadeherselfsmile.“You
saythatnow.Guysalwayssaythattobeginwith.Butwhataboutlater?”

“Whynottakethingsonedayatatime?I’mnotafanofclosingdoorsbeforeIgettothem.Younever

knowwhatcouldchange.”

His words were calm, were so damn self-assured despite the turmoil in his eyes—turmoil she

suspected she was adding to. Knowing that, knowing her being difficult was adding to his already-
towering list of things to deal with, made her want to scream. Last night had been amazing in so many
ways,butshehadn’tbargainedoneverseeinghimagain.Theplanhadbeentosoothetheirmutualpain
andwalkaway,noharmdone.

Exceptshewasdoingharmrightnow.
Allshewantedwasforhimtoholdherandtellherthatthey’dfigurethisout.Butitwasn’tgoingtobe

okay,andshecouldn’tdealwitheveryounceofherlimitedself-controldemandingshegotohimanyway.
If they kept spending time together, she’d never be able to keep the emotional distance necessary to
survive when he walked away. Because he would walk away. Men always did, especially beautifully
damagedoneslikeIan.Hewouldn’tbedamagedforever,andwhenhefinallyreinedinhisdemons,he’d
want a wife and children. A family. He most definitely wouldn’t want the kind of baggage Roxanne
broughttothetable.

No. She couldn’t do this. Not now, not ever, and definitely not with Ian. No matter how much she

wantedto.Itwasthatwant,morethananythingelse,thatsentactualfearcoursingthroughher.Realizing
herhandswereshaking,shedroppedthetowel,hopinghehadn’tnoticed.“Ihavetogo.”

Whateverhesawonherface,itcloseddownhisown,untilheofferedhernothing.Hemightaswell

havebeenclothedindesignerbrandsforallthecalmheexuded.Shekindofwishedshefeltthatlevelof
anythingrightnow,becausesomehowhe’dputheratadisadvantageeventhoughhewasnakedandshe
wasfullyclothed.

“Youknowthewayout.”Heturnedandwalkedaway,anddamnit,Roxannecouldn’thelpstaringathis

assuntilheshutthebedroomdoorbehindhim.Ifthemanhadanimperfectspotonhisbody,shehadyetto
seeit.

The worst part was, she wanted to follow him into that room, to lose herself for a few hours in his

arms.Butthatwastheproblem.She’dloseapieceofherselfwhenshewalkedaway—shealreadyhad.
Thiswaswhyshekeptherdistance,whyshereducedhersexualencounterstoone-nightstandsandshort-
termrelationships,thougheventhosehaddroppedoffinthelasttwoyears.

Sheshouldhaveknownbetter.Hadn’tsherecognizedakindredspiritinIanfromtheget-go?Ifshewas

alreadyfeelingaconnectionwithhimbeforetheyevenkissed,sheshouldhaveguessedsexwouldmake
thingsinfinitelymorecomplicated.No,itwasn’tlove,butithurttowalkaway.She’dthoughtshecould
handleonenight,sincethey’dneverseeeachotheragainafterit.

Thathadn’tworkedoutquitethewayshe’dplanned.
She left the apartment and walked to her car, ignoring the voice inside demanding she go back. Her

crazyreactiontoIanwasexactlywhyshehadtostayawayfromhim.She’ddoneherdutytoElle,andhe
didn’twanttotalkaboutwhateveritwasdrivinghimoutofhismind.

Sowhydidshefeellikeshewaship-deepinquicksandandsinkingfast?

…

Nomatterwhathedid,Iancouldn’tgetthelookonRoxanne’sfaceoutofhishead.Ithadchangedfrom
desire to something else entirely—fear. It had surprised him enough to break the connection thrumming
between them and walk away. Her warnings still rang in his ears, even hours later. No relationships,
commitment,orlove.Shecouldn’thavebeenclearerifsheflat-outsaidallshe’dwantedfromhimwas
onenightofsex.Heshouldn’tbesurprised,notafterthewayshe’dleftthismorning.Nowwasthetimeto
let it go. She didn’t want anything from him, and he wasn’t exactly in the right place to jump into
something serious. How could a woman like her be happy with a guy who didn’t even have his shit
togetherenoughtohangoutinabar?

Hewishedhecouldshaketheconnectionhefelt.Eversincehedecidedtogetoutofthemilitary,he’d

feltlikehewaslostatsea,setadriftfromlifewithnothingreallyholdinghiminplace.Now,finally,here
wasthiswomanwhoactuallyseemedtoseehim—allofhim—withoutflinching.Sheunderstood,asmuch
asonepersoncanunderstandanother.

He’d be a fool to let her slip away just because something about him scared the shit out of her. He

wantedtoknowthesourceofthatfear.Christ,ifhewerehonestwithhimself,hewantedtosootheherin
thesamewayshe’dmanagedtosoothehim.Ifthatmeantthrowingonasuitofarmorandridingofftoslay
somedragons,Ianwasmorethanwillingtodoso.

No.Itwasnoneofhisbusiness.Heshouldwalkawaybeforethiswentanyfurther.Hehadnobusiness

pursuingher,notwhenshe’dmadeitsoclearshewantednothingfromhim.

Buthecouldn’tmakehimselfleaveitalone.
Iangotdressed,thinkingfast.Firstthingsfirst—heneededaplanofattack.He’dfeltcompletelyoffhis

stride ever since he woke up this morning, so he needed time to find his balance before he went in for
roundtwo.

Roxannehadalreadyprovenherselftobearunner,whichmeanthe’dhavetotakeawayheroptions.If

hecouldfindoutwheresheworked,maybethatwouldbetheplacetodoit.Thewomanwasobviouslya
professional—she’dbalkattheideaofcausingasceneinherplaceofbusiness.Hegrinned.Yeah,that
wasplayingdirty,buthelearnedalongtimeagothatmostpeopledidn’tplaybytherules.

Whoknewyearsofcombatexperiencewouldbeexactlythetrainingheneededtocourtawoman?
His smile died at the thought. That was the only thing good to come out of all those months spent

crawling through the sand, sleeping with his weapon, and drowning in the constant state of awareness.
He’d managed to get out without full-blown PTSD, but some of his friends weren’t so fortunate—and
thoseweretheoneswhomadeithomewithoutseriousinjuryorlosingalimb.Hell,Ianwasoneofthe
luckyones,evenifhedidn’tfeelitmostdays.

Helookedaroundtheloft,atthecomfortablefurnitureandtastefullypaintedwalls.Hedidn’tfithere,

didn’tfitanywhereinSpokaneanymore.Theonlytimehe’dactuallyfeltcompletelyatpeacewaswhen
hewasaroundRoxanne.Notevenrunningwasdoingadamnthingtohelp.Nothingcouldcomparetothe
peaceshebroughthim.

Nowaycouldhelethergowithoutafight.
He’d give her some time, and then he’d corner her and ask her out. She might say no, but he had a

feelinghecouldcouchthetermsinsuchawaythatshewouldn’t.

Yes,Roxannewasgoingoutwithhimagain.
Shejustdidn’tknowityet.

ChapterNine

“There’ssomeoneheretoseeyou.”

Another one? Roxanne should have known this would happen after she got that write-up in Brides.

EveryoneandtheirdogintheInlandNorthwestseemedtohavereadthearticle,andtheywantedher to
plantheirweddings.Businesswasbooming.Itwasgreat—oritwouldbeifsheevergotthetimetoreturn
thedozensofphonecallsandrespondtothemillionemailsshe’dgottenasaresult.

Sowhywasshehavingsuchahardtimeconcentrating?
“Probablybecauseofinterruptionslikethisone,”shemuttered,thenpushedtheintercombuttonandput

somecheerintohervoice.“Sendthemin.”

“Surething.”
Atleastherreceptionist,Mallory,wasamiracleworker.Thewomanwasaschedulingfiend,andshe

had a gift for calming down hysterical clients. Once they’d paid down the bills enough to breathe,
RoxannefullyintendedongivingMalloryaraise.

Her thoughts nose-dived when Ian walked into her office. She rubbed her eyes, sure that her fevered

fantasies had gotten away from her again. She didn’t particularly want to count how many times she’d
comewhilethinkingabouthiminthelastweek.ThankGodshehadarechargeablebuzzyfriend,orthe
batterybillalonewouldhavekilledher.

Heatcreptacrossherface,andshementallycursedherselfforlettinghimgettoheragain.Hewasthe

worstone-nightstandshe’deverhad,ifonlybecausehewasn’tstayingintheboxshe’dcreatedfortheir
interaction.Itwasareallynicebox,alltightandconfinedandwell-defined.

WhenIanshutthedoorandleanedagainstit,shefinallyfoundhervoice.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, drawing her attention to the short sleeves he wore and how his

shouldermusclesmoldedthefabricsogloriously.

Andstillhedidn’tsayadamnthing.Shelickedherlips,suddenlyawareofhowdryherthroatwas.

“Ian…”

“I’mheretotakeyoutodinner.”
Wait—what?“Excuseme?”
“It’sthemealyoueatintheevening.”Hemadeashowoflookingathiswatch.“It’sevening.”
“I’mnothungry.”Sheprayedherstomachwouldn’tmakeasoundandbetrayher.Evenasshedid,she

wonderedwhatthepointoffightingthiswas.Ianhadalookinhiseyesthatsherecognized—Ellehadone
justlikeit.ThoughEllenevermanagedtolookquitesointense.Hewasn’tgoingtogivein.

Ifshewerehonestwithherself,shewasn’tsureshewantedhimto.
“Yourassistantsaidyoumissedlunch.”

“Ihadafullbreakfast.”
“A quad white mocha. Yes, I heard.” He actually grimaced a little. “I have no idea how you can

stomachthosethings,butitexplainsalot.”

Sherefusedtoaskwhathemeantbythatstatement.ShewasgoingtohavetohaveatalkwithMallory

aboutheropeninghermouthtoagorgeousman.“Apparentlymyassistantneedstohaveatalkaboutwhat
wouldbeconsideredappropriateinformationtogivetoprospectiveclients.”

“Prospectiveclient?Lasttimewetalked,IdidmentionIwasn’tgettingaring.Maybeyoushouldcalm

downaboutplanningourwedding.”

Ourwedding.Thetermmadeherbreakoutinacoldsweat.Onlythefactthathismouthwasquirkedup

ononesidekeptherfromtryingtoescapethroughthewindow.“You’reaterribleperson.”

“Not according to everyone who knows me. I have a fantastic reputation.” His smile widened. “And

yourassistantdidn’ttellmeaboutthecoffee.Youweredrinkingonelastweek.”

“SowhatmakesyouthinkIhadonethismorning?”
Heraisedhiseyebrows.“Mysistermentionedyouhaveanaddictiontothedamnthings.”
“You’ve been checking up on me.” Of course he was. She might not know him that well, but even

Roxanne recognized that Ian was a man most comfortable when he had a plan. The lack of one was
probablypartofthereasonhe’dbeensooff-balanceonthenighttheymet.Notthatshe’dsincegoneover
everysinglethinghe’dsaidtoherandanalyzedittodeath.

“Come to dinner.” The request would have been a lot more convincing if he hadn’t phrased it as a

command. His dark eyes drank her in, making her really glad she’d worn a little black dress today. It
wasn’tquitefancyenoughtogoclubbingin,butitsuitedadayattheoffice.Fromhisexpression,heliked
it.Alot.“Ipromisenottoravishyou.”

“WhatifIwanttoberavished?”Thewordswereoutbeforeshecouldthinkbetterofthem.Damnit,

whenwouldshegetahandleonherimpulsecontrol?Ohright—never.Herfirstresponsewhenshefelt
uncomfortable or threatened was to come back with sexual innuendo or jokes. She shifted, trying to
relievethetensioncoilingthroughherstomachandlower,butthemovementonlymadeitworse.

Ian,ofcourse,noticed.“Whydon’tweplayitbyear?”
“Fantasticplan.IfIremembercorrectly,youhaveextremelysensitiveears.”
“That’snotwhatImeant,andyouknowit.”
“DoI?”Shehatedthis,hatedhowcarefulhewasbeingwithher.Eventhoughshefearedit,shewanted

toreclaimtheeasythingthey’dhadgoingthefirstnight.Damnhimforlisteningtoherbabblingworries
before.Shehatedhowshefeltsovulnerableallofasudden.Asifhereallydidhavetheabilitytohurt
her.

Onlyonewaytotakebackcontrolofthesituation.
Alittlevoicemurmuredthatthisprobablywastheworstwaytofeelincontrol,butRoxanneignoredit.

She was tired of being cautious and worried and so freaking alone. So she pushed her chair back and
stood,watchinghimwatchher.

“Youwanttoknowasecret?”Shecamearoundthedesk,trailingherfingersoverthepolishedwood,

andtookthethreestepsthatbroughtherchest-to-chestwithIan.“WhenI’mtouchingmyself,allIhaveto
doisthinkaboutyourhandsonmeinthebar,andit’senoughtosendmeovertheedge.”

“That’snotwhyI’mhere.”
Shewantedtosmackhimfornotplayingalong.Ifhewasn’tgoingtoleaveheralone,theleasthecould

dowaslettheirinteractionremainonherterms.Whowasshekidding?Ianwasn’tthetypetositbackand
letothersmakehisdecisionsforhim.Withasigh,shebackedupandproppedherassagainstherdesk.
Theanglemadeherdressrideuptoseriouslyindecentheights,andfromhisharshinhale,Iannoticed.

It took him an entire ten seconds to tear his gaze away from the hem of her dress. When he did, she

recognizedthequestioninhiseyes.Roxanneraisedhereyebrows.Shewasn’tgivinganinch.“Yes?”

“You wearing the same thing under that dress you wore under the pink skirt?” Which was to say—

nothing.

Herheartbeatquickenedatthewayhisvoicehaddroppedanoctavebytheendofthequestion.“Andif

Iam?”

“Answerthequestion,Roxanne.”
She leaned farther back, and the dress rose another half an inch—still not high enough to satisfy his

curiosity.“Comefindout.”

Ifitweren’tforthewhite-knucklegriphehadonhisbiceps,shemightmakethemistakeofthinkinghe

couldn’tcareonewayoranother.Hedidcare,though,evenifhedidn’tfreakingmove.“You’replaying
games.”

“IonlyplaygamesIintendonwinning.”
“Andtheloser?”
“Ifthere’saloser,you’redoingitwrong.”
“Iseemtoremembersomeonesayingsomethingsimilartomerecently.”
Why hadn’t he moved yet? He just stood there, retaining every bit of control. “She must have been a

smartwoman.”

“Yes,sheis.”Iantookastepawayfromthewall.Astepclosertoher.“She’salsosexyashell.”
“Thinkso?”
“Yeah.”
He was still too far away, and she refused to reach for him, even though she desperately wanted to.

Instead,shetrailedherhandupherthigh.“Iguessifyou’renotgoingtotakemyinvitation,I’lljusthaveto
takecareofmyself.”

“Thatwouldbeacryingshame.”Hetookanotherstepcloser,bringinghimselfwithintouchingdistance.

Insteadofkissingher—or,hell,touchingher—Iandroppedintothechairnexttoherknee.“Ihaven’tbeen
abletostopthinkingaboutyou.”

God, she didn’t want to hear that. Better to keep this strictly about sex. She held her breath as he

pressedtwofingerstotheinsideofherrightknee.Itwouldhavebeensimpletoresistthegentlepressure
heexerted.Shedidn’t.Shelethimpushheruntilsheperchedonthedeskwithakneeoneithersideofhis
chair. The position left her completely open—completely vulnerable—and yet she’d never felt more
powerful.

“Christ.”Hestrokeduptheinsideofeitherthighwithhisthumbs,beforegrippingthetopofherthighs

andyankinghertotheveryedgeofthedesk.“Doyoueverwearpanties?”

If this was the response going commando got from him, Roxanne would never wear panties again.

Exceptshewasn’tsupposedtomakethisaregularoccurrence.God,sheshouldstopthis.Ifsheclosedher
knees,Ianwouldletherwalkaway.Shewassureofit.Butshecouldadmitnow,inherheartofhearts,
thatshewasdyingtohavehimtouchheragain.Ifshehadtosubmittoadatetogetthis,thenshewould.
Herreasoningsoundedflimsy,eventoher.Shelickedherlips.“NotwhenIcanhelpit.”

Hetracedthedipwhereherthighended,spreadingherasifhewantedtoseeeverysinglepartofher.

“Iapprove.”

Before she could come up with something witty to say—seriously, what could she say?—he dipped

downandpressedhismouthtoher.Shesurprisedherselfbymakingahigh-pitchednoiseandslappeda
handoverhermouth.Heliftedhisheadjustlongenoughtogrinather.“Betterkeepitdown.Don’twant
yourassistantknowingyou’respreadoutonyourdeskwithmegoingdownonyou,doyou?”

“Um…”
Helickedheragain,goingslow.Apparentlysurehehadallthetimeintheworld.Shelookeddownthe

lineofherbody,thepositionofferingalltooclearaviewofwhathewasdoingtoher.Withhishands
maintainingtheirirongriponherthighs,shecouldn’tdoanythingbutsubmittohisdesire,takewhatever
hechosetogiveher.Thiswasn’twhatsheintendedwhenshestartedthisseduction.Shewassupposedto
beincharge.“Ian.”

“Ifyou’restillabletoformwords,I’mnotdoingmyjobright.”Beforeshehadachancetoargue,he

pressedahandagainstherchest,directlybetweenherbreasts.“Down.”

“But—”
“Down.”Again,itwasn’tarequest.Roxanneobeyedbeforeshehadachancetowonderwhythehell

shewasdoingit.Hedidn’tgivehertimetochangehermind,though.Heshovedtwofingersinsideher,
thebrutalityofthepenetrationcompletelyatoddswiththeslowswirlingofhistongueonherclit.Evenas
he fucked her with his fingers, he made love to her with his mouth. Caught between the warring
sensations,Roxanne’sexistencenarroweddowntothepressurebuildinginsideher,eachtouchpushingit
higher.

Herorgasmcaughthercompletelybysurprise,bowingherbackanddrawingcriesfromherthroatuntil

shehadtopressbothhandstohermouthtomufflethesound.Andstillhekeptgoing,wringingeverylast
shudderofpleasurefromher.Itwasonlywhenherlegsfellopen,unabletokeepupthetension,thathe
finallywithdrewhisfingersandsatback.“Jesus,woman.”

Roxanne’slaughwashoarse,andshecouldn’tquitemakehermusclesworkliketheyweresupposedto.

Shemanagedtositup,butthatwasasfarasshewasgetting.“Me?I’mpracticallyaninnocentbystander.”

“Hardly innocent.” He squeezed her knee, even that soft touch making her shiver. Before she had a

chancetosayanything,hescoopedheroffthedeskandsetherinhislap.Shewentstill,readytoshove
himaway—sexwasonething,buthewascuddlingherasifsheactuallymeantsomethingtohim.And,
damn it, she wanted to melt into him and just let him hold her. When she started to push off him, Ian
grabbedherhands.“Justsitstillandletmeholdyou.”

Onceagain,shecouldn’tignorethecommand.Ifshewasbeinghonestwithherself,shedidn’twantto.

Thisgavehertheexcusesheneededtolethimwrapherup—notthatshe’deveradmitthatoutloud.With
a sigh, Roxanne laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. This felt good—safe. When he
pressedhislipsagainstthetopofherheadandtracedlazycirclesonherbackwithhishand,shecould

almostbelievehermotherwaswrong,andnoteveryrelationshipturnedtohate.

She opened her eyes. No, she couldn’t risk thinking like that. If she let her guard down, she was

screwed. He had just given her yet another mind-blowing orgasm, but that didn’t mean the truth of her
situationhadchanged.Shecouldn’tlethimgetclose.

Or,rather,closerthanhealreadywas.
“Youhungrynow?”
Sheleanedbackandstared.“What?”
“Ididn’tstutter,Rox.Let’sgetsomegrub.”
“But…” She motioned at herself and at his painfully obvious erection. “We aren’t finished here. You

haven’t—”

“Iknow.”Hehelpedhertoherfeetandadjustedhisjeans.“ButI’mnothavingsexwithyou.”
“What?”
“Youcanbarelyadmitthatyouwantme,andeverytimeI’veseenyousincethenightIgotbackinto

town, you practically jumped down my throat. So, no, we’re not having sex.” He glanced at where her
dresswasstilluparoundherwaist.“Honestly,Ihadn’tplannedontouchingyouagainuntilyougotyour
shitfiguredout.”

Shecouldn’tdecideifhewasbeinganassorsweetorsomethingelsealtogether.“Ian,I—”
“Irepeat—I’mnotaskingyouforacommitment,crazyorotherwise.AllI’maskingforisdinner.”
When he put it like that, it didn’t sound so terrifying. Roxanne pulled her dress back into place. She

coulddothis.Itwasjustonedinner,andhehadalreadyprovenhimselftobeagreatconversationalist—
verbalandotherwise.

ChapterTen

Ianwasagoddamnedidiot.He’dfullyintendedonaskingRoxanneout.Whathehadn’tthoughttobring
intotheequationwasthefactthatshe’denduponherdeskwithhisfacebetweenherlegs.Christ,even
thinkingaboutitmadehisdicktwitch.Hischancesofgettingthroughthisdinnerwithoutanoutstanding
caseofblueballsweredecreasingbythesecond.

Thefewdaysthey’dbeenapartwereabitch.He’dspentmoretimeonatreadmillthanwasprobablya

goodidea,buthehadgottenusedtohertouch.He’dcometoneedthefeelofherskinagainsthis,andthat
needgotthebetterofhimoncelusthijackedhisbrain.Controlsureashellwasn’thisstrongsuitwhenit
cametothiswoman.

When they reached the parking lot, he motioned to his Chevy. Roxanne raised an eyebrow. “Look at

you,withyourownwheelsjustlikearealboy.”

“Oh,I’mmostdefinitelyarealboy.”
Hergazedroppedtothebulgeinhispantsthathecouldn’thidenomatterhowmanytimesheadjusted

hisjeans.“I’maware.”

With the sexual tension thick enough to cut with a knife, he cursed his goddamn twisted self-control.

Sure,hecouldloseitenoughtomakehercomeinheroffice,butnotenoughtofollowthroughandtake
careofhisneeds.Rationally,heknewhavingsexrightnowwastoosoon.Therestofhisbodywasn’tof
thesameopinion.

Heopenedthedoorforher,tryingnottowatchassheslidintotheseat.Thiswasgoingtobealong

night.Astheyturnedontothestreet,sheshiftedtofacehim.“So,nowthatyouhavemewhereyouwant
me…whatareyougoingtodowithme?”

Hestartedtorespondinkind,butcutoffthewordsbeforetheylefthismouth.Inthefewinteractions

they’dhaduptothispoint,sherampedupthesexualtensionwheneverthingsgotalittletoointenseona
nonphysicallevel.Shefeltoutofcontrol,sothiswashowshetriedtotakeitback.

Ianknewallaboutself-defensemechanisms.
But,thoughheunderstoodthereasoningbehindherswitch,hewantedtoknowiftherewassomething

between them—something beyond the ability to give each other off-the-Richter-scale orgasms—which
meant they had to actually sit down and have a conversation. He’d felt something at the club and
afterward,andheneededtoknowifhecouldreclaimthewomanRoxannehadbeenthatnightinsteadof
thisvamped-upversionofher.

“Whatkindoffoodareyouinthemoodfor?”
Shesatback.“Idon’tknow.You’retheonewhopushedthis.Don’tyouhavesomefantasticplan?”
Actually,no.Shewassoimpulsive,hehadn’tbeensurehe’dbeabletogethertoagreetodinner.And,

yes, he’d planned on taking her somewhere nice with low lighting and food that would do most of the
seducingforhim.Now,withherlookingathimwiththetwinkleinhereyeandtheslightesttiltofherlips,
hewasn’tsosureseductionwastherightcourseofaction.

Whatwouldittaketogethertoshowhimthathintofvulnerabilityagain?Hewasprettydamnsureit

wouldn’t happen until he took back control of the situation, and since the woman had mentioned her
weaknessforgoodfood,thiswasadecentplacetostart.“Pickarestaurant,Roxanne.”

“Sir,yes,sir!”Sheactuallyslouchedintheseatandcrossedherarmsoverherchest,takingtheposition

of a sulky child. He was tempted to point that out, but caution got the better of him. Instead, he stayed
silent,knowingdamnwellshecouldn’tabidebyitforlong.

Hewasright.
“Okay,fine.”Sheuncrossedherarmsandstraightened.“There’sagreatlittleThaiplaceonHastings.

Hopeyoulikeitspicy.”

Ianturnednorthandallowedhimselfasmallsmile.“Ihappentolovespicy.”
“Famouslastwords.”
“Actually,no.Thoseprobablywon’tbemylastwords.”
“Uh-huh.Andwhatdoyouthinkthosewordswouldbe?”
He shrugged, enjoying the opportunity to actually talk to Roxanne. “Something insane. My mother

would claim they’d be something along the lines of ‘Hey Mom, watch this,’ but I’d like to think I’ve
outgrownthatstage.”

“That’supfordebate.”
“You’remean.”Helaughed.“Ilikeyoumean.”
“Thenyou’recrazy.”
“Thosewholiveinglasshousesshouldn’tthrowrocks.”
Shehuffed,butitdidn’tquitecoverupherlaugh.“Youhaveananswerforeverything,don’tyou?”
“Nope.I’mnotreallythatcharming.”
Thistimeherlaughescaped,freeandclear.“Liar.”
Hetriednottothinktoomuchofthefactthatshethoughthimcharming.Hewasn’t,despitethenickname

she’dgivenhimthatfirstnight.Occasionallyanass,oftenabrute,alwaysblunt.Charming?Nothisthing.
Butthen,alotofthingshetookforsolidtruthsseemedtochangearoundRoxanne.Withher,hefeltlighter,
asifhereallywerecapableofslippingbackintocivilianrealitywithoutyearsofsittingonsomecouch
withthatgoddamntherapist,orthefrustratinglygentlewayhisfamilyhadtakentodealingwithhimsince
the homecoming party. With Roxanne, the verbal sparring and laughing while talking about serious
subjectsfeltgood.Natural.

He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. Immediately the peace of her touch soothed

what little tension remained along his shoulders. She didn’t blink or give him shit or anything. Just
squeezedhishandandgrinned.“So,Charming,whathaveyoubeendoingwithyourtimesinceyougot
back?Besidesinvestinginsomesexynewwheels.”

“Truck’snotnew.MyparentshaditinstoragewhileIwasgone.”Andhereallydidn’twanttospend

toomuchtimethinkingaboutthatvisit.Hisdadhadbeenhisusualchillself,butjustasusual,hismother
hadgoneaboveandbeyondthecallofduty.Atleastshe’dstoppedshortoftrottingouttheneighborhood’s

eligiblefemales,thoughIanhadnoillusionsonthatfact—she’ddoiteventually.Hismotherapparently
felt like a failure because both her children were unmarried. Elle had drawn most of the fire with her
choiceoffiancé,butthatwouldonlylastaslongasittooktoplanthewedding.

Wedding.
Ian shuddered. Christ, he couldn’t deal with the fact that his baby sister was getting married. It was

morethanthat,though.Notonlywasshegettingmarried,butshewasgettingmarriedtoamanwhowas
terrifyingly similar to that other loser she’d dated back in college. He still hadn’t decided how to
approach the whole situation. Unlike last time, Elle had really dug in her heels about Gabe. She loved
him,butIancouldn’tletthisweddinghappenwithoutatleasthavingasit-downwiththegroom.Hejust
wasn’treadytotakethatstepyet.

He glanced over and realized Roxanne had been staring at him while he’d been mentally circling.

“What?”

“Isaiditmustbenice.Youknow,tohaveafamilythatcares.”Thebitternessinherwordswasatodds

withthesubject,thoughshetookuprubbingsoothingcirclesonthebackofhishandwithherthumb.

Healmostmadeanoffhandcommentaboutherhavingmethisparentsbutchosenotto.Obviously,she

hadsomefamilialissuesinherpast—orpresent.Hewasn’tsure,though.EvenwithallthetimesEllehad
brought up her best friend, she hadn’t mentioned Roxanne’s family once. So chances were, they were
gone,thoughhecouldn’tbesureifitwasbychoiceorbydeath.“Itisnice.Sometimes.”

“YousoundlikeElle.”Someofherseriousnessmeltedaway.“ThoughIcan’tthinkofasingletimeI’ve

metyourmomwhenshe’sactuallytreatedmelikearealhumanbeing.”

Ianwinced.“She’sgotherownideasaboutwhatourlivesshouldlooklike.”
“Your sister’s doesn’t include a nightclub owner, either.” She grinned. “I’ve waited years for Elle to

standuptoyourmom,andshefinallydiditforGabe.”

“Right.”Hescowled.“Gabe.”
“Takeachillpill,overprotectivebigbrother.Gabetreatsyoursisterlikeshe’sspunglass,andthevery

groundshewalksonissacred.”Roxannecurledherlipinanexaggeratedsnarl.“Granted,hedoesallthat
withoutlosinghismancardandstillmanagestobringheroutofhershellandexpandherhorizonsandall
thatshit.It’sactuallyprettydamnimpressive.”

“I’msure.”Excepthewasn’t.AsmuchashismotherhadherideasaboutElleendingupwithabanker

oradoctororsomething,Ianhadwantedherwithanupstandingguy.Hewasn’tsureGabefitthebillyet.

Buthewasn’ttakingRoxanneouttotalkabouthissisterandtheguyshewasdead-setonmarrying.He

turnedintotheparkinglotandfollowedherone-worddirectionstotheThaiplace.Itwassituatedinwhat
servedasastripmall—ifastripmallwas90percentchurch.Heglancedatheroutofthecornerofhis
eye.“Spendalotoftimehere?”

“You’rejudging.Icantell.”
“Iwouldneverjudge.Areyouinthechoir?”
She climbed out of the truck and straightened her dress. “Yep. Us choir girls know all the good sex

tricks.”Shewaiteduntilheroundedthefrontbumpertoslipherarmthroughhisandleanin.“Ifyou’re
reallygood,I’lltakeyouaroundthebuildingandletyoupinmeagainstthebackwall.Ihearit’swhatthe
kidsareuptothesedays.”

Ianstoppedwalking.“Youcertainlyhaveawaywithwords.”
“That’swhatalltheboyssay.”
“You need to hang out with a different crowd.” He opened the door for her and let her precede him.

She,ofcourse,tooktheopportunitytorubherentirebodyagainsthis.“JesusChrist.”

“Nowyou’regettingit.”Shewinkedathimoverhershoulderandledthewaytoanopentable.
Therestaurantwasbarelymorethanaholeinthewall,thoughthebuildingitselfwasnew.Thecolor

schemeleanedtowardredinaseriousway,butitsomehowmanagedtobecalminginsteadofaggravating
like most places would be. Maybe it was the low lighting or the fact that it was mostly empty, but this
placeseemedextremelychillandwelcoming.

They sat down, and Roxanne slid the menu across to him. “The Massaman curry is phenomenal. The

bestinSpokaneasfarasI’mconcerned.”

“Youhaveathingforfood.”Whichwaswhyhe’dsuggesteddinnerinthefirstplace.
“It’swhatholdsanypartytogether.Ifthefoodisbad,theentirethingcangosouthprettyquickly.Good

food keeps people in a better mood and decreases the chance of fights and stuff.” She shrugged. “Plus,
life’stooshorttoeatthingsthatdon’tmakeyoureyesrollbackinyourheadfrompleasure.”

“Noted.”Hefiledthatpieceofinformationawayforlateruse.
Afterthey’dgiventheirorder,hesettledbackinhischair.“So,didyougrowupinSpokane?”
“YourememberwhatkindofcoffeeIdrink,butyoudon’tknowthebigdetails?Howdisappointing.”
Technically, Elle had told him bits and pieces about Roxanne’s life, but he was missing some of the

moreimportantparts.“MaybeIwanttohearitfromyou.”

“Don’tyouthinkwe’realittlepastthewholefirst-dateconversation?”
Thereshewentagain,tryingtoputmoredistancebetweenthem.“Sincethisisourfirstdate…nope.”
“You’resodifficult.”
“That’swhatmymother’salwaystoldme.”
Roxannerolledhereyes.“Okay,okay.Yes,Charming,I’mbornandraisedinSpokane.Ialreadyknow

youwere,becauseyourdarlingsisterwas.”ShesippedherDietCoke.“ThoughIamkindofcuriouswhy
youenlisted.Ellementionedneitherofyourparentswereparticularlyhappyaboutthat.”

Hechosenottocommentonthefactthatshe’dobviouslypaidnearlyasmuchattentiontomentionsof

him as he had to his sister talking about her. Instead, he focused on the question. “My dad would have
been happy if I followed in his steps and gone into the farming business. My mom, well, you already
knowhowshe’dreact.”

“Thatcareeriscompletelybeneaththeperfectionthatismyson.”
Hechoked.Damn,thatimpressionwasspot-on.“Yeah…Somethinglikethat.”
“Gofigure.”Shemotionedforhimtocontinue,andleanedforwardtolaceherfingersthroughhis.The

touchcenteredhimenoughtokeepgoing.

“Iwasn’tsurewhatIwantedtodoafterhighschool.Everyonehadanidea,butnoneofthemfeltright.

SoIdecidedtotakethepaththatwouldgivemeafewyearstomakeupmymindandletmeseealittlebit
oftheworld,too.Ilikeditwellenough,soIre-uppedforasecondterm.”

Roxanneproppedherelbowsonthetableandrestedherchininherhands.“Doyouregretthatchoice?”
“Regretit?”

“Yeah,because,youknow,thewholeborderline-PTSDthing.Thatiswhatyouhavegoingon,isn’tit?”
Ianblinked.Yes,he’dadmittedthatthereweresomeseriousthingsgoingonbehindthescenesthathe

didn’twanttotalkabout,butitwasafarcryfromhercallinghimoutlikethis.Notthatshewaswrong.
“Moreorless.”

“Right.” He waited for pity or something like it to show in her face, but she just nodded matter-of-

factly.“Myquestionstands—doyouregretit?”

“I…”Didhe?Wouldhislifehavebeensignificantlysimplerifhe’dstayedhomeandgonetocollege

likebothhisparentswanted?Probably.Buttryashemight,Iancouldn’tpicturethatlifemakinghimany
happierthanhewasnow.Ifhe’dstayed,hewouldhaveresentedthehelloutofhisjob,andthatkindof
bitterness could cripple a man more thoroughly than the nightmares he suffered through these days.
Besides,noteverythinghe’dseeninthelasttenyearshadbeenterrible,andhe’dmetsomegreatpeople
alongtheway.Hell,heprobablyneverwouldhavemetNathaniftheyweren’tbothinthemilitary.“No.I
don’tthinkIdo.”

“Good.Regretlikethatcaneatyoualive.”
“Speakingfromexperience?”
Roxanne sat back as the waitress brought their food, taking her touch with her. It was only when the

woman moved away that she spoke. “I don’t have any regrets. They’re a waste of time.” She said it
without an ounce of emotion leaking through, which suggested she was lying. As if she sensed what he
was thinking, she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “But that’s enough serious talk. Let’s move on to
somethingfun.What’syourfavoriteposition?”

JesusChrist,thisreallywasgoingtobethelongestnightofhislife.

ChapterEleven

BythetimeIandrovebackintoherofficeparkinglot,Roxannewasamess.Afterwhathappenedinher
office,she’dbeensureshecouldkeeptheupperhand,butsomewherearoundthetimetheypulledintothe
parkinglotoftheThaiplace,she’dforgottenallaboutguardingherself.Shelikedspendingtimewithhim.
That feeling of being safe that he’d created while he held her hadn’t dissipated at all—if anything, it’d
gottenstrongerthemoretheytalked.

Thekickerofitwasthatshewantedhimtofeelassafewithherasshedidwithhim.That’swhyshe’d

pickedtheTasteofThai.OntopofhavingthebestThaifoodnorthofdowntown,therestaurantitselfwas
alwaysquiet.Shethoughthe’dappreciatethelackoffreneticpacethatmostbigchainrestaurantshad.

Itwaspartofthereasonshe’dheldhishandonthedrivetotherestaurant,madesureshetouchedhim

againwhiletheywereatthetable,andhadherhandonhisthighnow.

The fact that she was even taking such things into consideration made her chest ache. She wanted to

spendmoretimewithhim—andnotjustnakedtime.Shewantedtoshowhimthebitsandpiecesshehid
from everyone else. She wanted to be there for him while he readjusted to non-military life. She
wanted…alotofthings.

Thisiswhereitstarts,babygirl.Allthosefeel-goodemotionsrunningthroughyou?Thosefuckup

your head. They make you believe in impossible things. It’s even worse if he’s right there with you,
because he’s making promises he fully intends on keeping. He won’t, though. Something will happen
andhe’llsityoudownwithregretinhiseyes,andhe’lltellyouthatit’snotyou—it’shim.You’lllose
yourdamnhead,yourheart,andyourself-respect,andyou’llbeleftwithnothingwhenitfallsapart.

Anditwillfallapart.Italwaysdoes.
God, her mother’s voice was so clear that she could have been sitting in the truck next to Roxanne,

whispering in her ear. The truth of those words hammered down her cautious happiness, smothering it
morethoroughlythanifshe’dbeenthrownheadfirstintoanicylake.Itwouldbefartooeasytoslideinto
thisthingwithIan.

Shewasn’tmuchafanofrepeatinghistory.Theonlywaytosaveherselfwastogetout—soonerrather

thanlater.“Well…thisisme.”Shereachedforthepassengerdoorhandle,buthishandonherarmstopped
her.Shechosenottoacknowledgehowherstomachleapedandherhearttriedtobeatitswayoutofher
chestatthatlittletouch.Itwasjustherbodybetrayingher,hormonestryingtomakeherbelievetruthsshe
hadnobusinessconsidering.

“Ihadareallygoodtime.Thankyou.”
Hell,shedid,too.Andnotjustbecauseshe’dstartedoffthedatewithanorgasm.Lookingathistoo-

pretty-to-be-real face, she actually considered throwing caution to the wind and letting this play out.

Maybeitwouldn’tendtooterribly.Maybesheshouldstopbeingsoterrifiedshe’dendupbitterandalone
likehermotherandjustenjoytheride.

Shewasn’tsureshecould.Fearofthefutureheldhertootightly.“Me,too.”
“Let’sdoitagainsometime.”
Danger, Will Robinson. Doing it again could turn into a string of dates leading up to some expected

commitment—to some declaration of love. She didn’t doubt for a second that he’d feel it. Hell, she
would,too.Theverythoughtmadeherrubherarmslikeshewasbreakingoutinhives.Theirgiddy,feel-
good interactions wouldn’t last, though. Pretty soon the very things about her that he claimed to like so
muchwouldturnintothingshecouldn’tstand.They’dfightagainandagain,eachtimegettingmoreand
more vicious. They’d scream unforgivable things at each other. It didn’t matter how great things were
right now, the end result was still the same—they’d end up hating each other and going their separate
ways.Itmighttakeweeks,months,years,butitwouldhappen.

Andthenhewouldleave.
Still, she couldn’t quite make herself shoot him down. “We’ll see.” She opened the truck door and

slippedfreeofhisgrip.Evennow,shewantedtoinvitehimover,ifonlysotheycouldkeepthemagicof
the night going. When she was with him, she wasn’t worried about the future. Hell, she hadn’t even
thoughtaboutituntiljustnow.

Roxannepushedtheunlockbutton,socaughtupinherownworldthatshedidn’trealizeIanhadgotten

outofhistruckuntilhespunheraroundandpressedheragainsthercar.“Youforgotsomething.”

Withthefulllengthofhisbodyagainsthers,itwasreallyhardtothink.Maybeitwastimetoreconsider

hot monkey sex? She was already in trouble, so it wasn’t like things could get much worse. She tried
reallyhardnottostareathismouth.“Uh…Idid?”

“Yeah.”Hetracedherbottomlipwithhisthumb,thetouchsendingdesirecurlingthroughher.Howthe

helldidhemanagetodothat,againandagain,withonlythebarestoftouches?Itdidn’tmakeanysense,
butshecouldn’tconcentrateenoughtofigureouthowhedidit.

Hekissedher,buthedidn’tstopathermouth.Heworkedhiswayoverherjawlineanddownherneck,

givingawholelottaattentiontothesensitivespotwhereherneckmethershoulders.Ohmy. Her knees
buckled,andIan—ofcourse—caughther.Thefactthatshejustassumedhe’dcatchheralmostshovedher
outofhersensualhaze,butthenhesethisteethagainstherskinandallrationalthoughtfled.

Just when she thought he’d take it to the next level—lift her against the car and make her scream his

namerighthereintheparkinglot—Iangroanedandsteppedback.“Youmakeitreallyhardtokeepmy
control.”

Shereachedforhimbeforeshecouldstopherself.“Thenwhystop?”
“Because.”Hecaughtherhandsandpressedakisstoeachpalmbeforeheletgoandtookanotherstep

back, taking the heat of his body with him. He shook his head as if coming out of a daze. “Because,
Roxanne,asmuchfunasthisis,I’mnotlookingforabootycall.”

Shelaughed.“Whatareyousaying?Youwanttodate-dateme?”
“Actually,yeah.”
Her laugh died in the face of how serious he was, desire replaced with something closer to fear.

“You’rejoking.”

“I’drathernotruinafantasticnightbyarguing.”
Ianduckedin,kissedheragain,andwasoutofreachbeforeshecouldrespond.Because,really,what

wasshegoingtosay?No,youbeautifulman,Ican’tdateyoubecause,notonlyareyoumybestfriend’s
older brother—and therefore off-limits—but you make me feel things that are so far outside my
comfortlevel,Idon’tevenknowwheretostart.AndIreallylikeyou,whichjustmeansthisentirething
willendintears.Yeah,thatsoundedsofreakingwell-adjusteditwasn’tevenfunny.

Then again, she wasn’t exactly the picture you’d see when you looked up “well-adjusted” in the

dictionary.Morelikeneurotic.

Bythetimeshegotahandleonthecrazytrainofherthoughts,Ianwasinhistruck.Hedidn’tpullaway,

though.Apparentlyhewasgoingtosittherelikeagoddamngentlemanandwaitforhertogetintohercar
anddriveaway.Whichtotallyshouldn’tpissheroff…butitdid.

Whycouldn’thebeanasshole?Prettymucheveryotherguyshe’drunacrosshadbeen—eventheones

who were self-proclaimed “nice guys.” Gritting her teeth and telling herself that being pissed wasn’t a
legitresponse,evenifitwasbetterthanbeingafraid,Roxanneclimbedintohercarandstartedtheengine.
SheevenlockedherdoorsasanodtoIan’sparanoia—whichtotallywasn’tsweetormakinghermelty
underneaththeexteriorofherhardenedannoyance.Right.

Hedidn’tdriveawayuntilshepulledintothestreet.Shewashalfwaysurprisedhedidn’tfollowherall

the way home. If there was some disappointment mixed in with the relief when he turned in the other
direction,itwasn’tasifhe’deverknow.

“Stop thinking about turning around and following him to the gallery. It’s a bad idea on so many

different levels.” She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Knowing Ian was a bad idea hadn’t
stopped her before. She might as well make it a running trend. One last fateful good-bye. Not that she
reallybelievedhewouldwalkaway.Exceptshekindofdid—itwasonlyamatteroftime,nowthatshe’d
realizedsheactuallycaredforhim.

Butshedidn’twanthimtoleave.Shewantedtoholdhimcloseuntiltheyweresowrappedupineach

otherhe’dneverwanttoleave.He’dneverbecontentunlessthingswereonhisterms,though,andshe
highlydoubtedhistermsincludedthemhidingoutfromtheirinevitablefatebyhavingsomuchsexthey
didn’thavetheenergytotalk,letalonefight.

Problem was, Ian was a freaking caveman. He muscled his way through her objections and

outmaneuvered her time and again. Not to mention the man had a serious streak of stubbornness that
impressedevenher.

Theyweredoomed.
So why was she winding through the streets instead of heading home? The slow u-turn took nearly

twenty minutes and encompassed several neighborhoods, and no matter how expertly she tried to talk
herselfoutofit,Roxannecouldn’tstop.Hell,shemusthavegoneonautopilotbecausesheblinkedand
next thing she knew, she was standing on the gallery’s doorstep. Even knowing how it would end, she
couldn’tdenytheneeddemandingmoretimewithhim.Beforeshecouldspinaroundandrunlikeabatout
ofhell,thedooropened.

“Roxanne?Whatareyoudoingouthere?”Ian,Godblesshissoul,wasshirtlessagain,dressedinapair

ofbasketballshortsandrunningshoes.

She licked her lips, considering and throwing away a couple different answers. None of them were

goodenough.They’dallopenupintoanawkwardconversationaboutherfearsandissuesthatwould,no
doubt, end up with her going home alone again. If she gave him half a chance, he was going to put the
brakesonandmakehertalkitout.

Noway.
Shethrewherselfintohisarmsandkissedhimwitheverythingshehad.ThiswasherHailMarypass.If

heturnedherawaynow,they’dhavetohaveasit-down,anditreallywouldbetheendbecause,tryasshe
might to deny it… No. She flat-out wasn’t ready to admit anything else right now—even to herself.
Especiallytoherself.

Ianwentstill,hishandsonherhipsreadytoeitherdrawhercloserorpushheraway,shecouldn’ttell.

Fromthetensioninhisbody,sheguessedhewasleaningtowardthelatter.

Sosheplayeddirty.
She sucked on his bottom lip, raking her teeth gently over the sensitive flesh. When he groaned, she

knewshehadhim.Shereachedbetweenthemandcuppedthefrontofhisshorts,earninganothergroan.
“Please,Ian.Ineedyourightnow.”

Thatmusthavebeenthefinalnailinthecoffincontaininghiscontrol,becausehedraggedherintothe

gallery and kicked the door shut behind her. She would have liked to say her words were pure
calculation, but Roxanne thought she might lose it if she didn’t get naked with him in the next thirty
seconds.

Thisdesperation…She’dneverfeltanythinglikeit.Itsweptawayallworry,hesitation,andcontrol,

leaving only need in its wake. She wasn’t sure they’d like what they found on the other side, but she
couldn’tbringherselftocare.Rightnow,inthismoment,shedidn’thavetoworryaboutmessyemotions
orthefuture.Thefeelingofhishandsonherbodychasedawayallofit.

Maybesheneededhistouchnearlyasmuchasheneededhers.
Hepulledherdressoverherheadastheystartedupthestairs.“We’resupposedtobewaiting.”
“Iwasneverthatgoodatwaiting.”Sheshovedbothhisshortsandhisboxerbriefsdown.Holyshit,

wassheevergoingtogetusedtothisman’sbody?Wouldsheevenhaveachanceto?

No, those weren’t good thoughts. No use thinking about the future, not when Ian was standing so

freakinggloriouslynakedinfrontofher.

“Meeither.”Heunclaspedherbraandtossedittotheside.“Itwasreallyhardtostopearlier.”
Sheranasinglefingerdownhisneck,overhischest,anddownthecenterlineofhisabs.“Youmean

whenyouhadmeonmydesk,dressshoveduparoundmywaist,comingforyou?”

“Yeah,then.”Hisvoicedeepened.“AllIwantedwastofuckyourightthereinthemiddleofyouroffice

whereyourassistantcouldhavewalkedinatanytime.”

It was suddenly really hard to catch her breath. She moved her hand a little lower, until her palm

brushedagainsttheheadofhiscock.“Iwantedthat,too.”

“Nexttime,I’mnotgoingtohesitate.”
Therewassomethingtoovulnerable,tooreal,aboutstandingherenaked,talkingaboutsex,withtheir

onlycontactherhandonhislowerstomach.Shelickedherlips.“Good.”

Ian looped an arm around her waist and brought her flush against him. “Glad we’ve reached an

understanding.” He fisted his free hand in her hair and bent her backward over his arm, the position
leaving her to rely on him to keep her from falling down the few stairs they’d managed to climb. He
leanedoverandclaimedfirstonenippleandthentheother,suckinguntilherbackbowed,andshetangled
herfingersinhishair.Untilherentireworldbecamehismouthonherskin.“Icouldspendhoursonyour
breastsalone,”hegrowled.

Asgreatasthatsounded,sheneededmore,andsheneededitnow.“Ian,please.”

ChapterTwelve

Theyweresupposedtobewaiting,holdingoffuntilIancourtedRoxanneproperly.He’ddamnnearmade
alistonwhythiswasagoodidea,onhowhecouldrelyonsweatingouthisdemonsuntiltheymoved
forwardwiththeirrelationship,andallthosereasonshadflownrightoutthewindowwhensheshowed
uponhisdoorstep.Thesecondshe’dtouchedhim,he’dbeenlost.

Hesuckedhernippleintohismouthagain,lovingthetasteofherskin,howherfingerstwistedhishair,

how her entire body shook because of him. It was a heady thing knowing he could make her lose her
belovedcontrol.

It was more than that, though. With her in his arms, there was no room for other worries. All of his

anxietymeltedaway.

When he lifted her higher, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn’t hesitate, shoving her

againstthewallandhiscockhome.Theybothgroanedassheclampedaroundhim.“Holyshit.”

Goodasthisfelt,hecouldn’ttakeherhereonthestairs.Shedeservedbetterthanthat.Keepinghisgrip

onherhips,hestartedupthestairs,Roxanneridinghimtheentireway.Itwasastruggletogettheloft
dooropen,buthemanaged.

Ashewalkedintothebedroom,sherotatedherhipsandIanmissedastep,tumblingthemontothebed.

Herlaughterwasabalmtohisverysoul.

“Smooth,Charming.”
“IdowhatIcan.”Heranhishandsoverherbody,stillalittlebitinawethatshewashere,withhim,

anddecidedrightthenandtherethathe’ddowhatittooktoseethisthrough.Aconnectionlikethisdidn’t
comealongeveryday.He’dbeadamnfooltoletitslippastwithoutgivingitafightingchance.

Shemoanedashethrustintoher.“God,youfeelsogood.”
“Sodoyou.Christ,woman,I’mnevergoingtogetenoughofyou.”
Never?Neverwasawholehellofalongtime—toolongforhimtobepromising—butshekissedhim,

effectivelytakingawayhisabilitytospeak.“Stoptalkingandmakemecome.”

Hedidn’tmissherreluctancetotalkaboutthefuture,evenintheseterms,butheletitgo.Rightnowall

hereallycaredaboutwasfeelinghercomeapartaroundhim.Heslidbacktotheedgeofthebedsohe
couldstand,andliftedherhips.Thechangeinanglehadherarchingherback,andahigh,keeningsound
spilledfromhermouth.Close.Shewasdamnclose.Heforcedhimselftokeepasteadypace,eventhough
thestrainnearlydidhimin.“Comeforme,Roxanne.Now.”

Sheshriekedanddughernailsintohisthighs,thethrashingofherbodysendinghimofftheedgeafter

her.Hiscontrolslipped,andhepoundedintoher,groaningashisorgasmtookhim.Hecollapsednextto
herandpulledRoxanneagainsthim.“Don’tyoudarepullarunneronme.”

“Mmmmm.” She didn’t open her eyes, but she smiled. “That would require me to be able to use my

legs.”

Afoolishpridemadehimwanttobeathischestandyellinvictory.Itwasstupid,buthecouldn’tdeny

theurge.Hekissedhertemple.“Good.”

She snuggled up against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I promise I won’t leave

withoutsayinggood-bye.”

Consideringshecouldveryeasilyyellitoverhershoulderassheranoutthedoor,hetookherpromise

withagrainofsalt.Still,itwasbetterthanshe’doffereduptothispoint.Ianwantedtocementthings,so
heplayedhistrumpcard.“StayandI’llmakeyoubreakfastinthemorning.”

“Youcook?”Sheyawned.“Ilikemyeggswithasideoforgasms.”
Helaughedandsettledin,sleepalreadythreatening.“IthinkIcanmakethathappen.”
“IknewIlikedyou.”
Itwasn’tadeclarationofundyingdevotion,anditwasn’tapromiseofanykindoffuturething,buthis

heartwarmedallthesame.“Ilikeyou,too.”

…

Ianwokeupwithabeautiful,nakedwomaninhisarmsandasmileonhisface.This,hecouldgetusedto.
HekeptonsmilingrightupuntilRoxannestretched,thesheetslidingdowntorevealherbreasts.“Ishould
go.”Butshelaughedashedraggedthesheetlower,followingitstrailwithhismouth.

“Idon’tthinkso.”
“Oh,youbrute,won’tyouletmego?”Shespreadherlegsandgavethetopofhisheadahelpfullittle

pushsouthward.“Ihaveplacestobeandthingstodo.”

“Funny,Iwasthinkingthesamething.”Hesatupandclimbedoffthebed.Whenshemadeaprotesting

noise,Ianhookedherankleanddraggedhertotheedge.Thenhehauledherupandtossedheroverhis
shoulder.

“OhmyGod,whatareyoudoing?”Shesmackedhisass.“Onsecondthought…Carryon.”
Hecarefullywalkedintothebathroom,mindfulofherhead,andsetheronthecounter.“You’vebeena

dirtygirl.It’stimetogetclean.”

Sherolledhereyes.“Ican’tbelieveyoujustsaidthat.”
Yeah,itdidsoundkindofdorkynowthathethoughtaboutit.Helaughed.“There’sgoingtobeshower

sexinvolved.Yousureyouwanttocriticize?”

Shecockedherheadtothesideasifconsidering.“You’reright.I’vebeentotallydirty—definitelyin

needofaverythoroughcleaning.Luckily,Ithinkyou’rejustthemanforthejob.”

“Gladweagree.”Hesteppedawayfromherlongenoughtogettheshowergoingandtomakesurethe

waterwaswarmenough.Therewasnothingquiteaslibido-killingasafreezingshower,thoughhewasn’t
sureeventhatwouldbeenoughtodistracthimfromthiswoman.Notwhenshewassittingonthecounter,
asprimandproperascouldbe—ifyouignoredthefactthatshewasnaked.

“I’mkindofdiggingthewayyou’relookingatmerightnow.”
Hisgazefollowedthelinesofherbody,finallyreachingherface.Itwasthekindofslowperusalthat

couldgetamanslappedifhewasn’tcareful.Still,heasked,“HowamIlookingatyourightnow?”

“Likeyouaren’tsureyoucanwaitforustowalkthetwostepsit’lltaketogetintotheshower.”She

slidoffthecounter.“Funny,butIfeelthesameway.”

Itwasalltheencouragementheneeded.Hespunheraroundandbentheroverthecounter.Fromthis

position,hecouldwatcheveryexpressiononherfaceinthemirrorashedroveintoher.

Ian nudged her legs a little farther apart and pushed his way into her. He wasn’t sure he believed in

heaven,butifitexisted,it’dbesomethinglikethis.Inthemirror,shewatchedhimwatchher,hergreen
eyeshoodedwithpleasure,herteethdiggingintoherbottomlip,alittlesoundslippingfreeofhermouth
witheverythrust.Hestrokedahanddownherspine,earningashiverthatmadehimgasp.Christ,ifshe
didthatagain,hewasgoingtocome.

He bent over her back, reaching down her stomach to rub her clit as he kissed the back of her neck.

Roxannewentwildbeneathhim,herhipsundulatinghelplesslyasshemoanedhisname.“Ian.OhGod,
Ian.Don’tstop.Pleasedon’tstop.”

Asifhecoulddenyheranythingwhenshepleadedinthattoneofvoice.Onelastthrustsentthemboth

hurtlingovertheedgeinoneofthoseperfectmomentshewouldhavesworndidn’texist.Hekeptanarm
aroundherwaist,buthewasn’tsureifitwastokeepherkneesfrombucklingorhis.

Shegaveashudderylittlesigh.“Ifyourplanistosexmeintosubmission,I’mnotsayingit’sworking,

butI’mnotsayingit’snotworkingeither.”

“Goodtoknow.”Heletgoofherlongenoughtorecheckthewatertemperature,andthenheopenedthe

curtain.“Afteryou,mylady.”

“Nerd.”Butshetookhishandandlethimhelpherintothetub.Sheimmediatelyduckedunderthespray

andshovedbackherhair.Whensheturnedaroundtofacehim,Iangotdistractedwiththewatercoursing
overherbody.Shelaughed.“Honey,wejusthadsex.Whyareyoustilllookingatmelikethat?”

He couldn’t stop himself from cupping her breasts and feathering his thumbs across her nipples.

Responsiveasshewas,theyimmediatelypuckered.“Ican’thelpit.”

She laughed again, but this one sounded a bit forced. “Shouldn’t you be demanding a sandwich and

takinganap?”

Whatkindofidiotshadshedatedbeforenow?Hewasn’tabouttomissanyopportunitytotouchher—

todemonstrateexactlyhowmuchhewantedher.

ButRoxannewasmoreskittishthanawildanimal.She’deffectivelyshuthimdowneverytimeheso

muchasmentionedthefutureormakingplansoranythingthatreferencedthemotherthanintheimmediate
present.Hewasn’texactlysurehowtogetaroundthat.Hell,maybehecouldsexherintosubmission.

Evenasthethoughtcrossedhismind,heknewitforalie.Roxanneusedsexasaweapon,asadefense

mechanism.Itdidn’tmeanshewasunaffected—nowaywassheasdetachedassheacted,orshewouldn’t
besodesperatewhenhebroughtupdating—butshewasn’tabouttolethiminyet.

“Ian?”
“Yeah?”Hewrappedhisarmsaroundherwaistandproppedhischinonthetopofherhead.
“Youscaretheshitoutofme.”
Heturnedheraroundandkissedher,keepingitlight,tryingtoconveywhathefeltwithoutsayingtoo

much and ruining the moment by scaring her further. When he drew back, her green eyes were wide.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I would never hurt you.” He reached past her and grabbed the body

wash.

“Whatareyoudoing?”
“Iseemtorememberyoutellingmethatyouwereinneedofaverythoroughcleaning.”
Shelaughed,andthistime,itdidn’tsoundasforced.“Ihatetobetheonetobreakthistoyou,butthat

wasmehittingonyou.”

“Relax,woman,andletmesoapyouup.”
Shearchedherbrow,butthathintofvulnerabilitycreptintothedepthsofhereyesagain.“Ifyouwant

togetintomypantsagain,youdon’thavetoplaygameslikethis.”

Of course she couldn’t let the moment lie. She had to go and throw some sexual innuendo in there.

“Roxanne,youaren’twearingpants.”Whenshedidn’tmove,hesighed.“I’dreallyappreciateifyou’dlet
mewashyou.”

“Youargueaboutthestrangestthings.”
Shehadavalidpoint,butforsomereasonthismatteredtohim.Partofitwasbecausethecomfortlevel

it symbolized had nothing to do with sex, but mostly he wanted to stretch out this moment of peace
betweenthemaslongaspossible.Hehelduphissudsyhands.“Well?”

“Okay.Youwin.”
“It’snotaboutwinning.It’saboutbeingclosertoyou.”Iandidn’twaitforhertochangehermind.He

turnedheraroundandpulledheragainsthim.Thepositiongavehimfullaccesstothefrontofherbody,
and though he kind of wanted to linger, he refused to let this lead to sex. Not now, when he finally
understoodthatsexwasyetanotherwallhehadtoscaleinordertogettoRoxanne’sheart.Aftersoaping
upherfront,heturnedheraroundagain.“Comehere.”

She looped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, resting her forehead on his shoulder. He

rubbedherback,takingthetimetoworkonthetensemusclesliningherspine.Itwasn’taseffectiveasif
hehadherlaidoutbeforehim,butRoxannedidrelaxagainsthim.Sinceshedidn’timmediatelypullaway
whenherinsedher,hegrabbedtheshampooandwenttoworkonherhair.

“Icanwashmyhair,youknow.”Hervoicesoundedalittleshaky.
“Doyouwantmetostop?”
Heheldstill,waitingforheranswer.Thisquestion,assimpleasitseemed,matteredalotmorethanhe

wouldhaveguessed.Eithershewouldfighthimonthislikeshe’dfoughthimeverystepofthewayupto
thispoint,orthey’dfinallytakeastepintherightdirection.

“No.Idon’twantyoutostop.”Shesighed,thelastofthetensionleavingherbody.“Youknow,Imeant

whatIsaidlastnight.”

“What’sthat?”
“Ikindoflikeyou.”
Partofhimwantedtolaugh,butthistime,herconfessionfeltlikeanactualmoveforward.Itcouldn’t

havebeeneasyforhertoadmiteventhatmuch.Hesmiledagainstherhair.“Ikindoflikeyou,too.”

Hetookhistimerunninghishandsoverherbody,likinghowstrangelycomfortablethiswas.Ormaybe

hewasinsuchagoodmoodbecausehe’dactuallysleptthroughthenightagainlastnight.She’dpushed
himpastalltheboundarieshethoughthe’dbeenconfinedbyandhadgivenhimaglimpseofthenormalcy
hecravedmorethananythingelseintheworld.Hewantedthatlife—andRoxanne—morethanhe’dever

dreamedpossible.

ChapterThirteen

RoxannepulledIan’ssweatshirtmorefirmlyaroundherandsettleddowntowatchhimmakebreakfast.
Apparently,he’dbeenseriousaboutallthat.Whenshe’dtriedtomakeasmoothescape,allhehadtodo
was dangle a meal in front of her and she caved. She was pathetic and easy…and that omelet smelled
reallyfreakinggood.

“Howdoyoufeelaboutdinnernextweek?”
Thebreakthroughintheshower,nomatterhowsmallitmighthavebeentohim,stillfeltlikeabigdeal

to her. She slouched in her seat until the sweatshirt hit her chin, as if that would really offer a barrier.
“Eatingitoreatingitwithyou?”

Helookedupandsighed.“Withme,Roxanne.ThatkindofgoeswithoutsayingsinceI’maskingyouin

thefirstplace.”

Yeah,ithad,butshedidn’tknowhowtorespondsoshe’dtriedstalling.Toobadshestilldidn’tknow

what the right answer was. Because she really did want dinner with Ian—more than could possibly be
safe.Hell,shewantedhimmorethancouldpossiblybesafe.She’dtoldhimshekindoflikedhim,but
thatwasonlyahalf-truth.Therealityofthesituationwasthatshecurrentlyteeteredontheedgeofthat
disastrouswordshecouldn’tevenbeartothink.Hermotherwouldslaptheshitoutofherifshedid.“I
don’tthinkthat’sagoodidea.”

Heflippedtheeggsinoneofthosefancymovesthatdidn’trequireaspatula.“Whynot?”
Yes,Rox,whynot?Whatcouldpossiblybeabadideaaboutasexymanwhowantstotakeyouout

andgiveyoumind-blowingorgasms?Ohwait,nothing’swrongwithit,whichisexactlytheproblem.
You’rehalfastepawayfromfallingheadoverheelsforthisguy,andyouknowhowthatends.

Roxannetoldherinnervoicetoshutthehellupandgraspedforthefirstthingthatpoppedintoherhead.

“Ellewon’tlikeit.”

Ianturnedoffthestoveanddumpedtheomeletontoaplate.“Youwon’tgooutwithmebecauseyou’re

worriedmysisterwon’tapprove?”

Whydidhesoundsodamncalm?Lasttimeshe’dtoldhimtheycouldn’tdate,they’dendedupyellingat

eachother.Shesensedatrap,butshecouldn’tfigureoutwhereitwas.“Yes…?”

“Isee.Here,eatitwhileit’sstillhot.”Hepassedhertheplateandaforkandthenwenttofillherupa

glassoforangejuice.

Shetookabiteoftheomeletandmoaned.Whathe’dputinthisthing?Sheermagic?“OhmyGod.”The

manwasplayingdirty,andshecouldn’tevenhatehimforitbecausehewasfeedingher.

Shewassowrappedupintheamazingnessgoingoninhermouththatshedidn’tpayattentionuntilIan

said,“Hey,Ellie,Ihaveaquestionforyou.”

Roxannechoked.“Don’tyoudare!”
“Yes, I’m doing better. Settling in and working on the house.” He dodged the fork she threw at him

withoutmissingabeat.“Yep,ItalkedtoRoxanne.She’sagreatlistener.”

Shewasgoingtokillhim.Sheconsideredthrowingtheplate,butthatmeantabandoningtherestofthe

omelet, and she couldn’t force herself to take such a drastic step. “Stop it, Ian. Right now. This isn’t
funny.”

Theassholehadtheaudacitytopressthephonetohisshoulderandnodgravely.“You’reright.It’sof

theutmostseriousness.Don’tforgetyourorangejuice.”

“Bastard!”
Buthewasbackonthephone.“Actually,Elle,thatisRoxanneinthebackground.That’swhatIcalled

totalktoyouabout.Doyouhaveaproblemwithmedatingyourbestfriend?”

Theentireroomwentfluid,andRoxannewonderedifsheshouldputherheadbetweenherlegs.Holy

shit, he’d actually gone and done it. The asshole called her bluff. While he sat on the phone and made
noisesofagreement,shestaredatheromeletasifitwerethesourceofherdownfall.Whydidithaveto
be so tempting? If she hadn’t been so weak when it came to good food, she could have avoided this
conversationforatleastanotherweek,enjoyingmoreIan-createdorgasmsinstead.

Shealreadymissedthoseorgasms.
“Roxanne.”Hesqueezedherhand.“Rox,mysisterwantstotalktoyou.”
Ofcourseshedid.Numb,shetookthephoneandpressedittoherear.Ittookthreetriestoactuallyfind

words.“Hey,honey.”

“Ican’tbelieveyoudidn’ttellmeyouweregoingoutwithmybrother.”
“Thinkaboutthatstatementforasecond,andIthinkyou’llunderstand.”Itwasonthetipofhertongue

tosaytheyweren’tgoingoutatall,butallthatwoulddoisopenupaconversationaboutRoxannehaving
aone-nightstandthatwasn’taone-nightstandwithIan.Notexactlyacomfortabletopictocoverwithhis
littlesister.

“Doyouthinkit’sseriousbetweenyoutwo?”
’Causethistopicwassomuchlessuncomfortable.“Now’snotreallyagoodtimetogetintoit.”
“Isee.”Ellewasquietforallofaheartbeat.“We’regoingtotalksoon,okay?”
Wow,thatsoundedawholelotlikeathreat.ThiswasasideofEllethatshe’dneverdealtwithbefore.

Hell,shedidn’twanttodealwithitnow—orever.“Sure.Seeyou.”Shehungupbeforeherbestfriend
couldchangehermindanddecidetheyweregoingtotalkrightnow,andflungthephoneatIan.“Whatthe
helliswrongwithyou?”

Thebastardcaughtitasifshehadn’tbeenaimingathishead.“Yousaidyouwouldn’tgooutwithme

becauseofElle.Iremovedtheobstacle.”

“DidyoueverstoptothinkthatmaybeIlikedtheobstaclerightwhereitwas?”Nowshewasgoingto

beforcedintoaseriouslyuncomfortableconversationshedidn’twanttohave.Shestartedtogetup,with
everyintentionofstormingoutthedoor,butIanhandedheranewfork.Sheglaredatit,thenathim.“I
hateyou.”

“No,youdon’t.Youkindoflikeme.”
“You’regoingtothrowthatinmyfacealot,aren’tyou?”Strange,butitdidn’tbotherherasmuchas

she’dhavethought.

Hegrinned.“Yep.Butdon’tforget,Ikindoflikeyou,too.”
Shesankbackintoherchair.Thatactuallymadethingsworse.Itwasgoingtobesomuchmoredifficult

tokeepherheadwithhimfallingrightalongsideher.Theguyshe’ddatedbeforethecheaterhadsaidhe’d
falleninlovewithher—hadevenshedasingletearwhensheconfessedshe’dfallenforhim,too.And
thenhe’dgoneouttohiscartogether“asurprise.”

Andnevercameback.
“So,aboutdinner.”
“Wealreadyhaddinner.”Goddamnherweakness,butthisomeletwasseriouslygood.Shetookanother

bite.

“Iwanttohavedinneragain.”
“WhatifIdon’t?”Shemostlyaskedthequestionoutofcuriosity.He’dpursuedherprettydoggedlyat

thispoint.Wouldhekeeponchasingherevenifshekeptsayingno?Shewasn’tsurewhichanswerwas
theoneshe’dprefer.

Onlythetensioninhisshouldersgaveawayhowannoyedhewasrightnow.“Okay,I’llbite.Doyou

wanttogotodinnerwithme,Roxanne?Severaldinners?Maybeafewotherdatestomixitup?”

“I—”
“Becauseifyousayno,I’lldropit.Righthere,rightnow,I’llwalkawayandleaveyoualone,andI’ll

letthiswholethingwithyougo.”

Wasthatwaswhatshewanted?Ifheleftheralone,shewouldn’thavetoworryaboutthingslikewhy

her heart beat faster just from being in the same room as him. Or why the thought of never seeing him
againmadehereyesburninawaythatso wasn’t almost-tears. All she had to do was tell him that she
didn’twanttogooutwithhim,andallherproblemsweresolved.

Sowhycouldn’tsheforceherselftosaythewords?
“That’snotfair.”
Heheldupahand.“It’saprettysimplequestion.Doyouwanttogooutwithmeagainornot?”
“I…”Goddamnit,butasmuchasshehatedit,therewasonlyoneanswer.Roxannepushedherplate

awayandmumbled,“Iwanttogooutwithyou.”

“You’regoingtoneedtospeakup.”
Sheglared,kindofwishingshecouldshootlaserbeamsoutofhereyes,thoughitwouldbeatragedyto

wastethatbody.“Iwanttogooutwithyou.”

Hegrinnedasifhe’dneverdoubtedheranswer.“Wasthatsohard?”
“Don’tpushit.”
“Can’thelpit.It’smynature.”
“Yeah, well, your nature sucks.” She crossed her arms over her chest, realized she was pouting, and

uncrossedthem.“IhavethingsIhavetodotoday,andnoneoftheminvolveslazingaboutwithyou.”Even
ifthatsoundedlikeadreamday.

Hekissedher,thesweetnessofthetouchnearlytakingherbreathaway.Whenhefinallymovedback,

hewasgrinninglikeafool.“You’reaterribleloser.”

Itwasdifficulttokeepglaringinthefaceofthatgrin.Stupidunicorn,takingawayhersteambeforeshe

gotagoodmadrolling.“YoushouldseemeplayMonopoly.”

“Godhelpanyonestandinginyourpath.”
She finally gave in and dredged up a smile. “Pretty much. It’s all smiting and the ruination of my

opponents.”

“We’llhavetoplaysometime.”
Thekickerofitwas,shewantedtoplaywithhim.Ianwasanintelligentguy,anditwouldbefunto

matchherwitsagainsthisandseewhocameoutontop.Shecouldpicturenightsspentlikethat,playing
games or watching television or verbally sparring over silly things. The sheer amount of want that
coursedthroughherattheimageofthatfuturenearlymadehersway.

He smoothed back her hair. “You should get going before we get distracted and you lose your entire

day.”

“Yeah…You’reright.”Itwasmoreofaneffortthanitshouldhavebeentoturnaway.Consideringshe

didn’twantthistobeginwith,thatdidn’tmakeanysortofsense,butherheadwasgoingtostarthurtingif
sheexaminedittoolong.

Shepulledonhershoes,grabbedherpurse,andheadedforthedoor.ShehaditopenwhenIan’svoice

stoppedher.

“Roxanne.”
Shegavehiminnocenteyeswhensheturnedaround.“Yep?”
“I’ll see you next Wednesday at seven. And don’t worry about forgetting. I’ll call later and remind

you.”Hegrinnedandwavedhisphone.“WhichmeansI’mgoingtoneedyournumber—unlessyouwant
metocallmysisterandaskforit?”

AndruntheriskofElleflippingout?No,thanks.Roxannesighedandrattleditoff.Herbestfriendwas

aproblemforanotherday.“Seeyoulater.”

“Yes,youwill.”

ChapterFourteen

Ian spent the next few days tying up loose ends with his house. The monstrosity sat on five acres just
northwest of town and would require quite a few months of intense renovations before it became the
dreamhousehewanted.Mostpeoplewouldn’tbeinterestedinatotaloverhaul,buthewouldn’thaveit
any other way. In his mind, he and the house had quite a bit in common. Both of them were works in
progress,anditwouldtaketheworkofcarefulhandstomakethemreachtheirfullpotential.Itseemed
kindofsilly,buthecouldn’tshakethebelief.

Beyondthat,thephysicaltollitwouldtaketogetthisplaceinshapewasonehewelcomed.
Which was why he was here, walking the property, right now. He’d just come out of a meeting with

father,andhehadalottothinkabout.Theofferstoodbeforehim—comebacktothefamilybusiness,with
theunderstandingthathe’dbetakingamore“administrative”role.Ianknewwhatthatmeant.Hisdadwas
getting close to retirement, and he was tired of all the traveling required to keep up with all their
contractingcompaniesaroundthecountry.Takingthejobmeanttakinghisfather’splace,whichmeantIan
wouldbeseeingtheinsideofalotofairportsandconferencerooms.

Acceptingthejobwasmorethanjustriskingbowingtofamilypressure,though.Rightnow,hisentire

future stood before him as one big blank page. Yes, there were endless possibilities, but possibilities
didn’tmeanalotinthefaceofallthatnothingness.

He could go anywhere, and the sheer scope of options daunted him on a bone-deep level. Ian knew

whathistherapistwouldsay—thathewaschainedbyhispastandunwillingtomoveforwardwithhis
life—buthedidn’tagreewithher.

Hespunhisphoneinhishand,acknowledgingthetruthofthematter—hewantedtocallRoxanneand

talktoheraboutit.They’dbeentextingonandoffsincehesawherlast,buthe’dbeentheonedriving
thoseconversations.Still,shehadn’tdisappearedoffthefaceoftheearth,whichhetookforagoodsign.

What would she say about his father’s offer? He didn’t know, but he wanted her opinion. Or a

distraction. Hell, he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted from her right this second, but he knew he
wanted her. Before he could talk himself out of it, he dialed her number. The phone rang half a dozen
timesbeforeclickingovertovoicemail.You’vereachedRoxanneStokes.Pleaseleaveyournameand
number, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. She even managed to sound sexy as hell on her
answeringmachine.Heshookhisheadandputthephonebackinhispocketbeforehecouldgiveintothe
temptationtocallheragain,justtohearhervoice.

Shemightbecomplicatedasallgetoutandexcitableanddramaticandtemptationpersonified…And

therehewentagain.Everytimehetriedtoobjectivelylookatherprosandcons,hegotsidetrackedwith
allthepros.Thewomanwasn’tperfect,no,buteveryonelookedatIanandsawwhattheyexpectedtosee

—brother,son,soldier,futureofthefamilybusiness.EveryoneexceptRoxanne.Shealonedelvedpastthe
surfaceleveltothemessbeneath,tothepartsofhimhewasbarelyholdingtogether.Whenhewaswith
her,hewasn’tworriedaboutthefutureorhauntedbythepast.Hejust…was.

Atsomepointshe’dhavetomakethedecisionthatshewantedthis.Yes,heragreeingtoanotherdate

hadbeenastepintherightdirection,buthewasn’tsureitmeantwhathe’dhoped.Sheobviouslycared
abouthim,butthatemotionalconnectionmightnotbeenoughtobalanceoutherfearofthefuture.

Hekickedarockashecircledbacktowardhistruck.Roxanneaside,heneededtodecidewhathewas

goingtodoaboutthepositionhisdadhadofferedhim.It’dbegoodmoney—betterthangoodmoney—but
italsomeantbeingoutoftownmoreoftenthanhewasinit.Hewasn’tsurehewasuptogettingbackona
plane,notwhenhestillfeltsooff-balance.Andhe’dalreadyseentoomuchoftheworld—somethinghe’d
admitted as much to Roxanne the night they met. Settling in one place, giving himself the stability he’d
lackedforthelasttenyears…that’swhathecraved.

Hisphonerangandforonehopefulsecond,hewassureitwasRoxannecallinghimback.CallerID

proved that wrong. Though he considered not answering, there was no avoiding this conversation
indefinitely.“Hello,Mom.”

“Hello,darling.Iwantedtobethefirsttocongratulateyouontakingthejobyourfatherofferedyou.”
Hesighed.“Ihaven’tacceptedityet.”
“Butyouwill.Youalwaysdowhat’sright.”
Thoughhereallydidn’twanttotalkaboutthisrightnow,hemadeanefforttoopenuptoher.“It’salot

of traveling. I just got home.” Just found Roxanne. He wouldn’t reject the job out of hand for her—
especially with how up in the air things were between them—but he was so goddamn tired. What was
wrongwithwantingafewyearsbackinSpokanebeforehetookoffagain?

Nottomention,hiscurrentproblemwithcrowds.
“It’sanexcellentopportunity,Ian.You’dbefoolishtorejectitoutofhand.”
Shedidn’tunderstand.Shedidn’teventry.Allhismothercouldseewasherplanforhislife,andhe

wasn’tsurehewantedanypartofit.“Ihavetogo.I’lltalktoyousoon,though.”

Assoonashefiguredoutwhatthehellhewasgoingtodowithhislife.

…

“Youwanttheorchids?”Roxanneasked.“Thosearegoingtopressyourbudget.”

Theteenagerpressedherhandstoherchest,herbrowneyeswideandshiningawholelot.“They’remy

dream.”

Ofcoursetheywere.Everyaspectofthissweet-sixteenpartywasherdream.Whilenormallyshewas

allaboutmeetingherclients’needs,thisparticularbratgotonherlastnerve.Shewantedthebestofthe
best, to the point that this party was going to be bigger than most weddings. Talk about being spoiled
rotten.ThispartyalonewasgoingtopayRoxanne’sbillsforthenextthreemonths,though,soshewasn’t
going to complain. The girl’s demands wouldn’t be an issue, but her parents had put a budget in place.
Whenshe’dfirstseenthelimit,shehadalmostlaughedoutloud.

Thatwasbeforeshemettheteendiva.
GoodthingRoxannewasupforthejob.“Ofcourse.I’llgetsomesamples,andwecanlookthemover

laterthisweek.”

“Great.”Theteenagerbeamed.Sheroseandbeamedbrighter.“Guessmymomwasright—youreally

doknowhowtodoyourjob.”

Roxannewaitedforthedoortoshutbeforeshepulledoutherphoneandlookedtoseewhosecallshe’d

missed.HerstomacheruptedinbutterflieswhenshesawitwasIan.

Beforeshecouldlooktoocloselyathowshefeltaboutthewholething,shetypedoutaquicktext.Hey,

Charming.What’sup?

She’dbarelysetherphoneonthedeskwhenitbuzzed.Justthinkingaboutyou.
Inthepastfewdays,she’dcometotermswiththefactIanusedperfectEnglishinhistexts.Itwasa

weaknessofhers—shehatedthetextingmostpeopleusedthesedays.Intelligencewassexy,andsowas
correctspellingandpunctuation.Roxannetriednottobecharmedbyhislackofspellingandgrammatical
errors…andfailedcompletely.Ormaybeshewasjustcharmedbythefactthathewasthinkingofherin
themiddleoftheday.

Yeah…bestnottogotoofardownthatparticularroad.
Withagrin,shetyped,Dirtythoughts?
Ha!Always.
Hersmilewidened.Sheglancedatherdoor.Really?Tellme.Lotsofjuicydetailsplease.
She set the phone down and started paging through the flower options while she waited for his

response.Orchidsweren’tthebestdecisioninheropinion,butthekidwantedwhatthekidwanted,and
herparentshadmadeitextremelyclearthattheirpreciousdaughter’swantsweretobemet.Itwasn’ther
jobtojudge.Itwasherjobtodeliver.

Herphonebuzzed.Whatareyouwearing?
Oh,sotheyweregoingthatdirection?Roxannetappedherphonetoherlips,thinking.Shecouldsend

himanelaboratedescription,butshewasprettysurehisideaofdescriptionandhersweretwodifferent
things.NotlikeIancaredwhatbrandherheelswere.

Apicturewasworthathousandwords,though,right?
Shestoodandcrossedtothelargemirroracrossfromherdesk.Beforeshecouldthink—orobsess—

toomuchaboutit,sheproppedherhandonherhipandsnappedapicturewithherphone.Sheattachedit
tothetextandsentitalong.

Instantly,Damn,woman.
Youlike?Assoonasshetypeditout,sheregrettedit.Damnit,thatmadehersoundsofreakingneedy.

Someoneneededtocomeupwithawaytotakebacktexts.Itwouldsolveaworldfullofproblems.

Ilike.I’mseriouslyconsideringhaulingassoverthereandtakingyoutoher.
Roxanne frowned and reread the message. To her? Who the hell was her? Was Ian seriously

propositioningherforathreesome?Shesetherphonedownandstaredatit.Howwasshesupposedto
respond to that? Because, seriously, she might be down for some freaky-deaky almost-public sex, but
bringinganotherpersonintoit?

After a long minute, she decided to go with a simple, Her? No way to misinterpret that, right? If he

wentdownthecreeperroute,thenshe’djustavoid,avoid,avoidandditchhim.Anddoherdamnedestto
keepittoherselfwhenElleaskedherwhythey’dgonetheirseparateways.Becauseshe’ddefinitelyask.

Goddamnit,howdidshegetintothesemesses?
Herphonebuzzed,andRoxanneconsideredpretendingshehadn’theardit.Allsexyfeelingsfromhis

earlier texts were gone, replaced by a vague sense of unease. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her
phoneandopenedthemessage.Thenshejuststared,asnortslippingfree.“OhmyGod.”

Her?Ohshit!ImeantBED.Stupidautocorrect.Shit!
Thesnortturnedintoagiggle.“Ican’tevenbelievethisrightnow.”Sheshookherhead.Priceless.
…Themomenthaspassed,hasn’tit?
Littlebit,yeah.
Thoughtasmuch.Well,stillthinkingofyou.Hitmeupafteryournextappointment.
That sounded suspiciously like… God, her neuroses were exhausting. Roxanne typed out a quick

agreementandsetthephoneaside.Itwastimetogetsomeworkdone.

But,yeah,she’dbethinkingofIanfortherestofherdaywithastupidfreakinggrinonherface.

ChapterFifteen

Roxanneeyedthebottleofvodkaonhercounterandremindedherselffortheseventhtimeinthelastten
minutesthatshecouldn’tgetsloshedbeforeIanshowedup.Itdidn’thelpthathewaslate.Okay,notlate-
late.Hesaidhe’dbehereatseven,anditwasseventen.

Even knowing he was coming, she still jumped half out of her skin when Ian finally pounded on the

dooraminutelater.Sheranahanddownherdress,wonderingifitwastoolatetochange.Herloftwas
currentlylitteredwithclothesfromhercountlesswardrobechanges.Ithadtakenanhour,butshe’dfinally
settled on a green halter dress with a deep plunge in the front and practically no back. Yes, it was
probablyalittlemuchforadate,butthelookonIan’sfacewhensheopenedthedoorwastotallyworthit.

Hisdarkeyeswentwide,andhisjawactuallydroppedbeforehecomposedhimself.“Jesus.”
“I’mgoingtotakethatasasignofyourapproval.”
Herubbedahandoverhismouth,hisgazerakingoverheronemoretime.“Itdefinitelyis.”
Then,yeah,itwastotallyworthit.Thegreenofthedressmatchedhereyesperfectly,andshe’dcurled

her hair and thrown on a pair of six-inch black heels. Even with the added height, Ian still had a few
inchesonher.Damn,themanwastall.Andsexy.Andshewasforgettingwhytheyhadtoleavethehouse.

Apparently,hewasfollowingthesamethoughttrack.“You’remakingitkindofdifficulttoremember

weactuallyhavetoleavetogoonthisdate.”

“Dowe?”Shetookastepback,andIanshadowedthemove.Roxannewoundalockofherhairaround

herfinger.“AndhereIthoughtwecouldbreakinmyvirgincouch.”

“You’renotmakingthisanyeasier.”
“Ha!I’msureyoucanhandleit.”Sheloweredhervoice.“Handleme.”
Heclearedhisthroat.“Weneedtogetgoing.”
“Okay,ifyouinsist.”Sheplacedherhandinhisandlethimleadheroutoftheapartment.Shewaited

untiltheystarteddrivingtosay,“So,whereareweeating?OrdoIhavetopickthisplace,too?”

His grin made her stomach do jumping jacks. Stupid stomach. “Believe it or not, I actually have a

fantasticnightplanned.”

Of course he did. Because he was terrifyingly perfect. She started to ask if there were orgasms

involvedinthisplan,butstoppedherself.Yes,shewantedIan,butshe’dactuallyspentthedaylooking
forwardtospendingsometimewithhim.

God,shewassoinoverherhead.
“IsupposeI’lljusthavetositback,relax,andletyoutakecontrol?”
“Somethinglikethat.”Hereachedacrossthecenterconsoleandsqueezedherknee…andthenlefthis

handthere.

Roxannewentstock-still,andevenasshetriedtotellherselftorelax,shecouldn’thelptensingup.It

wasn’therfault.Themanwasawalkingfurnace,andtheheatofhispalmseemedtobeworkingitsway
upherinnerthigh.Itdidn’thelpthateverytimeshesomuchasshifted,hiscallusesraspedoverherskin,
settingfiretohersenses.

Ianwasseducingher,andhewasn’tdoingadamnthing.
Good God, this was embarrassing. She wasn’t even sure that his intent was to get her so hot and

bothered, but she was having a hard time focusing on anything other than where he touched her. It was
onlywhenhepulledintotheparkinggarageandstoppedthatshelookedaround.“Wherearewe?”

“Downtown.” His hand moved several torturous inches up her thigh. “You seem distracted. Is

everythingallright?”

“Yep.Noproblem.”Ifhewasn’tgoingtopushthis,shesureashellwasn’tgoingtoeither.“So,isthis

dategoingtoendwithusrollingaroundinbedtogether?”

“It’sentirelypossible.”Whichwasn’tarealanswer.
“Yousureknowhowtotreatalady.”
“It’s called positive reinforcement.” He kissed her and was out of the car before she could come up

withasnarkyreply.“Besides,Ican’tseemtokeepmyhandsoffyou.”

Roxanne adjusted her dress and let him help her to the ground. She kind of hated how aloof he was

while her legs were shaking just from his hand on her leg. “River Park Square. Huh. Don’t they have
camerassetupinthisparkinggarage?Maybeweshouldgivesecurityashow.”

“You’dlikethat,wouldn’tyou?”
Shetriedtobeindignant,butthetruthwasitkindofaddedtothesexinessknowingthatsomeonecould

bewatching.“Agentlemanwouldn’tpointthatout.”

Heswungheraroundandpinnedheragainstthewallacrossfromtheelevators.Thehardlengthofhis

cockpressedintoherlowerstomach,anditwaseverythingshecoulddonottorocktogethimwhereshe
wantedhim.“Nevermakethatmistake.Yes,I’llwineyouanddineyouandenjoyeverysecondofit,but
don’t think I’d hesitate to bend you over the hood of my truck and fuck you blind, even knowing the
camerasmightbeonus.”

She rolled her body against his, drawing a groan from both of them, then nipped his earlobe. “What

makesyouthinkIdon’twantexactlythat?”

The elevator dinged behind him. “Christ.” Ian maneuvered them around, keeping her in front of him,

probably to hide the monster he had raging in his pants. She purposely slowed down every other step,
forcinghimtobumpintoherass.Iangrowledinherearandbandedanarmaroundherwaistasthedoors
slidshut.“You’replayingwithfire.”

“Oh?”Sheslidherhandbacktorubagainsthislength.“ThinkI’llgetburned?”
“Mostdefinitely.Andyou’llenjoyeverymomentofit.”
“Iknow.”Shewantedtosuggesttheyskipdinnerandgetrighttotheenjoying,butherstomachtookthat

opportunitytorumble.Damnit.

“Ihopeyoulikesushiandgimmicks.”
“Sushi and gimmicks? What kind of combination is that?” She knew exactly what restaurant he was

takingherto—thesushiconveyorbeltone.Eventhoughitwasn’tthebestsushiplaceintown,therewas

undeniablegleetobehadfrompickingplatesoffaconveyorbelt.Italsohadtheaddedbonusofbeing
quiet,evenwhenalltheboothswerefull.Roxannefiguredthatwaspartoftheappealforhim.

Theylefttheelevatorandmeanderedtowardthebackcornerofthebuildingwheretherestaurantwas

located. When he slipped his hand into hers, she nearly tripped over her own feet at the warm, fuzzy
feelingthatshotstraighttoherheart.

IanhelduptwofingerstothehostessandleanedintoRoxanne’sside.“I’vebeenthinkingaboutfucking

youinfrontofthebathroommirrorallweek.EverytimeIpicturethelookonyourfaceasyoucame,I
startcountingdownthehoursuntilIcandoitagain.”

Holyshit.Dazed,shelethimleadherbacktoaboothsituatednexttooneofthethreeconveyorbelts

thatranaroundtheroom.Ianslidintotheseatacrossfromherandgaveaheart-stoppinggrin.“Likedthat,
didn’tyou?”

Liked?Shefeltsomethingawholelotstrongerthanlike.“Nope.Hatedit.Neverdoitagain.”
“Somean.”Hisgrinwidened.“So,Roxanne,howhasyourweekbeensinceIsawyoulast?”
Heknewexactlywhathewasdoingtoher,theass—keepinghersooff-center,shedidn’tknowwhich

waywasup.Itwasworking.Besides,shefoundshewantedtotellhimaboutherweek,wantedtoshare
thelittlerandombitsthatwouldboreotherpeopletodeath.“Prettyproductiveupuntiltoday.IthoughtI’d
beabletogetafewthingsdoneattheofficethismorning,butIhaveacouplerenewingtheirvows,and
thewomanhadanemergencymeltdownbecauseshegainedfivepounds.”

“Fivepounds?”
“Hey, it might not seem like a big deal to you—or, honestly, to me under normal circumstances—but

whenherdressiscompletelyfittedandtailoredtohermeasurements,fivepoundscanmakeorbreakthe
wholething.”

“I…see.” His eyes weren’t glazed over like guys she’d tried to share her work with in the past. But

then,nothingaboutIanseemedtobefollowingtherulesshe’dcometobelievein.Hermother’srules.He
actuallyseemedtocareonewayoranother,evenifhecouldn’tquiteseemtowraphismindaroundthe
currentcrisis.

“Icalmedherdown.Therenewalisn’tforanotherthreeweeks,soshehasplentyoftimetogetback

downtosizewithoutresortingtosomecrazycleanseoranyofthatbullshit.”IfRoxanneevergotmarried,
shesureashellwasn’tgoingtodietherselfdowntoasmallsizebeforehand.Shewantedtoeaton her
weddingday.

Notthatshehadanyintentionofgettingmarried.Shedidn’t.Marriageimpliedlove,andsheknewall

toowellhowlovewent.

ChapterSixteen

Ian didn’t bother keeping the conversation light as they picked plates off the conveyor belts and ate.
They’d covered all the safe topics—and then some—already tonight, and while they were out the last
time.Shewasn’tbigonsharing,buthewantedtoknowmore.“Tellmeaboutyourfamily.”

Roxannefroze,herchopsticksintheprocessofpickingupapieceofnigiri.“What?”
Herfamilywasoneofthemanysubjectsshedancedaroundwithoutevertouchingon.Obviously,itwas

a sore subject, and he had no doubt it was also the source of her edginess over starting a future with
someone.“Yourfamily.Tellmeaboutthem.”

“There’snotmuchtotell.”
“Thenitshouldbeashortconversationbeforewemoveontohappierthings.”
Roxannepoppedthesushiintohermouthandchewedslowly,asifsearchingforwords.Shesippedher

sodaandleanedback.“Itgoeslikethis.Momgotpregnantbackinherfirstyearofcollege.Droppedout
—who has time to go to school and raise a baby?—and then expected she’d get her happily ever after,
sincesheandherboyfriendweresoinlove.Exceptitdidn’tquiteenduplikethat.”

She paused, obviously waiting for him to say something, but Ian wasn’t going to play that game with

her.Hegrabbedanotherplateofftheconveyorbeltandmotionedwithhischopsticksforhertocontinue.

“They tried. They’d been planning on being together forever anyway, so they got hitched, had a

honeymoon—thewholenineyards.Butsomewherealongtheway,thingswentbad.Therewassomuch
resentmentandbitternessandattheend,freakinghate,thattherewasnothingleftofthelovetheythought
wouldlastforever.”

Sheshookherhead,hermouthtwistingasifshecouldn’tdecidewhethertosmileorfrown.“Eventually

theygotaroundtogettingdivorced,andDadtookofftowhereaboutsunknown.Mom’sstillintown,but
she’s gone through the same song and dance three times now—each husband leaving her faster than the
onebefore.”

“I’msorry.”Hisownparents’marriagehadgonethroughitsrockypatches,especiallybecauseofhow

often his dad was away on business, and Ian had vivid memories of how sick it made him to hear his
happy-go-lucky dad raise his voice in anger. He couldn’t imagine living with that for years on end. No
wonderRoxannedidn’ttalkaboutherfamilyallthatmuch.

“Don’tbesorry.Shithappens.Youcan’tputtwopeopleinthatkindoftrapwithoutatleastoneofthem

tryingtognawofftheirleginanefforttogetfree.”

Ianblinked.“Marriageisn’tatrap.”
“Iwasn’ttalkingaboutmarriage.”
Thetruthhithimbetweentheeyes.“Youthinkloveisatrap?”

“Don’tyou?”Roxannesetdownherchopsticksandpickedthemupagain,obviouslyagitated.“It’sthe

onlyemotionthatmakespeopleexperienceafalsehigh,betterthananydrugonthemarket.Twopeoplein
lovebelieveinmiracles.Theybelievethatalltheyneedislovetoconquertheworld.It’sallalie.”

“Sayswho?”
“Myparentsbelievedtheywereinlove,andlookwhathappened—assoonashardtimescame,itall

fell apart. I’ve seen it happen with my friends’ parents. Hell, I’ve seen it happen with my friends
themselves.”

“Justbecauseyou’veseenafewbadexamples—”
“The divorce rate in this country is well over 50 percent. That’s not a few isolated examples, Ian.

That’sfact.”

Hesatback.“Onecouldarguethat’smoreareflectionofourculturethananythingtodowithlove.”
“It’sthesamedamnthing.We’reencouragedtomarryforlove,andthenthosenewrelationshipvibes

runout,andallyou’releftwithissomenear-strangerwhoyouareincompatiblewithineverywaybut
sexually.Youendupresentingthembecauseyou’retrapped,andallthathateturnsintoatoxicmixthat’s
damnnearunlivable.Fallinginloveisthebeginningoftheendforeveryrelationship.Itjusttakessome
longertorealizeitthanothers.”

“That’sareallycynicalwayoflookingatthings.”
“No.That’stheonlywaytolookatthings.”
“I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree there.” Though how he was supposed to go about

datingawomanwhothoughtfallinginlovewastheworstthingthatcouldhappentoarelationshipwas
somethinghe’dhavetotakesomeserioustimetoconsider.Heunderstoodwhereshewascomingfrom,at
leastonasuperficiallevel.IfallRoxannehadeverexperiencedinrelationshipswasbitterresentment,it
stoodtoreasonthatshe’dexpectthat.

Buthedidn’tbelievethat.Yes,somepeoplegotsocaughtupinthehighofanewrelationshipthatthey

didn’tbothertofindoutiftheyhadanythingincommonwiththeotherperson,butthatdidn’tmeanlove
itselfwastheproblem.Afacthehadnoideahowhe’dgethertounderstand.Ifheevencould.

Nowthatwasadepressingthought.
Heglanceduptofindherstaringathim.“What?”
“You’rethinkingawfullyhardoverthere.”Shefrowned.“Youaren’tscheming,areyou?”
“I’malwaysscheming.”
She smiled, some of the tightness around her eyes disappearing. “So, moving on to less depressing

topics,whatareyouplanningtodonowthatyou’rebackintown?”

Hedidn’treallywanttogetintoit,butturnaboutwasfairplay.HemaynothavelikedwhatRoxanne

hadtosay,butherecognizeditfortheleapoffaithit’dbeeneventotalkaboutherfeelings.Hecouldn’t
repaythatbyshuttingdownherquestion.Besides,hadn’thebeensotemptedtocallherearlierthisweek
withhisdilemma?“I’mthinkingaboutgoingtoworkformydad.”

“Excuse me, what? I could have sworn I just heard you say you’re going to do the exact thing you

wantedtoavoidafteryougraduatedhighschool.”

“Thingschange.”
“I won’t argue that, but this is a conversation you and I had only a little over a week ago. What

happened between then and now to change your mind? Because I thought you were pretty clear you
weren’tinterestedintheorganicfarmingbusiness.”

“It’slessthatIwasn’tinterested,andmorethatIwantedto…Idon’tknow.Havemyownidentity,I

guess.”

“Howincrediblyselfishofyou.”Shereachedacrossthetableandlaidherhandoverhis.“Youknow

you’reallowedtowantthat,right?”

“I’maware.”
“Sowhatchanged?”
Howtoexplainthis?FromwhatRoxannehadsaid,shewasn’tclosetoherparents,andtherewasn’t

much love lost between them. He wasn’t sure he could make her understand his reasoning. “They need
me.”

“Ofcoursetheydo.”
“No,hearmeout.Idon’tknowifElletoldyou,butmydad’sbeenmovingintomoreofadesk-job-type

roleinthecompany.He’snotabletotravelasmuchasheneedstowithourbigcorporateclients,sohe’s
been spending more of his time in the local office. From what he says, he’d rather be working in town
thandealingwiththepoliticsthatcomesfromdistributingaswidelyaswedo.”

Roxannepursedherlips.“So?What’sthathavetodowithyou?”
It blew his mind a little bit that she was feeling protective of him, especially when she continued to

stresshowmuchshedidn’twantanythingotherthanwhattheysharedrightnow.Ifitwasonlysex,she
wouldn’treactlikethis.“Thecompanyisexpanding.Heneedshelp.”

“Andwhat’stostophimfromhiringsomeoneelse?Whydoesithavetobeyou?”
Agoodquestion—oneIanhadbroughtupwhenhetalkedtohisdad.“Hewantstokeepitinthefamily.”

TogroomIantotakeoverwhenhefullyretired.

“Isee.Sohowdoyoufeelaboutit?”
Anothergoodquestion.“Ihonestlydon’tknow.”Heshouldhavestoppedthere,butwordsslippedfree

beforehecouldthinkbetterofit.“Idon’tknowifI’mready,whatwithallmy…issues.Ontheotherhand,
heneedsme.It’llbereallygoodmoney,too.”

“Moneyisdisposable.Mentalhealthisn’t.”
“Iwon’ttakethejobifIdon’tthinkIcanhandleit.IfIneedalittlemoretime,they’llgiveittome.”He

hoped.

Shenarrowedhereyes,theirgreendepthsseeingtoomuch.“That’snotall,isit?You’renotapushover

withanoverdevelopedsenseofguiltlikeyoursisteris,Godblessher.She’sgettingbetter,butevennow
sheoccasionallyfoldstoyourmom.Youdon’t.Sowhatgives?”

“Igrewupwiththiscompany.Itwasmyfirst—myonly—jobbeforeIenlisted.I—”
“Youmissit.”Shesqueezedhishandbeforetakinghersbackandreachingforherdrink.Ianachedfor

thecontactimmediately.“Idon’tgetit.Ifyouwanttoworkforyourdad,thenwhyallthedrama?Whynot
just,youknow,workforhim?”

Howtoexplainthiswithoutsoundinglikeanidiot?Healmostwishedshewerelessperceptive,butshe

was the only one he wanted to talk to about this. She had no stake in it, unlike his family. Even Elle’s
opinion—nomatterwhichwayshewent—wouldbecoloredbywhattheirparentswanted.Roxannewas

onlyworriedabouthim.

Hetookadeepbreathandletitoutslowly.“IfeellikeI’mfailing.Iputinallthiseffortandmadethis

big stink about running off to have my own life. Now I’ve been back in town under a month, and I’m
alreadyconsideringslidingintothefoldofthingsagain.It’slikeIneverleft.”

“Doyoureallythinkthat?”Roxannestirredtheiceinherdrink.“Youaren’tthesamepersonyouwere

tenyearsago,right?”

Ian thought over all things he’d done. All the things he’d seen. Lots of them weren’t memories he’d

treasurefortherestofhislife,andhecouldhavedonewithoutthenightmares,buthesawherpoint.“No.
I’mnotthesameperson.”

“Thenwhat’sthebigdealifyouactuallywanttobea…farmer?”
He cracked a smile at that. “It’s corporate agriculture. I’ll be dealing with our clients, locally and

elsewhere. Organic food is a changing field, like anything else—so it’d be necessary to look over the
competition.”Whenshelaughed,heasked,“What?”

“Youmeanyou’renotgoingtobeshirtlesswithapairofwornoveralls,wearingastrawhat?”
Hechuckled.“Sorrytodisappoint.”
“There you go, ruining the fantasy for me.” Roxanne cleared her throat and affected a serious

expression.“Buteitherway,atleastthiswayyou’remakingyourowndecision,ratherthanjustkindof
inheritingit.Don’tyouthinkthatmakesadifference?”

Thatwasacompletelydifferentwayoflookingatit.Notasfallingbackintoatraphe’dthoughthimself

freeof,butasmakingachoicetotakeacertainpath,nobetterthantheother.Christ,hefeltaboutfifteen
poundslighterfortherealization.“Ineverthoughtaboutitlikethat.”

“Iknow.”Shegrinned.“God,I’msogoodatthis,youshouldbepayingme.”
Hechosetolettheserioussubjectslideawayandreturnedhergrin.“That’safantasticidea.Iknowjust

thecurrencytouse.”

“Ohyeah?”Shegavehimaflirtysmile.
“Yeah.”Heleanedforwardandtookherhand,thatsmalltouchfurthereasingtheburdenhe’dfeltlike

he’dbeencarryingaroundsincehisconversationwithhisdad.Iantracedacircleonherwrist,watching
hereyesgohazy.Itwasonlythenthathesaid,“Howdoyoufeelabouticecream?”

ChapterSeventeen

Afterrealizinghowmuchpressuretheymusthavebeenputtingonhim,Roxannewantedtodriveoutto
Ian’s parents’ house and slap some sense into them, which was not a rational response. No, it was yet
anotherbrickinthatdamningwallofevidenceofherfeelingsfortheman.

ShewastippingovertheedgeofjustlikingIanintosomethingfarmoredevastating,andshecouldn’t

doanythingaboutit.Herpastlaytherebehindher,barrenandlonely,brokenonlybysurfaceinteractions
hereandthere,allbecauseshewassoterrifiedoffallinginlove.Ianhadbeenbackintownundertwo
weeks,andshewasalreadyneck-deepandsinkingfast.Shecared.Shewantedhimtobehappy,wanted
towipethoseshadowsfromhiseyes.Hell,shejustplainwanted.

Shesighed.“Icecream?”
“Youknow,thestuffthat’scoldandsweetandmeltsonyourtongue?Don’ttellmeyou’reoneofthose

insanepeoplewhodon’tlikeicecream.”

Inallreality,shelovedicecream—andhadastashoffourdifferentkindsinherfreezerrightnow—but

Roxannecouldn’thelpplayingdevil’sadvocate.“Justbecauseyoulikeicecreamdoesn’tmeaneveryone
should.”

Ianshotherahorrifiedlook.“It’sun-Americantohateicecream.”
“Icecreamisn’tAmerican.ItcameacrosstheAtlantic,justlikeeverythingelsefantastic.”
“I can list half a dozen awesome things that originated here.” He shook his head, but a smile crept

acrosshislips.“Backtothepoint,howdoyoureallyfeelabouticecream?”

Washegoingtosuggestshedumpitonhernakedbodyandhavehimlickitoff?Becauseshecouldget

intothatidea.Hell,shecouldgetintoanyideathatinvolvedbeingnakedwithIan’smouthonher.Yum.

Fromthelookonhisface,heknewexactlywhichturnherthoughtshadtaken.“Well?”
Whatwasthequestion?Oh,right.Icecream.Shesmiled.“Ihappentohaveadeepandabidinglovefor

icecream.”

“ThankGod.Iwasabouttocallthewholethingoff.SomethingsIrefusetocompromiseon.”
Thefactthattheyweresittinghere,mock-arguingabouttheirrelationship,andshewasonlyfeelingthe

slightestflutterofpanicamazedher.“GuessIjustdodgedabulletthen,huh?”

“Mostdefinitely.”Heputastackofbillsinthetabbookandsetitonthetable.“Youreadytogo?”
“If there’s ice cream involved, then yes.” She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. God,

touchinghimfeltgood,evenifitwasinnocentcontact.

“Ihopedyou’dsaythat.”
Roxannefoundherselfholdingherbreathastheywalkedthroughtheparkinggaragetohistruck.Itwas

hardtolookattheshinyredhoodwithoutseeingtheimagehe’ddescribedearlier—herbentoveritwith

herdressuparoundherhipswhilehemadeherscreamhisname.Shewantedthat.Shewantedthatalot.
Butshealsowantedtherestofit,too—theconversationsandjokingandinnocenttouches.

Whichshould’veterrifiedher.
Andyet…itdidn’t.
Betternottospendtoomuchtimethinkingonthat.“Let’sgetthisshowontheroad.”
Helaughedasheopenedthedoorandthensteppedintothegapwhensheslidintotheseat.“Patience,

grasshopper.Ipromiseit’llbeworththewait.”

“Iknow.”Andshedid.Sheleanedoverandkissedhim,likingthefactthathisjacked-uptruckputthem

atexactlythesameheight.Shepulledbackbeforetheycouldgetcarriedaway—therewasabowlofice
cream with her name on it waiting for her, after all. “You should know by now that I have an intense
weaknessforgoodfood.”

“I’venoticed.”Heranhishandsupherthighs,stoppingjustshortofthehemofherdress.“It’soneof

themanythingsIlikeaboutyou.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” As would food. And charm. And… Yeah, best not to go too far

down that rabbit hole or she’d start worrying that she was easy. Hell, even if she was, who cared? It
wasn’tlikeshe’dleftatrailofbrokenloversbehindher.Itwasmoretheotherwayaround.

Bythetimeshereeledherthoughtsbackin,Ianwasinthetruck,andtheywereontheirwaytogetice

cream.Hestretchedhisarmoverthebackoftheseatandaroundhershoulders.“Thankyouforgivingthis
ago.”

Roxanne attempted a smile. “You’re feeding me and throwing in some hot sex to sweeten the pot. I

neverstoodachance.”Thewordsdidn’tcomeoutaslightandfunnyasshe’dmeant,probablybecause
theyweren’tthefulltruth.Ianbroughtsomuchmoretothetable,morethanshecouldhaveeverdreamed.

Butthenheranhisfingersthroughherhairandherheartdidafunnylittlejumpthatscaredtheshitout

ofher.Roxannehadneverfeltsofragileinherentirelife.Notnowthathehadhercuddledupagainsthim
asifsheactuallymattered—whichwasexactlywhathekeptclaiming.

Shewasstartingtoactuallybelievehim.
Aftertheygoticecream,hedrovenorthtoasmallparktuckeddownnexttotheLittleSpokaneRiver.

Shehadbeenthereafewtimeswhenshewasakid,buteverythingseemeddifferentinthedark.Thetrees
toweredovertheriverandsprawlinglawn,creatinganatmosphereshemighthavefoundterrifyingifIan
hadn’tbeenbyherside.

Shelethimleadherdownthepathandoverthebridgetowherethepicnictablesweresituated.Feeling

off-center from the romantic turn the night had taken, she resorted to humor. “You aren’t planning on
bashingmeovertheheadandthrowingmybodyintotheriver,areyou?”

Hesnorted.“Andwasteperfectlygoodicecream?Idon’tthinkso.”
Theysatonthetableclosesttothewater.AssheateherdoublechocolatebrownieBlizzard,sheletthe

soundoftheriverrunningovertherockspusheverythingelseaway.Inthismoment,therewasonlythis
nightandthemanbesideher.Ifthere’deverbeenanythingmoreperfect,shehadn’texperiencedit.“This
isnice.”

“Itreallyis.”Hesqueezedherknee.“Thiscouldbeourplace.”
Ourplace.Aftertakingadeepbreath,shedredgedupashakysmile.“Sure.”

Ianlaughedandkissedhertemple.“Sorry.Nopressure.”
Hernextbreathcamealittlebiteasier.“Right.Nopressure.”Shefinishedthelastofhericecreamin

silence. Maybe it was time to stop overthinking everything. Just because her mother had been right one
hundredpercentofthetimeuptothispointdidn’tmeanshewasrightthistime.Ianmadeherfeelsafeand
needed,somethingshe’dneverexperiencedbefore.Howcouldthateverbeabadthing?

“Areyouready?”
Ready?Sherealizedshe’dbeenstaringintotheshadowsofheremptycupforGodknewhowlong.If

thatwasn’tadeclarationofbeingwell-adjusted,shedidn’tknowwhatwas.Shetossedhergarbageinto
thecannexttotheendofthetable.“Yeah,I’mready.”

Heheldherhandastheydrovetoherplace.Aslowcountrysongthatwasn’thercupofteatwanged

overtheradiobut,strangelyenough,itseemedtofitthemoment.

Aftertheypulledintoherdriveway,heshutoffthetruck,andtheysatthere,listeningtotheenginetick

as it cooled off. Apparently, he was waiting for some sort of signal from her. He was nothing if not
considerate.Ifshegavehimakissonthecheekandlefthimatherfrontdoor,he’dbeasokaywiththatas
he’dbeifsheinvitedhimin.Whatanovelconcept.

While part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and get naked with him again, after the

conversationthey’dhadatdinnerandthegrowingconnectionatthepark,itfeltwrongtosullyitwithher
avoidanceissues.

Butshedidn’twanthimtoleave.
Roxanneraisedherheadandtookadeepbreath,tryingtosteelherselfenoughtoask,“Willyoustay

tonight?”

“Doyouwantmeto?”
“Yes.”Shebitherlip,notquiteabletolookhimintheeyes.Thisfeltdifferentthanbefore,farmore

intimate. It was one thing to throw caution to the wind and sleep with him. It was something else
altogethertoseekoutthis.“I…Wouldyoujustholdmetonight?”

Hesmiled.“I’mgoodwiththat.”
“Okay.” God, this shouldn’t be such a big deal. But it was a big deal. It felt like a step in the right

direction,whichwasmorethanshe’deverallowedherselfbefore.

Iangotoutofthetruckandwalkedaroundtoopenherdoor.Therideuptheelevatortoherfloorwas

silent,thoughhedidn’tonceletgoofherhand.Sheunlockedherdoorandledthewayinside,wondering
what he would think of her loft. Though she’d moved here six months ago, she didn’t make a habit of
entertaining—Elle’s house was way better suited to that kind of stuff—so the living area only held a
couch and a love seat, with lamps situated for reading. Her bed was partially hidden behind a privacy
screenwithcherryblossomspaintedonit.She’dspecificallymountedthetelevisiononaportionofthe
wallthatcouldbeseenbyboththebedandthecouch,whichopenedupthequestion…Whereshouldthey
sit?

Shewasoverthinkingagain.Roxannekickedoffhershoesandglancedathim.“Doyouwantadrinkor

something?”

“Nah,I’mgood.”Ianranahandoverhertinydiningroomtable.Itwasacustompiece,madeoutof

wroughtironwithcomfycushionsontheseats.She’dhaditshippedinfromPortlandlastyearaftershe’d

stumbledacrosstheshopduringoneofherresearchtripsforabride.“Ilikethechairs.”

“Thankyou.”
Hemovedaroundtheroom,pausingwhenhereachedherdresser.Itwasahugepieceoffurniture,its

wooddarkenedwithage.“Thisismissingaknob.”

Shemovedtostandnexttohim.“IthasbeeneversinceIpickedupitfromtheantiqueshop.”
“Ilikeit.”Heranhishandoverthedrawer.“It’squirky.”
“Ikeepmeaningtobuyareplacement,butIjusthaven’tfoundtherightpieceyet.”Thewordsresonated

insideher,extendingbeyondthesubjectofthedresser.

Iangaveheralonglookthatmadeitclearhe’dcaughtthedoublemeaning,too.
God,thiswasn’tawkwardatall.“I’mgoingtochange.”Shegrabbedapairofyogapantsandtanktop

fromoneofthedrawersnotmissingitsknobandheadedintothebathroom—noreasontotaunthimwith
changinginthesameroom.“I’llbebackinaminute.”

When she came back, she found Ian lounging on her bed, shirtless. He’d turned on the television and

hadhisarmsproppedbehindhishead.Hecouldn’thavelookedmoreseductiveifhe’dtried,thoughifhis
intent study of whatever show he’d turned on was any indication, he had no idea he’d affected her so
strongly.

He’dalsotakenawayheroptions.Roxannesidledclosertothebed,alltooawareofhowridiculous

she was being. This was Ian, the same man she’d had sex with more than a few times. He’d seen her
nakedandoutofhermindwithpleasure.Itwasn’tlikehe’djudgeherforwhatshewaswearingnow.

“Yougoingtositdownorstandthereandstareatmeawhilelonger?”Hespokewithoutlookingaway

fromthetelevision.

“No,no.I’mgoingtositdown.”Becauseshehadn’tjustbeenstandingthere,staringlikesomesortof

creeper.Sheclimbedontothebedandcrawledovertohim,wishingallthewhilethatshe’dwornabra.
But they were supposed to be curling up and sleeping, and she never wore a bra to bed, so she hadn’t
thoughttwiceabouttakingitoffwhenshechanged.

“Comehere.”Ianpulledhercloserandtuckedheragainsthischest.Heleanedhischeekagainstthetop

ofherhead.“There.Thisisnice,isn’tit?”

“Yes.” She smiled against his chest. Look what she could accomplish if she got out of her own way.

Thoughtheyhadmostoftheirclothesinplaceandwereonlycuddlingwhilewatchingtelevision—pretty
muchthemostmundaneactivityshecouldthinkof—shewasenjoyingherself.Allwithoutdoinganything
tosabotageit.ShesnuggledclosertoIan,inhalingthefreshscentofhim.Itquietedherinnervoiceslike
littleelsecould.Itwasn’tanexcuseforpassingoutsprawledoverhischest,butRoxannecouldn’texactly
helpherself.

Shewasheadoverheelsforthisman.

ChapterEighteen

IanlikedwakingupnexttoRoxanne.Helikeditalot,andnotjustbecauseitmeantanothereighthoursof
nightmare-free sleep. When he moved to keep his arm from falling asleep, she made a small noise and
openedhereyes.Wouldheevergetusedtotheirvibrantgreencolor?Hesureashellhopednot.“Hey
there.”

Roxannegaveasmallsmile.“Hi.”Thensheglancedattheclockonthenightstand.“Crap.Ihavetoget

moving.”

“Me,too.” Ian brushedback her hair.“What are you doingtomorrow?” Since it’dbe Friday, he was

reasonablysureshe’dbefree.

“IthinkIcouldfreeupmyscheduleforyou.”
“Iappreciateyoumakingtheeffort.”Andnowfortheclincher.Heclearedhisthroat,cursinghimself

forsavingthisforthemorningwhenhe’dmuchratherbewrappedupinherwarm,softbody.“Myfamily
hasbrowbeatenmeintogoingouttoeatwiththem.I’dlikeyoutocomewith.”

Shemadeaface,buthedidn’tmisstheflickeroffearinhereyes.“Thatsoundsserious.”
Inaway,itwas.Hismotherhadn’texactlyleftanywiggleroomwhenshe’dextendedtheinvitationto

the woman he was seeing, but he wanted Roxanne at that dinner for a number of reasons. “My mom is
insisting on having dinner at this huge restaurant. I’d really like you to be there.” He didn’t know how
he’dgetthroughitwithoutheraroundtoanchorhim,butdamnitifhecouldn’tbringhimselftosaythe
wordsaloud.

Sheknew,ofcourse.Eventhoughitobviouslyscaredthecrapoutofher,shesqueezedhisarm.“Ifyou

wantmethere,I’llbethere.”

Reliefcoursedthroughhim,andhekissedher.“Iwantyou.Thereandotherwise.”
“You’resuchacharmer.”Roxannestretched.“Ireallyneedtoshower,andasgreatasit’dbetoshare

mywatersupply,Ithinkthatwouldexpandtheshowertimeexponentially.”

Sincejusthearingtheword“shower”slammedIanwithimagesofhernaked,waterdrippingalongall

therightplaces,hecouldn’tdisagree.“You’reprobablyright.”

Shestartedtositupandstoppedtolayherhandagainsthischeek.“Thankyou.Forgettingit,forstaying

lastnight,foreverything.”

“Always.”Hetookherhandandpressedakissagainstherpalm.“Nowgogetready.I’llshowmyself

outandtextyouinalittlebit.”

“Text,huh?Areyoufinallygoingtointroducemetothismysteriousheryou mentioned? Because I’m

besidemyselfwithanticipation.”

“Smart-ass.”

“Youknowit.”Sheslidoffthebedandpausedtogivehimasultrylookbeforeshedisappearedintothe

bathroom.

“Tease.”
“That,too.”Roxanneshutthedoor.Hethoughtaboutsayingtohellwithitandjoiningheranyway,but

hewassupposedtobesupportive,andthatmeantnotmakingherlateforwork.

Beingsupportivesucked.
With a groan, he climbed out of bed and grabbed his shirt. Though he’d wanted nothing more than to

striphernakedanddowonderful,filthythingstoherlastnight,Ianhadmanagedtokeephiscontrol.Asa
result,hewasinastateofwhatcouldonlybecalled“seriouslyuncomfortable”atthemoment.

Yeah,beingsupportivedefinitelysucked.
Itwasworthit,though.TheonlywaythisthingwithRoxannewouldworkwasifshetrustedhimandif

theirrelationshipmovedbeyondsex.Lastnighthadbeenaprettygoodstart,thoughhe’dbeanidiotifhe
thoughtthebattlewaswon.

Hecheckedtomakesurehehadhiskeysandwalletandstoppedinthekitchen.Shehadoneofthose

cutsie little notepads attached to her fridge, complete with pink pen. Grinning, he grabbed the pen and
wroteoutaquicknote.Itwasonlyfair,consideringshe’ddonethesamethingtohimthefirsttimethey’d
spent the night together. Ian headed for the elevator, feeling remarkably light on his feet for someone
who’druntheemotionalgamutinthespanoftwelvehours.

Hemostdefinitelycouldgetusedtothis.

…

Bythetimefiveo’clockonFridayrolledaround,Roxannewasn’tsureshecouldsurvivegoingthrough
withdinner.

Itwasn’tsobadduringthedaywithworktokeepheroccupied.Teenagersdidanumberonherstress

level.Ifsheneededmoremotivationtokeepuponherbirthcontrol,she’dgottenittodaywiththatlittle
diva.Strippersatasweet-sixteenparty?Roxannehadalwaysthoughtherselfprettyoutrageous,butthat
passedevenherlimits.Ithadbeeneverythingshecoulddonottocallupthegirl’sparentsandcancelthe
whole damn thing. If their daughter thought mostly naked men were legitimate entertainment for her age
group,thenherparentshaddroppedtheballsomewherealongtheline.

Apparently,havingastablehomelifewithparentswhowerestillmarriedstillwasn’tenoughtokeep

fromscrewingupyourkids.

Againstherbetterjudgment,hermindpresentedherwithamentalimageoftwochildren.Theboyhada

riotofdarkcurlsnearlyasdarkashiseyes,whilethegirlhadbeautifulblondhairandgreeneyes.

She slammed her mental shutters closed and dug her keys out of her purse. No matter what she’d

decidedaboutIan,shehadnobusinessdaydreamingaboutsharingchildrenwithhim.Theywerealready
balancedonaprecariousenoughledgewithoutthrowingthatkindofcomplicationintothemix.

Assoonasshewalkedthroughherfrontdoor,herdoubtstriedtotakeholdagain.Afamilydinner?That

wasaseriousstep,evenifshewasfallingforIan.Hislittlesistermightbeherbestfriend,butshewas
prettysurehismomhatedherguts.Nomatterwhatshedid,shewouldneverbegoodenoughforElizabeth
Walser’sgoldenboy.

Maybesheshouldbegoff?
Herphonerang,makinghernearlyjumpoutofherskin.“RoxanneStokes.”
“Youdidn’tcheckthecallerID,didyou?”
She tried to put some smile into her voice, even though her best friend was the very last person she

wantedtotalktorightnow.“Hey,Elle.”

“YouwanttoknowhowIknowthat?You’vebeenavoidingmycallsforaweeknow.”
Because she didn’t know if she could deal with the inevitable conversation Elle wanted to have. It

didn’tlooklikeshe’dhaveachoicenow.“I’vebeenbusy.”

“Right.Withmybrother.Speakingof,whatareyoudoingwithmybrother?”
TryingnottofallanyharderforhimthanIalreadyhave.Itwastoolate.It’dbeentoolatethenight

beforelast,whenhe’dtakenherforicecreamandheldherasshefellasleep.EventhoughEllecouldn’t
seeher,Roxannemadeanefforttokeephershouldersbackandnotslouchlikeadogwithitstailbetween
itslegs.“Datinghim.”

“Pleasedon’ttakethisthewrongway,butyoudon’tdate.Youflitfromguytoguy.Idon’tthinkyou’ve

goneonmorethanthreedateswithasinglepersoninalltheyearsI’veknownyou.”

Because it was a whole lot easier to avoid love if she didn’t stick around for an extended period of

time.“Ian’sdifferent.”

“Iknowhe’sdifferent.He’sworthsomething—again,nooffense.Mybrotherhasn’thadtheeasiestrun

ofit,andthelastthingheneedsisforyoutotrampleoverhisheartbecauseyoudon’tdocommitment.”

Shetriednottobeinsulted—Ellewasjustspeakingthetruth.“It’snotlikethat.”
“Thentellmewhatitislike!Lord,Roxanne,Iaskedyoutotalktohim—notdatehim.Andthenyou

disappear off the face of the earth and next thing I know, my brother’s calling asking for permission to
dateyou.Doyouhaveanyideahowbizarrethiswholethingis?”

“Icareabouthim.”Thewordsexplodedfromher,outbeforeshehadachancetotakethemback.But

now that the floodgates were open, there was no retreating. “He makes me feel things I’ve never
experienced before—want things I’d thought I’d never get a chance to have. Everything’s changed.”
Everythingandnothing.

Alongpause.“Isee.”Shetookadeepbreath.“Iloveyou,butifyouhurthim,Imightneverforgive

you.”

ShewantedtosayshewouldneverhurtIan—thatshe’dwalkoverburningcoalsbeforesheaddedto

the demons he already carried on his shoulders—but she couldn’t force the words out. Not when she
knewtheymightbealie.Upuntilthisconversation,allshe’dseenwasthepotentialforhimtohurther.
Nowshehadyetanotherthingtoobsessover.

Roxanne took a shaky breath. “I’m scared, Elle. Really, really scared. I don’t know if I can get in

deeperandthenhavehimwalkaway.Idon’tknowifI’llsurviveit.”

“Oh,sweetie.”Ellesighed.“CanItellyouasecret?”
Roxanne’seyes,traitorsthattheywere,burned.“Sure.”
“Sometimestherereallyisahappilyeverafterwithoutanystringsattached.Youjusthavetobebrave

enoughtofaceit.”

“Butwhatifwetryanditdoesn’twork?”

“Whatifitdoes?”
Andthatwasthemillion-dollarquestion.Sheclearedherthroat.“Idon’tknowifIcandothis.”
“Youwon’tknowuntilyoutry.”
Asingletearslippedfree,butsomeofheroverwhelmingfeardisappeared,asifit’dbeencompressed

intothattinydropofsaltwater.“Whendidyoustartinggivingsuchawesomerelationshipadvice?”

Elle laughed. “I had a really awesome best friend who kicked my butt when I needed it. I’m just

returningthefavor.”

“You’rethebest.”
“Ihavemymoments.Nowgogetready.Ihearwe’rehavingdinnertonight,andyoudon’twanttobe

late.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She hung up and kicked off her shoes, coaching herself to keep breathing. If she was

goingtodothis,shewasgoingtodoitright,andforRoxanne,thatstartedwithherappearance.Shehad
twohoursuntilIanshowedup,andshewasgoingtoneedeverysecondofittogetready.Itwasdouble
the amount of time she normally used, but Roxanne liked dressing up under even the worst of
circumstances,andthiswashardlythat.Shecouldn’thelpbutsmileassheclimbedintotheshower.What
ifthingsdidworkout?Shewasn’tsureshecouldlivewithherselfifshedidn’tgivethisthingwithhim
herbestshot.

Shehummedunderherbreathasshesoapedup.Whileitwasentirelypossiblethiswouldblowupin

herface,thatoutcomefeltlesslikelyastimewenton.AsEllesohelpfullypointedout,Ianwasn’tlike
anyoftheguysshe’ddateduptothispoint.Hewasn’tthetypetoconfessundyingdevotionandthentake
offwithoutsayinganotherword.Notthathe’ddonethatyet,butifhedid.

Asshegotready,shethoughtabouttheirlastdate.He’dputforthsomuchefforttomakeittheperfect

night,andhe’dsucceededbeyondherwildestdreams.Sheneverwouldhaveguessedshe’dbegrinning
likeanidiotovericecreaminaparkandcuddlingthroughthenight,orthatthesmilewouldn’tleaveher
faceevenafterheleftherapartmentthatmorning.

When the buzzer rang, she grabbed her purse and hurried downstairs. Ian stood on the top step, his

handsinhispockets.Withthebutton-upshirt,sportsjacket,andslacks,helookedlikeacontractkiller
tryingtoplaydress-up.Nomatterwhatyoudressedthemanin,hegaveoffthisauraofdanger.

Itmadeherwanttolickhisabs.
Okay,fine,itwasn’tlikesheneededareasontowantthat.
Andnowshewasstaring.“Hi.”
“Youlookedible,asalways.Ilikeyouingreen.”
Hell,shelikedthathelikedheringreen.Tonightshe’dchosenaflowingnumberthathitjustpasther

knees,butthematerialwassolightitpracticallyfloatedaroundherlegs.Damnit,shehadtobreakthe
momentorthey’dstandhereallnight,oglingeachother.“Edible,huh?HowHannibalLecterofyou.”

Hegrinned,hisdelightedexpressionnearlymakingherswoon.Freakingswoon.“Iliketoswitchthings

up.WaituntilIshowyoumysexdungeon.”

“Youliveinaloftaboveanartgallery—onethatbelongstoyourbestfriend,Imightadd.”
“JustwaituntilyouseewhatI’vedonewithmynewhouse.”Hewaggledhiseyebrows.
“Thereyougo,makingpromisesagain.”Sheslippedherhandintothecrookofhisarmastheywalked

downtohistruck.God,shecouldlearntolovethatbeast,especiallywithitsbenchseats.Toobadthere
wasnotimetotakeadvantageofthemrightnow.SheletIanslideherovertothemiddleasheturnedthe
engineover.“You,honey,aregoingcountry.”

“Woman,I’vealwaysbeencountry.I’mjustrefindingmyroots.”Hegrinned.“Thoughwecangocow-

tippinglaterifyou’refeelingsquirrelly.”

“Intheseshoes?Ithinknot.”
“Anothertime,then.”
As they drove, she relaxed into him, letting his clean scent wrap around her and tease some of the

tension from her shoulders. Damn, he smelled good enough that he should market it as stress relief for
hornywomen.Ifheincludedabatterypackwiththebottle,itwasaninstantbuy.Roxannelaughedsoftly.

“What’ssofunny?”
“IwasjustthinkingthatI’dliketobottleyourscentandsellitwithpacksofbatteries.”
Hesnorted.“Ithinkyouoverestimatemyappealtothefemalepopulation.”
Shetwistedtogetabetterlookathisface.Chiseledjaw,decadentmouth,andsoul-wrenchingeyes—

nottomentionthebodythatshestillcouldn’tquitebelievewasreal.Itwasawonderhemanagedtowalk
downthestreetwithoutwomenthrowingtheirpantiesathim.“Ithinkyouunderestimateyourappeal.”

“Well,there’sonlyonewomanI’mconcernedwithatthispoint.”
Her.Thethrillthatwentthroughherknowingthatstruckachordinherverysoul.Roxannedidn’tcare

what her mother would say. In this moment, there wasn’t another place she’d rather be than tucked up
againstIan’sside.“Luckywoman.”

“Ihopeshethinksso.”Hestaredoutthewindshield.“Rox,Idon’tknowifIcangetthroughthisdinner.

There’sgoingtobewaymorepeopletherethanI’vehadtodealwithsincemyfirstnightback,andwe
bothknowhowwellthatwent.”

“We’llgetthroughittogether.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Thelittlesmilehegavewassovulnerable,souncertain,Roxanneknewshewasagoner.Thiswasthe

timetosaysomething,toreallyputherselfoutthere.Shecouldchoosetoberuledbyfearfortherestof
herlife,orshecouldtakethisleapoffaith.Itsureashellfeltlikeshewasstandingontheedgeofacliff,
abouttothrowherselfoffwiththehopethatshereallycouldfly.

God,shecouldn’tbreathe.
Sheclosedhereyesandtriedtobecalm.Justsayit.Justspeakthewords.“Iloveyou.”
Ian’sentirebodywenttense,andshehadamomenttowonderifshe’dmadeaterriblemistake.Butthen

hesqueezedhershouldersandkissedhertemplemuchthesamewayhehadonthenighttheytooktheirice
creamtothepark.Hislipsmovedagainstherskin,thewordsraspyinthequietofthetruck.“Iloveyou,
too.”

Though she half expected the world to explode into a fiery ball of death at their admissions, nothing

happened.Hekeptdriving,holdinghersocloseshewasnearlyinhislap.Andshekeptbreathingbecause
theworlddidn’tend.Everyotherrelationshipshe’dbeeninmighthavefailedhorribly,butthiswasIan.
Thingsweredifferentwithhim.

Hewouldn’tabandonher.

ChapterNineteen

IancouldbarelybelievetheturnthingshadtakenwithRoxanne.She’dactuallysaidshelovedhim.He’d
halfexpectedhertoscrambleoutthewindowwhenhesaiditback,butshe’donlylaidherheadonhis
shoulderandclutchedhishand.Thistimehewastheonegivingcomfortthroughhistouch,andthefeeling
expandinginhischestwasalmostenoughtochaseawayhisworryabouthowtherestofthenightwould
go.

Heshutoffhistruckandturnedtofaceher.“Ready?”
“AsreadyasI’lleverbe.”Shesearchedhisface,seemingtobecomfortedbywhatshesawthere.With

asmile,shepattedhisleg.“Plus,I’mstarving.”

“GodforbidIstandbetweenyouandfood.”
“Smartman.”Sheslidoutofthetruckafterhimandlacedherfingersthroughhis.
Together, they faced the restaurant. It didn’t look like something worrisome enough to create the

pressure already growing in his chest—just a building with brightly lit windows and a full parking lot.
There was nothing to be afraid of. She must have sensed his reluctance because she stepped closer,
brushinghisshoulderwithhers.“Justkeepbreathing.Youcandothis.”

Yes.Hecoulddothis.Hell,withRoxanneathisside,hefeltasifhecoulddodamnnearanything.Ian

ledtheway,pausingjustinsidethefrontdoors.Thewaitingareawasstandingroomonly,peoplepacked
in like they were in some kind of fucked-up sardine can. Who the hell could breathe with strangers
crowded so close around them? Surely he wasn’t the only person who’d have issues with this kind of
bullshit?

Heshouldhaveinsistedonahome-cookeddinner.OranothertriptothesushiplaceheandRoxanne

had gone to on their second date. He could only imagine the look on his mother’s face if she saw the
place.

Roxannepressedagainsthisback.“Wecanleave.Youdon’thavetodothis.”
“Yes,Ido.”Hisfamilydidn’trealizehowbadthislittleproblemofhiswas,andhehadnointentionof

lettingthemfindout.Ellewouldworry,andhisdadwouldn’tunderstand.Hismom…Shewouldtryto
muscleherwayinandtakeover.Hedidn’twanttodealwithanyofit.“Justtellmeagain.Whatyousaid
inthecar?”

Roxanneblushed—somethinghedidn’tthinkwaspossible.“Iloveyou.”
Henoddedandclutchedherhandeventighter.Keepinghisshouldersbackandhischinup,hemoved

throughthecrowdtothehostessandgaveherhisfather’sname.Shesmiledandledthemdeeperintothe
restaurant.Foronehopefulmoment,Ianthoughttheywereheadedtotheoversizeboothsintheback,but
thenhecaughtsightofhisparentsatalargetablerightinthemiddleofthefloor.Thestaffhurriedtoand

fro,passingitregularly.

Thiswasgoingtobeanightmare.
Ellelookedupandsmiled.“Hey,guys!”ShesatnexttoGabeandacrossthetablefromhisparents.The

onlytwospotsleftwereoneithersideofthetable.Sweatbeadedonthebackofhisneck.Nowaycould
hekeepaholdofRoxanne’shandwiththemseatedapartlikethat.

“You’relate.”Hismomclosedhermenuwithasnap.“Wewereabouttoorderwithoutyou.”
Ian forced a smile onto his face. “Good thing we showed up when we did. Roxanne would never

forgivemeifIgotinthewayofherdinner.”

Hismothersniffed.“Icantell.”
Heblinked.Surelyhehadn’tjustheardhercorrectly?Beforehecouldsayanything,Roxannesqueezed

hishand.“WhatcanIsay?I’mawomanwholovesmyvices.”Shegavehimanudgetothechairnextto
hismother.SheturnedtoElle.“Youlookfabulous.Lovethedress.”

“Thankyou.It’snew.”
“Iwishyouwouldn’twearblack,”hismothersaidinresponse.“Itwashesyouout.”
Iancouldpracticallyfeelthedisdainradiatingfromhismother.Apparently,shewasinamood,andhe

had a feeling the fault lay with him. If he hadn’t spent so much time avoiding going home, he wouldn’t
haveforcedherhand.Notthatshewouldsayasmuch.Nottohim.

Ellepaledabit,butshedidn’tshrinkinonherselflikehe’dseensomanytimesbefore.“Ilikeit.”
Guess his little sister really had grown up while he wasn’t looking. Pride rose, a little on the

bittersweetside.She’dalwaysbehisbabysisterandhe’dalwaysfeelprotectiveofher,buthewashappy
thatsheseemedmorecomfortableinherownskinthanshe’dbeenbefore.

Gabesmiled.“Ilikeit,too,babe.”
Thewaitressappearednexttothetable,startlingIansobadlyhenearlycursedaloud.Hejumpedwhen

somethingtouchedhisleg.IttookafullfivesecondstorealizeitwasRoxanne’sbarefootpressedagainst
hisankle.Shehookedhertoeonthebottomofhisslacksandslidherfootuptohiscalf.Itwasn’tasgood
asholdingherhand,butitwasbetterthannothing.Hetriedtosmile,buttheexpressiondidn’tquitemake
it.

Assoonasthewaitressretreatedwiththeirorders,hismomturnedonhim.“Haveyoumadeadecision

abouttheofferyourfathergaveyou?”

Dadgroaned.“Elizabeth,nowisn’tthetime—”
“Onthecontrary,Ithinkit’sexactlytherighttimetotalkaboutthis.Heavenknowswe’vebarelyseen

oursonsincehearrivedbackintown.”SheturnedanappraisingeyeonRoxanne.“Thoughitappearswe
finallyhaveouranswerwhy.”

Herdisappointmentchokedhim,thetinybitofcalmhe’dmanagedtoregaindisappearinginaninstant.

Ofcourseshe’ddecidetoblamehisreluctanceononeofthefewgoodthingshe’dfoundsincehecame
home.ItwasonlyRoxanne’stouchthatkepthimfromlosingitcompletely.Hegrittedhisteeth.“I’vebeen
busy.”

“Ofcourseyouhave.You’vebeenrunningaroundwiththiswomanandrippingapartthatsadexcuseof

ahouseandavoidinganyandallattemptsI’vemadetotalkaboutyourfuture.”

Yeah, because he wasn’t sure what he wanted for his future. Ian looked across the table. There was

onlyonethingheknewforsure—hewantedRoxannetobepartofit.Therestofitwasupforgrabs.

Nottomentionhe’dwantedtoavoidtheveryconversationtheywerehavingrightnow.“Ihaven’tmade

adecisionyet.”

“Whichisfine.Youcantakeasmuchtimeasyouneed,”hisdadcutin,givingIan’smotheralookthat

shepromptlyignored.

“Idon’tseewhy.Afterchoosingtospendthelastdecadeawayfromyourfamily,thepositionshould

suityouperfectly.Iwouldthinkit’saridiculouslysimpledecisiontomake.”

Roxannegavehimanoddlook.Heshouldhavetoldherthefullstoryabouthowmuchtravelingthejob

would entail, but beyond that, his mother’s words that made him want to yell in frustration. Only his
mother would consider serving his country “abandoning his family.” She didn’t understand what he’d
beenthrough.Whathewasstillgoingthrough.

But he couldn’t say as much to his mother—to any of them except the woman with her foot pressed

against his leg right now. He had a moment of wishing he could just come clean with his family, but it
washedawayinahazeofpanicwhenawaiterbumpedthebackofhischair.Pressurewoundaroundhis
lungslikeathornyvine,diggingindeeperwitheachbreath.

“Ifinditsurprisingthatafterhavingyoursonhomelessthanamonth,you’realreadysoeagertoship

him off again.” Roxanne sipped her water, her face a perfect mask that gave away nothing. Though Ian
triedtocatchhereye,shewouldn’tevenlookathim.“Whydon’twetalkaboutsomethingelseinstead?”

Hismotherzeroedinonherlikeaheat-seekingmissile.“That’sabrilliantidea.Let’stalkaboutyou.”
“Mom—”
HismothersilencedEllewithasinglelookbeforeturningherattentionbacktoRoxanne.“We’vemet

brieflybefore,butIcan’tseemtorememberwhatitisyoudoforaliving.”

Yes,shedid.ShewasjustangrywithIanandplayinggames.Heopenedhismouthtodivertthesubject

backtohim,butRoxannespokefirst.

“I’mapartyplanner.”Forherpart,shekeptasmileonherface.Itwasn’tarealsmile,butithidhow

uncomfortableheknewshemustbe.

Gabeshifted,puttinghishandoverElle’s.“She’sthebestinthebusiness.”
“Yourparentsmustbesoproud.”
“Iwouldn’tknow.Ihaven’tspokentomymotherinyears.”Hersmilegoteventighter.Ianwantedto

reachforher,butthegoddamntablewasintheway.“And,beforeyouask,I’mnotincommunicationwith
myfather,either.”

“Pity.”Hismomtookabreath,whichwastheonlywarningIangotbeforeshejumpedoffthedeepend.

“Consideringyourlackofexperiencewithfamily,Iimagineyouwon’tbethetypeofwomanwhowould
becontenttositbackandcreateahomeforyourhusbandwhilehetravels?”

“Elizabeth—”Hisdadtriedtograbherhand,butsheshookhimoff.
“Thisneedstobesaid,andwebothknowit.”Hismotherleanedforward.“Weallknowit.”
Roxanne raised her brows. “You know, Elizabeth, you’re right. I’m not the kind of woman who’d be

okaywithsittingathomewhilemymanwasoffgallivantingaroundthecountry.Butjustbecauseyou’re
rightaboutthatdoesn’tmeanyou’rerightabouteverythingelse.Ifyoustoppedforasecondandactually
paidattentiontoyourchildren,you’dseethatyou’redoingadamngoodjobofdrivingthemaway.”She

pushedtoherfeet.“Excusemeamoment.Ihavetogopowdermynose.”

As soon as Roxanne disappeared, the pressure in Ian’s chest doubled. He took a drink of his water,

trying not to notice how much his hand shook. Elle cleared her throat, obviously with the intention of
changingthesubject,butIancouldn’tletthingslie.Hesetdownhisglass,carefulnottoknockitover,and
turnedtohismother.“Whydidyoudothat?”

“Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.”
“Yes,youdo.Youweredisrespectfulonpurpose.”
Gabeclearedhisthroat.“Whydon’twejusttakeadeepbreathandcalmdown?”
Calm down? How was anyone supposed to be calm in a restaurant overflowing with people and his

motherrampagingalloverhiscarefulcontrol?Almostgratefulforthedistractionbeforehismothergot
the better of him, Ian leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sure. In fact, let’s talk about
somethingelse.LikewhyIshouldn’tbepissedaguylikeyouismarryingmysister.”

“IanChristopherWalser!”
“Son!”
Whiletheirparentssputtered,ElleputherhandonGabe’sarm.“Youdon’thavetotellhimanything.”

SheglaredatIan.“Ican’tbelieveyou.Whyareyoubringingthisupnow?”

“Now’s as good a time as any.” A waitress passed by, so close that her arm brushed his back. Ian

gritted his teeth and leaned forward, wishing Roxanne were there. “I’m worried about you. You can’t
blamemeforthat.”

“Elle, you knew this was coming.” Gabe shook his head, but there was a glint in his brown eyes Ian

recognized. This guy might play at being relaxed, but he had an inner asshole. Gabe disentangled his
handsfromElle’s.“Igetit.IfIwereinyourposition,Imightfeelthesameway.ButI’dwalkbarefoot
overbrokenglassbeforeIhurtyoursister.IloveElle.Shemakesmeabetterperson,andI’dliketothink
Idothesameforher.Ifullyintendtospendtherestofmylifewithher.”

Fuck. He was attacking Gabe for no damn reason. As Roxanne had said when they talked about it

before,notevenanidiotcoulddoubtthatthisguylovedElle.WhichmeantIanwasreallylosinghisshit.
Thehumofconversationsaroundhimsethisteethonedgeandmadeithardtoconcentrate.Sweatbeaded
athistemple,andhischestcinchedanothernotchtighter.

“Ian,you’rebeingrude.”
Heshookhishead.Howthehellcouldhismothersitthereandreprimandhimsoprimlyafterthestunt

she just pulled? “I’m being rude? The first words out of your mouth tonight were some of the cruelest
things I’ve ever heard you say—which is saying a lot—and it’s all been downhill from there. I get that
you’repissedatme,buttakingitoutonRoxanneisinexcusable.”

Herchinwentup.“Don’tyoudarespeaktomelikethis.Thatwomanmighthaveherclawsintoyou—”
“I love her.” Both his mother and Elle gasped, but Ian kept right on talking. “She’s intelligent and

beautiful,andsheactuallyunderstandswhatI’mgoingthrough.”Andshelovedhim,too.

Hisdadclearedhisthroat.“Wemightunderstand,too,ifyou’djusttalktous.”
Thecruxofitwasthathisfamilylovedhimandwantedtohelp.Heknewthis,evenifhismotherwent

aboutitinthemostass-backwardwaypossible.“Iknow.ButIcan’ttalktoyouaboutwhat’sgoingon
withmerightnow.Itwouldn’tbehealthyforanyofus.”

Hetookashudderingbreath,hatinghowtenuousofagriphehadonhiscontrol.“Ican’ttakethejob,

either.Notyet,andmaybenotever.AndIwanttobewithRoxanne,soitcomesdowntothis—youcan
acceptherbeingapartofmylife,orI’llwalk.”

Hismother’seyeswentwide.“You’dturnyourbackonyourfamilyforthatwoman?”
God,whywasitalwaysabouthimturninghisbackonthefamily?Hewashome,andhe’dfinallyfound

apieceofcalminthemiddleoftheshitstormthatwashislife,andthefirstthinghismothertriedtodo
wasfuckitup.“That’sexactlywhatI’msaying.”

Hismomstartedinonhimagain,buthisdadputhishandonherarm.“Elizabeth,enough.”
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that. This is your fault. You think our son would have this kind of

attitudewithoutyouencouraginghim?”

Itwentonfromthere,dissolvingfurtherwhenEllejumpedin.Ianclosedhiseyes,theirvoicesgrating

hisalreadyfrayednerves.Theroomwasclosinginonhimagain,andhewaspowerlesstostopit.

NotwithoutRoxanne.
Therealizationsentawaveofnauseaspiralingthroughthepanic.Hadhereallythoughthewasgetting

better?Thathe’deverbeabletowalkintoarestaurantwithoutlosinghisshitwithoutneedingsomeone
there, holding his hand? What a joke. He’d been using the woman he loved as a crutch, a Band-Aid to
keephisissuesatbay.Whatkindoflifewasthat?Notjustforhim,butforher.Shedeservedbetter,andit
wastimeforIantofacethathewasn’tit.

Hismotherslappedherhanddownonthetable,startlinghim.ThethoughtofjugglingRoxanneandhis

family—ofalwayskeepingthemseparate—brokehim.

Heneededair.“I’llberightback.”

ChapterTwenty

It took a whole lot of counting to ten before Roxanne was ready to go out and face that harpy again. It
blewhermindthatElizabethWalserhadraisedbothIanandElle.Shecouldn’tthinkoftwobetterpeople,
buttheirmotherseriouslyleftsomethingtobedesired.

Theworstpartwasthatthewomanwasright.She’dbeenalittleblindsidedbythewholetravelingbit,

butnowayinhellcouldsheholdittogetherifhetookthatjob.Itmightworkforalittlebit,buteverytime
hegotonaplaneandflewawayfromher,herabandonmentissueswouldreturnwithavengeance.Itwas
onlyamatteroftimebeforeshelosthershitanditendedforreal.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “You can do this. You can go out there and keep your

composure until this dinner is over. This is no worse than dealing with a problem client. That woman
mightbeahorribleperson,butshe’sthemotherofthemanyou’reinlovewith.”

Themanwholovedherback.Shedidherdamnedestnottothinktoohardabouthowthingsseemedto

have gone to shit as soon as they exchanged “I love yous.” It didn’t mean anything. What Ian’s mother
thoughtofherhadnoeffectontheirrelationship’sabilitytolast.

Shetookadeepbreathandstraightened.Whateverthecase,shecouldn’thideinthebathroomforthe

restofthenight.Itwastimetogobackandfacethefiringsquad.

Asshedodgedstaffonherwaybacktothetable,shecaughtsightofIan’sretreatingformheadingfor

theexit.Roxannestoppedshortandnearlyendedupwithafacefullofsoupasaresult.Sheignoredthe
waiter’sapologies,rootedinplacebythefeartakingholdofherheart.Ianwasleavingher.

No.Therehadtobesomeexplanation.Shejustneededtofigureoutwhatitwas.Roxannefollowedhim

out, her worry increasing with every step. Even knowing it was a knee-jerk reaction to seeing him
physicallywalkingawayfromher,years’worthofhabitsweren’taseasilybrokenasshe’dlike.

The night air slapped her in the face, the chill unexpected after the warmth indoors. Roxanne paused

justoutsidethedoorsandlookedaround.Hehadtobearoundheresomewhere.Secondstickedbyasshe
searched,herfearincreasingthelongershecouldn’tfindhim.Bythetimeshemadeittohistruck,she
halfexpectedittobegone.

But,no,therehewas,sittingonthecurbbyhisfronttire,hisheadinhishands.Shewantedtotouch

him,bothforhersakeandhis,butthefeelingofabandonmentwastoofresh.Nowaycouldsheputherself
outthere,eveninsuchasmallway.“Ian?”

Heraisedhishead,hiseyessohauntedthatherstomachdropped.“Ican’tdothis.”
Do not panic. Do not panic. There had to be some explanation other than the one she immediately

jumpedto.Roxanneclearedherthroat.“Dowhat?”

“Anything.Everything.This.”Hemotionedbetweenthem.“Fuck,Ican’tevenhandleadinnerwithmy

familyinarestaurant.Youdeservebetterthanthis,Roxanne.”

Theholeinherstomachfissured,wideningwitheverywordcomingoutofhismouth.Still,shehungon

tothestubbornbeliefthatshewasn’thearingwhatshethoughtshewashearing.“We’llgetthroughit.”

He shook his head. “There is no getting through it. I’m too fucked up. It’s not your fault this is

happening.It’smine.”

Justlikethat,herentireworldfeltapart.Thefutureshe’djuststartedtobelieveindisappeared.Those

childrenshe’dbarelyletherselfconsider?They’dneverbemorethanahalf-imagineddreamnow.And
whataboutallthelittlethingsshe’dallowedherselftohopefor?ThenightsspentplayingMonopolyand
talkingshit.Thequietlittlehole-in-the-wallrestaurantstheyhadn’tdiscovered.Eatingicecreambythe
rivereveryweekendandholdingIan’shandwhiletheywatchedthemoonreflectoffthewater.

Gone.Allofit.Justgone.
Shetookastepback,wishingcreatingmoredistancebetweenthemwouldhelplimitthepainradiating

throughherbody.“God,I’vebeensuchanidiot.Youhadmefooled,youknowthat?Iactuallythoughtmy
motherwaswrongwhenitcametoyou.Youplayedmeforagoddamnfool.”

“Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout?Didn’tIjusttellyouthiswasmyfault?”
Eachworddrovethepaindeeper,untilshecouldbarelybreathepastit.“Right.BecauseIhaven’theard

the‘it’snotyou—it’sme’linebefore.”

“Roxanne…”
Herheartlungedwhenhesaidhername,asifitweretryingtogetclosertohim.Shepressedahandto

herchest,angertakingtheplaceofhurt.Keepittogether.Justkeepittogether.Righthere,rightnow,all
hehadtodowasreachout,andshe’dforgiveeverythinghe’dsaid.

Buthedidn’treachout.Hedidn’tofferthatolivebranchthatwouldhavefixedthings.
Instead,Ianpushedtohisfeetandpulledouthiskeys.Shetookanotherstepback.“Youareaselfish

asshole.”

“Yeah,well,I’mnottheonlyone.I’mdealingwithshit,andyetyou’vemanagedtomakeitaboutyou.”
She watched him climb into his truck, feeling as if he’d ripped out her heart and thrown it out the

window.“So,that’sit?”

“That’sit.Good-bye,Roxanne.”Hestartedhistruckandbackedout,leavingherstaringafterhim.
Helefther.
Evenaftershetriedtokeepcalmandtalkhimthroughhisshit,helefther.Roxannesankontothesame

pieceofcurbhe’doccupiednotfiveminutesago,asobworkingitswaythroughherchest.Oh,God.She
was going to lose it and, with her luck, Elle would find her like this and then she’d have to explain
everything. Mortification and hurt curled around her stomach, tainting the love that had bolstered her
through the night. She should have known better than to let things get so far with Ian, but she’d been
convincedthingsweredifferentwithhim.Hadn’thetoldherthat?

Yethereshewas,lessthananhouraftersaying“Iloveyou.”Abandonedagain.
Shefumbledthroughherpurse.Sinceshe’dratherwalkhomethanfaceherbestfriend,acabwasthe

onlyoption.Roxannetookseveraldeepbreathsbeforeshecalled,holdingthetearsatbaybytheskinof
herteeth.Shewouldnotcry,notuntilshewasinthesafetyofherownhome.

Then,andonlythen,wouldsheletherselffallapart.

ChapterTwenty-One

“Whatdoyoumean,youthinkstrippersareaterribleidea?”

Roxannetookadeepbreathandstroveforpatience,eventhoughsheknewitwasalostcause.Patience

had been in short supply ever since her blowout with Ian. Damn him to hell and back for ruining
everything.Hewassupposedtobedifferent.

“Areyouevenlisteningtome?ForwhatI’mpayingyou,youfreakingbetterbe.”
Right. Her current client—the teenage diva. Roxanne held her smile even though her cheeks were

starting to ache. “I understand that having half-naked men at your party is part of your dream, but it’s
simplynotfeasibleforanumberofreasons.”

“Idon’tcareaboutcost.”
Roxanne drummed her nails on her leg—safely hidden from the girl’s sight. She did this kind of

soothingonnearlyadailybasis.Whywasitsodifficulttocomeupwiththerightwordsnow,whenshe
actuallyneededthem?“I’msorry.Butit’snotjustthecostthat’stheissue.Therearelegalmattersthatyou
can’tgetaround.”Withtheskimpyoutfitsthedivawanted,acostumemalfunctionwasalmostguaranteed,
andallitwouldtakewasoneinaroomfullofminorsandpeoplewouldbegoingtojail.

Theteenshottoherfeet,straighteningtoallsixfeetofherheight.“Thisisbullshit!”
“Perhapsit’dbe bestifyou tookaday ortwoto talkit overwithyour parentstodecide onabetter

formofentertainment.”Hopefullyonemoreappropriateforhighschoolkids.“Ireallyamsorry.”

“You keep saying that.” The girl’s eyes shone, and her goddamn lower lip started quivering. “But I

don’t think you care at all.” She spun on her heels and marched out of the office, slamming the door
behindher.

Roxannedroppedherheadtoherdeskandbangedherforeheadafewtimes.Shehadn’thandledthat

wellbyanydefinitionoftheterm.Shehadtogethershittogetherorherbusinesswasgoingtosuffer.Too
badeventhethreatofthatwasn’tenoughtoshakeheroutofthisfunk.

It was her own freaking fault that she was in this mess. If she’d kept her head on straight, this never

would have happened. Instead of losing her panties every time Ian looked at her sideways, she should
have insisted they just be friends after that first night of hot sex. Or she should have moved across the
countrytomakesurehercontrolheld.

Howwasshesupposedtoknowhe’dstealherheartmoreeffectivelythanhe’dstolenherpanties?
Shouldhave,wouldhave,couldhave.
Lookingbackdidn’tchangetherealityofthesituation.TheydroppedtheL-word,andthingshadblown

upintheirfaces—justlikeitalwayshadinthepast.

Logic said she should keep her head up and walk away just as she had with every single one of her

exes,butRoxannecouldn’tmanageit.Shehurt.Itfeltlikeherinsideswereeatingawayatoneanother.
Allthatwouldbeleftofherwasahollowshellofthewomansheusedtobe.Atthispoint,thebestshe’d
be able to manage to do would be to crawl away from him if he showed up—not exactly the strongest
exit.

Itwasamootpoint.Ianwouldn’tshow.
God,thathurtevenworse.
Herintercombuzzed,savingherfromspiralingintoatrulypatheticpityparty.Shepracticallylunged

acrossthedesktoslapthebutton.“Yes?”

“Elle’sheretoseeyou.”
Shit.Herbestfriendwasnumbertwoonthelistofpeopleshedidn’twanttoseerightnow.Butitdidn’t

looklikeshe’dhaveachoice,becausethelittleblondehadalreadywalkedthroughherdoorandsatinthe
chairacrossfromher.Roxannesighed.“Thankyou,Mallory.”

“Noproblem.”
Elle folded her hands in her lap. To anyone else, she might be sitting down for a spot of tea, but

Roxanneknewbetter.Theywereabouttohaveanotherseriouslyuncomfortableconversation.Still,that
didn’tmeanshe’drolloverandplaydead.Evenaftereverythingthathappened,shestillhadherpride—
hell,itwastheonlythingshehadleft.

“WhathappenedwithyouandIantheothernight?Youguysleftwithoutsayingaword,andneitherone

ofyouhasbeenansweringyourphoneforthelasttwodays.”Sheblushed.“I’dthoughtyouwereholedup
at your place, but I saw Nathan this morning, and he mentioned Ian has been working like crazy on his
houseandwon’ttalktoanyone.So…what’sgoingon?”

WhatwasgoingonwasthatIanhadtoldherlovedherandthenturnedaroundandsaidinnouncertain

termsthatthingswouldneverworkbetweenthem.Itwasover.Plainandsimple.Thefatladyhadsung,
the curtain was going down, and any number of other metaphors that fit. But this was the one time she
couldn’tgetintothedirtydetailswithEllebecausetheguyitrevolvedaroundwasherbigbrother.The
hero.Theunicornthatturnedouttobejustahorsewithadeformityonitshead.

“Roxanne?”
Shesighed.“IanandIareover.WhichissillytosaybecauseI’mnotevensurewehadprogressedfar

enoughtobesomething.”Whichjustreinforcedhersuretythattheyshouldn’thavedroppedthosedeadly
threelittlewords.

Eveniftheyweretrue.
“Really?Becauseatdinnerheannouncedthathelovedyou.That’skindofabigdeal,somaybeyouhad

betterrewindandstartfromthebeginning.”

Wordsrose,pushingagainstherlips,demandingtobevoiceddespitethefactthatitwasaterribleidea.

Why the hell had he told his family he loved her, and then turned around and dumped her ten minutes
later? “I followed him out to the parking lot when he left that night, and he told me this thing with us
wouldneverwork.”Eventalkingaboutithadherthroatclosingup.“Heleftme.Justdroveoffintothe
night.Ifhereallylovedme,doyouthinkhe’ddosomethinglikethat?”

“There’sgottobesomeexplanation.Youknowhe’sbeenhavingaroughtimesincehegotback.”
Roxanne knew it better than anyone, but he’d been making progress. She was supposed to be his

calmingeffect,besomeonehereallyvalued.“Hethrewmeawaylikeyesterday’strash.”

“Uh,no,hedidn’t.”
“Youweren’tthere.Hesaid—”
Elle held up a hand. “I’m not going to pretend I understand what happened between you two in the

parkinglot,butIwastherewhenhestooduptoMomandtoldourparentsthathewouldn’ttakethejob
theyofferedhim.Heck,hetoldherifshecouldn’tacceptyouthenhe’dhavenopartofthefamilyatall.”

Herentireworldsloweddowntoanear-standstill.“Ithoughthewantedthatjob.”
“Apparentlyhewantsyoumore.”
Excepthestillabandonedher.“But—”
“Letmeaskyouaquestion.”
“NotlikeIhaveachoice.”IfIanhadbeenwillingtoturndownthejobforher,thenhecouldn’thave

reallymeantthingswereoverbetweenthem.Couldhe?Noneofthismadeanysense.

“Youdon’t.”Ellenodded,asregalasaqueen.Shelookedawholelotlikehermotherrightthen,but

withoutthemeanedge.“Doyoulovemybrother?”

“Itdoesn’tmatterifIdo.Heleftme.”
“Oh please. You knew my brother had issues when you decided to date him. So you had a fight—so

what?Everyonefights,Roxanne.Itdoesn’thavetobetheendofarelationshipunlessyouwantittobe,so
stopplayingthemartyr.”

Angerbloomed,andRoxannewelcomeditwitharmsheldwide.“Ican’tbelieveyoujustsaidthatto

me.”

“Someonehasto.”Ellepushedtoherfeetandsmootheddownherivoryskirt.“I’mmeetingGabefor

lunch, so I’ve got to go. But maybe you need to sit down and figure out if you really love my brother.
Sometimeslovemeansnotwalkingawaywhenthingsgetrough.Butsometimeslovemeanschasingthe
idiotdownandknockingsomesenseintohim.”

RoxannewaitedafullfiveminutesafterElleleftherofficetoslowlystand.Herbodydidn’tmovequite

right, as if she’d taken yet another hit but didn’t register it yet. Why couldn’t Elle have sat there and
offeredherunconditionalsupport?Allshehadtodowasnodandagreethat,yes,Ianhadbetrayedher,
andhetotallywasn’tgoodforherbecauseofit.Hechosethis.Nother.Ellewasn’tsupposedtothrowthe
ballintohercourtandjustwalkaway.

“Goddamn it.” Roxanne grabbed her purse and headed for the door. She paused by Mallory’s desk.

“What’smyafternoonlooklike?”

“Clear.ThoughyousaidsomethingabouthuntingdownafloristfortheClarkstonsweet-sixteenparty.”
Right.Theexoticfreakingflowersthedivajusthadtohave.“Ican’tmoveonthatuntilIknowwhich

wayshe’sfallingontheentertainmentissue.”Withhercurrentstreakofluck,thegirlwouldrileupher
parents,andthey’dcallthewholethingoff.ThenRoxannewouldbestuckwithanorderofridiculously
expensiveflowers.Shereadjustedhergriponherpurse.“I’mgoingtorunafewerrandsandcutoutearly.
Youcanheadoutwhenever.”

Malloryfrowned,butshenodded.“Ihaveafewthingstofinishup,andthenI’llgetgoing.”
“Great. See you tomorrow.” Tomorrow she’d have her game face on. There’d be no pity parties or

beingdistractedoranyoftheshitshe’ddealtwithtoday.Yes,themesswithIanhadthrownher,butshe’d

bounceback.Shehadto.

Roxannedrovehome,seemingtomakethetripbetweenoneblinkandthenext.Okay,sheshouldn’tbe

zoningoutwhiledriving.Whatifshe’drundownsomepoorgrannyorsomething?It’dbethecherryto
topoffthepieceofshitofamonthshehadgoingrightnow.

Shaking her head, she walked through the lobby and stopped in front of the elevator. Even with the

doors closed, she couldn’t stomach the thought of standing still long enough to make the ride. She
shouldered through the stairwell door and started climbing. Seven stories in six-inch heels? It was no
morethanshedeservedforbeingaspecialkindofidiot.Bythetimeshehittheseventhfloor,herlegs
wereshakinginadistinctlyunattractiveway,andshe’dlostfeelinginherleftfoot.Herrightfoot,onthe
otherhand,feltlikeonebigblister.

Roxanne barely made it three steps into her apartment when a flash of pink on her fridge caught her

attentionforthemillionthtime.Sheturned,horror-movieslow,toseethenotehangingthere,securedbya
GirlsGoneWildmagnetshe’dgottenfromthelastbachelorettepartyshe’dgoneto.

Sheshouldhavethrownthedamnnoteawaythefirsttimeshenoticedit,insteadoftryingtoignoreit.

Obviously,he’dwrittenitafterthelastnighttheyspentwrappedupineachother.Itcouldsayanything.
Hell,itwasprobablyagrocerylist.

Despite knowing it was a mistake, she crossed to the fridge and pulled the note out from beneath the

magnet.Itwasshortandsimple,writtenasanafterthoughtbeforehewalkedoutthedoor.

I’mgoingtospendthenexttwodayscountingdownuntilIseeyouagain.

Haveagreatday.

Thenhe’dsigneditwithalittleheartandhisname.Hadheknown,eventhen,thatthisinfatuationwas

headingovertheshortdropto…Holyshit,shecouldn’teventhinkthewordanymore.

“OhmyGod,Iamsobroken.”Shecollapsedontoherbedandcurledup,Ian’snoteclutchedagainsther

chest.“Itdoesn’tmatterifhelovesme.Heleftme.”

Except,eachtimesherepeatedthewords,theprotestseemedalittlebitweaker.IfIanhadreallybeen

willingtosacrificethejobhewanted—thefuturehewanted—forher,thenhowcomehe’dturnedaround
andsaidallthosehurtfulthings?

She forced herself to play over the night again, trying to get past her hurt and see the events from a

distancedpointofview.Ianhadbeensweatingandshakingandobviouslyonthevergeofanotherpanic
attack. If she’d reached out to him then—instead of reacting with fear and accusations—would he have
calmeddownenoughtotakebackwhathe’dsaid?

Hadshetakenahorriblenightandmadeitathousandtimesworsebyprojectingherissuesontohim?
OhGod,whathadshedone?
Elle’s words circled through her mind again. Sometimes loves means chasing the idiot down and

knocking some sense into him. Roxanne sat up and looked around her loft, her gaze landing on the
incompletedressershelovedsomuch.

Maybeitwastimetodojustthat.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Theloftwasn’temptywhenIanunlockedthefrontdoor.HestoppedinthedoorwayandstaredatNathan,
wholaysprawledovertheentiretyofthecouch,hisforearmcoveringhiseyesasifthebarelightofthe
single lamp was too much to bear. It was all very dramatic, which was completely unlike Nathan. Ian
figured he hadn’t done it on purpose, but he wasn’t in the mood to be charitable. “What are you doing
here?WaitingforyourTrueLove’skiss?’Causethatshitisn’tgoingtohappen.”

“Icouldn’tsleep.”
“Soobviouslythelogicalsolutionistodriveintotownandnotsleephere.”Ianshookhishead.“You

wantabeer?”Becausehecouldsureashelluseoneafterhisrun.He’dcomehomefromworkingonhis
houseandbeensodamnrestlesshe’dtossedonapairofshortsandrunsofarhislegswereshaking.

Itstilldidn’thelp.
“Actually,yeah.”Nathansatupandrubbedhiseyes.“Ifiguredyouweren’tsleepingmuchthesedays,

betweenadjustingtobeingbackintownandacertainprettybrunette.”

“She’snotanissueanymore.”Iantossedabeeroverandopenedoneofhisown.Sincehisfightwith

Roxanne, he’d been craving something harder than beer, but he knew enough to know drinking whiskey
wasaterribleidearightnow.He’dallbutgivenuphardalcoholafterhegotbackfromthedesert.The
exceptionbeingthenighthegotbackintotown,andlookhowwellthathadturnedout.

Nathanshookhishead,concernlightinghisface.“Ithoughtthingsweregoingwellwithher.”
“Theywere.”Allweek,whenhewasrippingupcarpet,steamingdownwallpaper,orbreakingtileinto

tinylittlepieces,hewasn’tthinkingaboutRoxanne.Exceptitdidn’treallywork.Shewasalwaysthere,in
thebackofhismind,rightnexttoalltheunforgivableshithe’dsaidtoherthatnight.Now,withthespace
oftime and distancebetween them, hecould acknowledge how fuckedup he’d beenwhen he’d left the
restaurantthatnight.He’dknownwhatabigdealsaying“Iloveyou”wastoher,andhe’dturnedaround
andtoldherhecouldn’tbewithher.

Consideringtheconversationthey’dhadnottwenty-fourhoursprevioustothat,heshouldn’thavebeen

surprisedthatshe’dreactedthewayshedid.

“Whathappened?”
“I lost it at dinner with my family last Friday.” Even now, the pressure in his chest thumped at the

memory.“Itwasamess.SoIendedthings.”

“Wait.YoudumpedRoxannebecauseyoufoughtwithyourfamily?”
“Yes.”Itwasthebestforher.Hecouldn’tsubjecthertoallofhisshit.
“Ihatetosayit,butyourlogicmightbeflawed.Thenagain,relationshipshavebeenendedoverless.”

Nathandroppedbackontothecouchandproppedhisfeetonthecoffeetable.

Iantookthechairopposite—thesamechairRoxannehadsatinbarelytwoweeksago.God,heneeded

to stop thinking about her. She deserved better than he could give her. If only his heart would
acknowledgethatlogicandstopachinginhischest.

ThenwhatNathansaidregistered.Thathadn’tsoundedlikeameaninglessplatitude—thatsoundedlike

thevoiceofexperiencetalking.“Whatdoyoumean?”

Nathan smiled, but not like anything was funny. “There was a woman, a long time ago. It’s ancient

historynow.”

Asmuchashecaredabouthisbestfriend,hedidn’tliketothinkthatthiswashisfuture—tobesitting

thereyearsfromnow,tellingthisstorywiththeghostofRoxanneinhiseyes.Because,whoeverthischick
was,Nathanhadn’twalkedawaywhole.Ianwantedtoaskformoredetailssincethiswasthefirsttime
Nathanhadbroughtherup,buthewasn’tsuretheothermanwouldwelcomethequestions.“I’msorry.”

“Don’tbe.It’snotyourfault.AndasIsaid,it’sancienthistory.”
Itsuredidn’tsoundlikeancienthistory.
Still,Ianletitgo.Theredidn’tseemtobemanysafesubjectstotalkaboutthesedays.“Sowhycan’t

yousleep?Nightmares?”

“More like general insomnia—can’t seem to turn my brain off.” Nathan shrugged. “I usually come to

thislofttothinkorplotoutmynextproject.”

“Whatareyouworkingonnow?”IanhadseentheworksNathanhadsetuponthegalleryfloor,andthe

sheerlevelofdetailinthosescrap-metalsculpturesamazedhim.Withatalentlikethat,hewasn’tsure
whyNathanhadbotheredtoenlistinthefirstplace—heknewforafactthemanmadeakillingsellinghis
art.

Nathantippedbackhisbeer,draininghalfofit.“I’minbetweenprojects.I’vefinishedtheoneIwas

working on the night you got into town, and now I’m in the planning stages of another. It’s inspired by
Icarus.”

“Wasn’tthatthekidwithwings?”
“Hehadapair,buttheyweremadebyhisfather.Hewaswarnednottoflytohigh,ortoolow,buthe

managedtodoboth.”Nathanpickedathisbeerlabel.“Thestoryspeakstome.”

Yeah,Iancouldseehowitwould.Heidentifiedwithwalkingafinelinebetweenoneextremeandthe

other.Ononeside,hehadthegapingholeofhispast,alltoowillingtosuckhimunderifhewereweak
enough to give in to the anxiety that pressed him. On the other, he had run the risk of losing himself in
Roxanne. That hadn’t seemed like a bad thing at the time, but with the sick feeling in his stomach only
growingastheminutestickedby,hewasforcedtofacereality—fallinginlovewithRoxannemighthave
beenevenworsethanturningintoaparanoidbasketcase.

“Sowhatareyougoingtodo?”
Thatwasthequestion.“WhatamIsupposedtodo?Thingsarethewaytheyare.”
“I’mgoingtogiveyouapieceofunsolicitedadvice.”
“Canwedothisanothertime?”Witheverythingsuchatoxicmessinhishead,Ianwasn’treadytoadd

anothervoicetotheconfusion.

“Nope.”Nathanrolledoffthecouchandtohisfeetinaridiculouslygracefulmotion.“Ifyouloveher,

makethingsright.Ifyoudon’t,you’realwaysgoingtowonderifyoucouldhavedonesomethingtomake

itwork.Don’tdothattoyourself.”

“ShedeservesamanwithalesscomplicatedsituationthanIhave.”
“Life is complicated. There isn’t going to come a time when everything magically falls into place

betweentwoperfectpeople.Youhavetotakeyourhappinesswhereyoucangetit,anditsoundedlikeshe
made you happy.” Nathan laughed. “Jesus, I’m like Dr. Phil over here or something. You know I had a
prettydamnsimilarconversationwithmybrothernottoolongagoaboutElle.Hechosetokeeptrying,
andtheymanagedtoworktheirissuesout.MaybeyouandRoxannecan,too.”

Ianspokewithoutthinking.“Whathappenedtothatgirl?Theonewhogotaway?Isthereanychancefor

youtomakethingsright?”

Thesilencestretchedonsolong,heopenedhismouthtoapologizeforoverstepping.IfNathandidn’t

wanttotalkabouthispast,itwasnoneofIan’sgoddamnbusiness.ButthenNathansighed,hisshoulders
dropping.“Idon’tknow.”

Sincehehadn’tcompletelyshuthimdown,Ianasked,“Haveyoueverthoughtoftryingagain?”
“Every damn day.” Nathan cleared his throat and looked away. “But enough about me. What are you

goingtodoaboutRoxanne?”

“Idon’tknow.”Upuntiltwominutesago,hehadn’tbeenplanningondoinganythingotherthantryingto

move on with his life. But Nathan’s words resonated with him. She did make him happy, and he was
prettysurehedidthesameforher.Wasthatenoughtocreatealastingrelationship?

Helookedathisbestfriend,atthewearywayhisshouldersslopedandtheshadowsinhiseyes,and

suddenlyknewthatifhedidn’tatleasttrytomakethingsworkwithher,thiswouldbehisfuture.Noone
hadevertouchedhimonthelevelRoxannedidbeforenow.

Couldhegothroughhisliferunningtheriskhe’dneverfinditagain?
No.Helovedthiswoman.Hewasn’tperfect—wouldneverbeperfect—butlikeNathanhadsaid,life

wasn’tperfect.Whathehadwithherwassomethingspecial,though.“Idon’tknowhowtofixthis.”

Nowthathe’ddecidedtodosomethingaboutthismess,itwaseverythingIancoulddonottogorunning

outthedoorrightnow.Theonlythingstoppinghimwasthefactthathedidn’thaveaplan,andshowingup
atRoxanne’splacewithoutonewouldbeamistake.He’donlygetonechanceatthis,sohehadtomakeit
count.

“Haveyoutriedgrovelingwithflowersandchocolates?Maybebuyherapieceofartwork?Ihearboth

thosethingswork.”

Grovelingwouldn’tdoadamnthing,andshewasn’tmuchofanartfan.Heneededsomethingtomake

Roxannestopandtakenotice.“Ineedsomething…bigger.”

“Whatdoesthisbiggerlooklike?”
Christifheknew.Iansighed.“I’mgoingtohavetothinkaboutit.”
“You’llcomeupwithsomething.”
Thevoteofconfidencemighthavefeltstrongerifhehadanyideaofhowtomoveforward.“Yeah.I’m

sureIwill.”

“Justkeeptearingintowhateverpartofyourhouseyou’refocusingonnow,andI’msureit’llcometo

you.”

“I’lldothat.”Hepaused.“Thanks.”

“Noproblem.LikeIsaid,I’mhereifyouneedme.Andonthatnote,I’mgoinghome.”Nathangrabbed

hiskeysandwalkedoutthedoor,leavingIanalonewithhisthoughtsoncemore.He’dfigurethisshitout.
HejustneededtopulltherighttriggertogetRoxanne’sattention.

ChapterTwenty-Three

“Ouch!”Roxannejammedhershoulderagainstthehouseasshereachedforthedoorknob.Itwassoearly
inthemorningthedewhadn’tevaporatedoffthegrass.Hell,thesunwasbarelyup.Thethingsshedidfor
love.“HangonwhileIgetthis.”

“Iamhangingon.”Elle’svoicewasmuffled.“PrettysureIleftaportionofmyfootbackontheporch

step,though.”

Thedooropenedbeneathherhand.“Gotit.”
“Tellmewhywe’redoingthisagain?”
Roxannewobbledassheusedherheeltopushthedooropenfarther.“BecauseIscrewedupandyou

toldmeIneededtofixit.”

“Yeah, I get that. What I don’t get is why we’re hauling your favorite dresser into Ian’s unfinished

houseatsixinthemorning.”

She could barely see the top of Elle’s blond head on the other side of the dresser. “Here, let’s put it

againstthiswall.”Theylimpedoverandawkwardlydroppedittotheground.Roxannewipedherhands
onherjeansandsurveyedwhatwouldeventuallybecomethe…livingroom?Itwashardtotellwiththe
floor all torn to shit and the walls exposed. She shook her head. “I thought the house would be further
alongthanthis.”Alotfurther.

“He’sbeenworkingonitprettymucheverydaysinceyouguyshadthatfalling-out,butthere’sstillalot

lefttodo.Obviously.”

She’d been operating under the assumption that she’d sneak into his nearly finished house, get her

dressersituatedinhisroom,andthensitatthediningroomtableanddoacrossworduntilheshowedup.
Orsomething.Sheturnedanothercircle,herfeetmakingpatternsinthesawdust.

Elleglancedatthedresser.“Istilldon’tgetwhywecouldn’thaveaskedGabeforhelp.Ibrokeanail,

andI’mprettysuremybigtoewillneverbethesame.”

“Itoldyou.IfGabeknows,thenthere’sadecentchancehe’lltellNathan,andNathanandIanarebest

friends,sowhat’stokeephimfromspillingthebeans?”

“Ireallydon’tthinktheytalkasmuchasyouthink.”Ellefrowned.“You’rekindofactinglikeabasket

case.Areyousurethisiswhatyouwant?”

“Yes?”Truthwas,shecouldbarelykeepherheadonstraightrightnow.Sheranherhandoverthetop

ofthedresser.Itlookedridiculoussittinghereinthisunfinishedhouse.“Maybethiswasn’tagoodidea.”
Itwouldn’tbethefirsttimeshemadeanidiotmistakewhenitcametoIan.

“NowayamIhelpingyoucarrythisthingoutofhereifyouchangeyourmind.Besides,this…whatever

itisyou’retryingtodo…iscute.”

“I’mapologizing.”Sheopenedthetopdrawer.Itwasfilledwithahandfulofshirts,panties,andapair

ofpants.Everythingagirlwouldneedatherboyfriend’shouse.Itmightbestupid,butitwasasymbolshe
thoughtIanwouldunderstand.

“Thisissoadorable.”Ellebouncedonhertoesandthenwinced.“God,thathurt.”
“I promise I’ll make all this up to you, too. Right after I fix things with your brother.” When she’d

called Elle to come in with the assist, her best friend had jumped at the chance to be part of her plan.
Standing here, in the middle of his half-finished house, she wasn’t sure it was the best plan she’d ever
had.Butshe’dseethisthrough,becauseitwastheonlyplanshehad.

Ithadtowork.
“Sohe’llcomehereand—”
“Ihopeso.”Roxanneshovedherhairoutofhereyes.“I’mheadingtopickuptherestofitassoonas

weleavehere.”

“Cool.Fromwhathesaid,heusuallygetsherearoundseven,soyoushouldn’thavelongtowait.You

havetoletmeknowhowitgoes.”

Herfriend’senthusiasmwasinfectious.Shegrinned.“You’llbethefirstoneIcall.Promise.”Shejust

hopeditwasacallwithgoodnews,andnotthatIanhadtoldherwheretoshoveit.

…

Ianhadspentallmorningsearchingfortheperfectpiece.Ithadtakenfivestops,buthefinallyfoundthe
rightone.HejusthopedRoxannewouldloveit.

Hefishedhisringingphoneoutofhispocket.“Hey.”
“Hey!Howdiditgo?Ihaven’theardanything,andIcan’tgetaholdofRoxanne.Iwasstartingtoget

worried.”

Hefrowned.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
Alongpause.“Whereareyourightnow?”
“Downtown.Iwasjustabouttopickuplunch.Why?”
“What the heck? Why aren’t you at your house? You know what? Never mind. It doesn’t matter. It’s

beenhours.”

Ifthiswereanyoneotherthanhisbabysister,he’daccuseherofbeingondrugs.Asitwas,thesearch

hadwornhispatiencetothebreakinglevel.“Spititout.What’sgoingon?”

“Youneedtogotoyourhouse.Actually,no.YouneedtogotoPineRiverPark.Likenow.”
“PineRiverPark?Why?”Wait,thatwaswherehe’dtakenRoxanneaftertheywentoutforsushi.What

did that have to do with anything? Hope dawned, but he was afraid to let it take hold. “What’s this
about?”

“Youweresupposedtohavebeentherebynow.Justgo.Thencallmelaterandtellmeallaboutit.”

Ellehungup,leavingmorequestionsthananswers.

Apparently he was going to the park. Shaking his head, he got into his truck and headed north. Even

speeding, it took him twenty minutes. As he pulled into the parking lot, the dark skies that had been
threateningalldayopenedup.Rainpoureddown,makinghimwishforanumbrella.Therewereonlya
fewcarsthere,butherecognizedoneasRoxanne’sCamry.

Cursingunderhisbreath,hehurriedoverthebridge.Ianstoppedshortatthebottomofthestairsonthe

othersidewhenhecaughtsightofher.Shehadherchinonherkneesandherarmswrappedaroundher
legs,lookinglikeshedidn’thaveasinglefriendintheworld.Hewantedtosweepherintohisarmsand
begforherforgiveness.

Sinceshewasfacingtheriver,shedidn’tseehimuntilhedroppedontothetablenexttoher.Bothof

themweresoakedthrough,andstilltheraincamedown.Heglancedattheopentuboficecreamnextto
her.Whatlittlewasleftwascompletelymelted.Fuck.Howlonghadshebeenhere?“Hey.”

“I didn’t think you were coming.” Roxanne still didn’t look at him. “I figured you saw the note and

decidedyoureallydidn’twanttobewithme.”

“Whatnote?”
She turned toward him, a frown on her face. “The note I left in the dresser.” When he just shook his

head,shefrownedharder.“Ifyouhaven’tbeenhome,howdidyouknowtocomehere?”

“Mysistercalledme.”ThankGod.HeputhishandoverRoxanne’swhereitrestedonthetable.“What

didthenotesay?”

“Youreallyhaven’tbeentoyourhouseyet?”
“Ireallyhaven’t.”
She took a deep breath. “It said that I’m sorry. Instead of recognizing that you were in a rough place

afteryourfamilydinner,Ijustreactedandfreakedoutatyou.Andthat’snotfair.I…Iloveyou.Iwanta
futurewithyou—thefullnineyards.IknowIhaven’tmadethingseasyforyouwiththisrelationship,butI
wanttomakeitwork.Ifyou’llhaveme.”Shewavedahand.“Butitwasawholelotmoreeloquent.”

Ianpulledherintohislap,sodamngladtobeabletowraphisarmsaroundheragain.“Iloveyou,too.

Inevershouldhavesaidanyofthosethingsthatnight.Imightbefuckedup,butI’mgettingbetter.Youare
helpingmegetbetter.”

“Yousistersaidyouturneddownthatjob.”Shetoyedwiththeedgeofhisshirt.“Wasthatbecauseof

me?”

“Yesandno.Iwouldn’thavebeenhappytravelingthatmuch,andthethoughtofbeingawayfromyou

isn’tatallappealing.”Hehuggedhertighter.“Imeanit.Iamso,sogoddamnsorryIwalkedawayfrom
you.I’llneverdoitagain.”

“Neverisalongtime,Charming.”
Notlongenough.“Imeanit,Roxanne.”Hekissedher,rightthereintherainwiththetubofmeltedice

creambesidethem.“Iloveyou.”Andhewouldtellherthateverydamndayfortherestoftheirlives.

“Iloveyou,too.”Sheframedhisfacewithherhands.“Seriously,itwasareallygreatnote.Ispentalot

oftimeonit.Ican’tbelieveyoudidn’treadit.”

Ianlaughed.“Ibelieveyou.Ifyouwant,wecangoreaditrightnow.”
“Sorry about the ice cream, too.” She nudged it. “I got a little depressed when I thought you weren’t

comingandbrokeintoit.”

“I’llbuyanewcarton,andwecanbreakintoittogether.”
“Ilikethatplanawholelotbetter.”Shesmiled.“Idon’tsupposeyouhaveaworkingshower?”
“That,atleast,Idohave.”He’dspentthelastfewdaysputtingthenecessitiesintothebathroom.“Ialso

haveafewextrachangesofclothesinmytruckifyouwanttoheadbackthereandgetintosomethingdry.”

Roxanneglancedaway.“That,ah,won’tbeanissue.”
Hesawwhatshemeantwhentheywalkedthroughthefrontdoorfifteenminuteslater.Theverysame

dresserhe’dadmiredatherapartmentnowstoodagainstthewallinhislivingroom.Itwassofinished
andout-of-place,ittookhimalongmomenttofindhiswords.“Yourdresserisinmyhouse.”

“Yeah…Aboutthat…”
Heopenedtheemptydrawers,andwitheachonehisconfusionincreased—rightuptothepointwhere

hegottotheonewithherthingsinit.Onedrawer—theonewithouttheknob,ironicallyenough.Itwasn’t
movingin,butitwasadeclarationofmovingforward.Thenotelayontopofherclothes,butIandidn’t
read it. No matter what she said, hearing those words from her mouth hit him so much harder than any
writtennotecould.

Heturnedbacktoher.“Youknow,thisiskindoffunny.”
“Funny?”
“Yeah.”Hereachedintohispocketandpulledouttheknobhe’dspentallmorningsearchingfor.Itwas

becauseofthatsearchthatthingshadn’tplayedouthowshe’dplanned,buthecouldn’tbringhimselfto
regretit.Ianhelditout.“Igotyousomething.It’skindoffitting,consideringeverything.”

Roxannepressedherhandstohermouthashescrewedtheknobintotheemptyspot.“It’sfinallyafull

set.”

“Ithoughtthisonemightbeaperfectfit.”Hepulledherintohisarms.“Kindoflikeus.”
“You’resocheesy.”Shekissedhim.“Ilikeit.”
“Bestgetusedtoit.I’mnotgoinganywhere.I’minforthelongrun,andIwantforeverandalwayswith

you.”

Epilogue

IanlacedhisfingersthroughRoxanne’saspeoplestreamedaroundthem,thoughhedidn’tneedhertouch
to keep the panic at bay. In the months since they’d figured things out, he’d made leaps and bounds in
settlingintolifebackhome.Therewerestilltimeswhenhisissuesgotthebetterofhim,butwiththehelp
ofherandthenewtherapisthe’dbeentalkingto,thosedayswerefewandfarbetween.

Shegavehishandanothersqueeze.“Ifyouwant,youcantakeupabarstool.I’vegottosocializeabit,

since this party is for Elle and Gabe and I’m planning their wedding and all. I have to supervise, or
nothingwillbedoneright.”

“It’saburdenyou’lljusthavetobear.”Forallhergruffness,heknewforafactthatshewasthrilled

Ellehadaskedhertoplanthewedding.

“I know. I’m practically a saint—a saint with a vested interest in the bridesmaids’ dresses.” She

laughed.“Youready?”

“Yes.”Whenshetookastepforward,Ianyankedherintohisarmsandbentherbackward.“HaveItold

youlatelythatIloveyou?”

Hersmilewidened.“Onlyaboutseventimestoday.”
“Let’smakeitaneveneight.Iloveyou.”
“Iloveyou,too.”
Iankissedher,notcaringifanyonesaw,slidinghistonguealonghersasshewrappedherarmsaround

hisneck.Justwhenhewasabouttobesweptawayentirely,someonenearbywhistled,remindinghimof
wherehewas.Hestraightenedwithalaughandsetherbackonherfeet.

Roxannestraightenedherdressandnudgedhimwithherelbow.“Ifyoumanagetobehaveyourself,I’ll

considerdraggingyouintoastorageroomwhenwegetamomentalone.”

“Promises,promises.”
Shetuggedhimpasttheelevatortothestairwell.“Youknow,Iaboutdiedonthatfirstnightwhenthe

elevatordoorsopenedandthereyouwere.Youweren’tevenbreathinghard.”

“Ihadexcellentmotivation.”Ianheldopenthedoorforher.Ithadbeendesiredrivinghimthatnight,

butsomethingbeyondthataswell.He’dneededhertouchlikeadrowningmanflailedforalifepreserver.

Hestilldidonhisbaddays.
TonightRoxannehadoutdoneherself.Herlittleblackdresshuggedeverycurveinawaythatmadehim

wanttofollowthroughonherhalfjokeaboutfindingastorageroom,butthethingthatreallydidhimin
washershoes.Thoseredheelsmadeherlegslookliketheywentonformiles—ifhe’deverseencome-
fuck-meheels,thesewerethem.

Theyalsohadtobekilleronherfeet.

“Comehere.”
Shegavehimawarylook.“Self-controlisn’texactlyourstrongsuit,andwecan’treallywalkinthere

fifteenminuteslate,adjustingourclothes.”

“Woman,comehere.”Heheldouthishand,challenginghersilently.
Withasigh,shesteppedintohisarms,justashe’dknownshewould.“ThesacrificesImakeforyou.”
“Iknow.Wealreadycoveredyoursaintstatus.”Hescoopedherupandtossedheroverhisshoulder.
“Ian!”Shesmackedhisback.“Whatareyoudoing?”
“Saving your feet.” He took the stairs as smoothly as he could so he didn’t jar her stomach with his

shoulderanymorethanhehadto.

She laughed. “Right. This is all about saving my poor little feet. It has nothing to do with cementing

yourmancard.”

“Nope.”Thoughhelovedthefactthatshelethimtossheraroundlikethis.
Itwasonlywhentheyreachedthecountryfloorthatheslidherdownhisbody.Hesettledhishandson

herhipsassheleanedintohim,runningherfingersthroughhishair.Sheshookherhead.“You’resucha
caveman.Ilikeit.”

“Mmm.WecanplayMe-Tarzan,You-Janelater.”
Shesmackedhimandsteppedaway.“You’resobad.”
“Youloveit.”
Shestoppedwithherhandonthedoor.“YouknowIdo.”Shegrinnedwickedly.“Comeon.Let’sgo

congratulatethehappycouple.”

IanhadmoreorlesscometotermswithGabe—withRoxanneactingasakickintheass.Lastweek

he’dfinallyagreedtowhatshetermeda“man-date.”He,Nathan,andGabehadgoneshootingwithIan’s
newrifleandsharedatwelve-pack.Theymightnotbebestfriends,butatleasthewasn’tconvincedthe
man would trample over Ellie’s heart. Gabe loved her, and he’d do damn near anything to ensure her
happiness.Therewasn’tmuchmoreabigbrothercouldwantforhisbabysister.

He followed her into the country bar, making a beeline for Elle and Gabe. Now that they’d finally

pickedadatefortheirwedding,thingsweremovingquickly.Inlessthansixmonths,hissisterwouldbe
ElleSchultz,andhewasgenuinelyhappyforher.

Ellesawthemfirst.“Youmadeit.”Hergrinwassowideitmadehimgladhehadn’tgivenintothe

need to shove Roxanne against the stairwell wall and have his way with her. As she hugged Ian, Elle
whispered,“ThankyousomuchforgivingGabeachance.Hesaidhehadareallygoodtimelastweek.”

“Idid,too.”Onceshesteppedback,heshookGabe’shand.“Hey.”
“Hey.Gladyoucouldmakeit.”
“Yeah,me,too.”
Roxanneraisedhereyebrows.“Please,guys,trytocontainyourselves.You’reembarrassingus.”She

slipped her hand into Ian’s. “Elle and I have found the perfect place for the wedding. It’s down on the
Columbia River, and get this, there’s a natural amphitheater where you’ll have the ceremony.” She
glanced between them. “Oh, who am I kidding? You guys don’t care about the dirty details. You will,
however,careaboutthis—theydoabrewingandcanoeingtourthing.Howcoolisthat?”

Ianblinked.“Brewingandcanoeing.”

Elle slipped under Gabe’s arm. “Yeah, you actually canoe up the river to the brewery and then have

lunchanddoabeertasting.Itsoundsreallyfun.”

Actually,thatdidsoundlikealotoffun.Iansmiled.“Cool.”
Astheyspoke,Nathanexitedtheelevatorandmadehiswayover.“Hey.”
Roxannezeroedinonhim,hergreeneyesflashing.“Andthere’sthemysterymanhimself.”
“YoumakemesoundlikeJamesBond.”Heraisedaneyebrow.
“Youarequitetheenigma.Sotellme,Nathan,areyoubringingadatetothewedding?Becauseifnot,I

haveatleastahandfulofeligiblewomenwhowouldthrowthemselvesinfrontofabusforachancetogo
outwithyou.”

Nathanactuallyflinched,thoughIanwouldn’thavenoticeditifhehadn’tbeenwatchinghisbestfriend

soclosely.Herecoveredalmostimmediatelyandevenmanagedasmile.“Thankyou,butthatwon’tbe
necessary.”

“Itwon’t?”Ian’sinterestsharpened.“You’rebringingsomeone?”
Nathanmethisgazesteadily.“Ihavesomethingintheworks.”
Before Ian could press for more details—not that his friend would give them—Nathan moved to the

bar.Ellefrowned.“Iworryabouthim.”

Roxannewavedthataway.“Youdon’thavetimetoworryaboutNathan—youhavetoworryaboutyour

wedding.It’sgoingtobesofabulous.”

“Withyouplanningit,Ihavenodoubtaboutthat.”
“We’llletyougosocialize,insteadofmonopolizingyourtime.”ShepulledIanbackasanothergroup

of people approached to talk to Elle and Gabe, and then Roxanne stepped into his arms. “So what are
yourthoughtsonfindingthatstoragecloset?”

Thesmallamountofpressurepresentinhischestevaporatedasshelethimseeexactlyhowmuchshe

caredabouthim.Whatcouldn’thefacewiththiswomanbyhisside?IanfeltlikeaSuperman,bulletproof
and able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. He cupped the back of her neck and pressed his
foreheadtohers.“Ithinkthat’sabrilliantidea.”

Christ,helovedthiswoman.Andhealwayswould.

DidyouloveIanandRoxanne’sstory?

Findoutwhereitallbeganwith

RONG

IGHT

the

NewYorkTimes

bestsellingfirstbookintheComeUndoneseries

byKateeRobert

SeducingMr.Wronghasneverfeltsoright…

Prim and proper art gallery coordinator Elle Walser is no good at seducing men. Heck, she’s been
throwing hints at her boss for months, but he’s completely clueless. Desperate to escape her mother’s
matchmaking efforts, she comes up with a plan—buy some lingerie and climb into her boss’s bed. The
plangoesbrilliantly…untilsheaccidentallyseducesasexystrangerinstead.

BadboynightclubmogulGabeSchultzjusthadthebestalmost-sexofhislife.Toobadthesmokinghot

blondethoughthewashisbrotherandboltedbeforehecouldfinishwhattheystarted.Thoughherholier-
than-thouattitudeputsaseriousdamperonhismood,Gabe’sneverbeenonetogiveuponsomethinghe
wants.AndhewantsElle.Butdoesamanwholivesonthedarksidereallyhaveachancewithaproper
lady?

ChapterOne

TonightshewasseducingherMr.Right.

Assoonasshefoundthecouragetotakethefirststep,thatis.
Thestaircasebeforeherseemedtostretchupforever.Elleknewbetter—therewereonlythirteensteps

leading to the loft above the gallery, the same as always. It didn’t feel like the same, though. Were the
walls narrower than before? She adjusted her coat, trying to get some air circulating. She would have
preferredtogowithoutsinceitwastoowarmoutforcoats,eventhislateatnight,butitwasn’tlikeshe
couldwaltzupstairswearingonlylingerie,couldshe?

Ellegrippedthebanisteruntilherknuckleswentwhite.Wasshereallygoingtodothis?Itwasn’ttoo

latetoturnback,topretendshe’dneverhadthisinsaneideainthefirstplace.Thingswouldgoonjust
likethey’dalwaysbeen,withherworkingatthegalleryandNathanbeingcompletelyunawareshewas
interestedinhim.

Thethoughtsettledlikeleadinherstomach.No.Ifshebackedoutnow,she’dnevergetthingsmoving

betweenthem.Nathansureasheckhadn’tcaughtanyofherblatanthints.Ifshewasgoingtostaveoffher
mother’s matchmaking efforts and land a guy she could stomach being around, it was time for a more
directapproach.

Last year, when Ian recommended applying for the art coordinator job at the gallery, she’d balked—

couldshereallyworkunderoneofherbrother’smilitarybuddies?Butshe’dwalkedintothegalleryand
wasinstantlysweptaway.ThoughNathanfocusedmoreonscrap-metalsculpting,thegalleriesheowned
displayedeverytypeofart.Itwasasifsomeonepulledtheideaofwhatheavenwouldlooklikestraight
fromherhead.

Then there was Nathan himself. She’d expected someone like Ian—intense, protective, and sporting

someseriousangerissues.Nathanwasn’tlikethatatall.Hewasquietand,thoughhissenseofhumorwas
almostwicked,hewasneverlessthanpolite.Itdidn’thurtthathewasbeautiful,either—tallwithgolden
blondhairandblueeyesthatalwaysseemedtotwinkle.Mostdays,theyspenthourstalkingaboutartand
arguing theory, which made him the full package. Exactly the kind of refined man her mother had been
pushinghertofind,thoughhewasafarsightbetterthananyoftheonesshe’dforcedElleintodinnerwith.

Shehesitated,herweightbalancedbetweentwosteps.Okay,sotheydidn’thavethekindofchemistry

thatsizzledwhentheywereinthesameroomtogether,andhewasn’tthekindofguyshe’dhavechosen
forherself—butthatwasexactlytheproblem.She’dalreadylearnedthehardwaythatshehadbadtaste
inmen,andanoverwhelminglevelofattractionbroughtnothingbutheartache.JustbecauseNathandidn’t
rockhersocksoffonanon-academicleveldidn’tmeanitcouldn’tworkuptomore.Andtonightwould
goalongwaytowardfixingthat.

Shehoped.
It took every ounce of willpower to keep moving up the stairs. By the time she reached the top, her

breathcameinshortpantsasifshe’djustrunamile.Pathetic.Shecoulddobetter.Really,shecould.

Straightening,Elleforcedherselftowalkdownthenarrowhallwaytowardthesingledoorattheend.

Judging from his car in the parking lot, Nathan would be sleeping in the loft above the gallery this
weekend.She’dguessedasmuchwhenhementionedhe’dstartedplanninganewpiecetoday.Whenhe
startedanewproject,hewaslikeamanpossessed,focusedsolelyonbringingittolife.

Thedoorloomed,darkwoodthatcontrastedwiththepalegreenofthewalls.Normallyshefoundthe

coloringsoothing,buttherewasnobattlingtheanxietypulsingthroughher.Theknobwasstartlinglycold
against her palm as she stepped into the shadows of the loft. In the single lamp’s light, she took in the
oversizedcanvas sitting inthe living roomthat Nathan used tomap out hissculptures before he started
welding.Itwasstillintheearlystagessoshewasn’tsurewherehewasgoingwithityet,buttheviolent
redsandblacksraisedthesmallhairsonthebackofherneck.Ellewouldn’tlikethisone,shewassureof
it.Still,itwouldendupbeingsoldforatrulyoutstandingprice—allNathan’sworkdid.

Ellebypassedthesparebedroomandskirtedthekitchencounter,headingtothemasterbedroom.Her

heartbeatpickedupuntilshewassureitwouldburstfromherchest.Stillnottoolatetobackout…

Sheunbuttonedthecoatandcarefullylaiditoverthebarstool.Goosebumpsroseoverherbareskinas

thechilledairwrappedaroundherbody.Ellesmootheddowntherufflesonthebottomofherlingerieand
tried to focus. The short slip didn’t cling like the other stuff she’d tried on, and though it was thin, the
rufflesoverherchestandhipshidtheessentialsfromview.Sheranahandoverthesilkyfabriccovering
herstomach.Thesimplicityofthemiddlehadstruckherasagreatcontrasttotheruffles.Itwasfeminine
withoutshovingheroutsidehercomfortzone.

Sherolledhereyes.Whatajoke—shewassooutsidehercomfortzonerightnow,shedidn’tevenknow

wherethelinewasanymore.Buyinglingeriehadseemedlikeareallygoodideaatthetime,butstanding
hereinthedark,shesuddenlywasn’tsosure.

Bitingherlip,shegrabbedacondomoutofhercoatpocket,wonderingwheretheheckshewasgoing

to put it. Maybe she should just leave it… No. While she wanted a family eventually, getting pregnant
tonightwouldbeafreakingnightmare.She’donlybeenonthePillamonth.Whatifitwasn’tworkingyet?
She searched her body for an appropriate hiding place and came up empty. Seriously, what was she
supposedtodowiththecondom?Holditinherhand?Stickitintothetopofthelingerie?Shesowasn’t
cutoutforthissortofthing.

Clutchingthecondomlikealifepreserver,Elletookadeepbreathandopenedthedoorjustenoughto

slipthrough.She’donlybeeninthisroomahandfuloftimesbefore,allonsomeerrandforNathan,but
eveninthepitch-blackdarkness,sheknewthegiganticbedwasdirectlyacrossfromthedoor.Okay.She
coulddothis.Shewaswoman,hearherroar.

ToobadEllefeltmorelikeakittenthanalioness.

Gabewashavingthemostfantasticdream.

Awomanclimbedintohisbedandtouchedhisshoulder,abreathywhisperslippingpastherlips.He

rolledoverandstretched,intriguedbythatlittlewhisper,wonderingwhathissubconscioushadinstore

forhimtonight.Sheshiftedcloseenoughthathecouldjustbarelyfeelherwarmthseepthroughthesheet
coveringhiships.Mmm,thiswasgoingtobegood.

Needingmorefromher,hedrapedanarmaroundherwaistandpulledherbodyagainsthisside.She

wasaslight,tenderlittlething,completelyoppositeofwhatheusuallywentfor.Guesshissubconscious
decided it was time for a change. When she ran a timid hand from his shoulder to his hip and pressed
herselfagainsthim,hedecidedmaybedifferentwasbetter,becausethisfelttoodamngoodtobereal.

Who knew crashing at his little brother’s gallery was the way to dreaming up a fantasy woman? All

GabehadcaredaboutafterhegotofftheplanefromLosAngeleswasfindingamealandabeer,sohe’d
jumpedatthechancewhenNathancalledtowelcomehimhome.Obviouslyitwasthebestideahe’dever
had.

Gabesighedandsettledinfortherestofwhathehopedwouldbeafabulousnightofsleep—exactly

whatheneededafterthechaoshe’ddealtwithinLosAngeles—butthenherlipsfoundhisneckandshe
shiveredagainsthim.

Wait a damned second. Those lips weren’t fantasy. They were real. Real lips and a decidedly real

shiver.

Gabe’s eyes flew open and searched the shadows beside him. Holy shit, he wasn’t dreaming at all.

Therewasawomaninhisbed.

Oblivioustohisrudeawakening,shekissedhisjaw,sosoftandsweetittookhisbreathaway.Staying

inbedso wasn’t the right thing to do, but an ache started in his chest—a craving so strong he couldn’t
ignoreit.Liftinghischintogiveherbetteraccess,hewonderedwhatheshoulddo.Tossheroutonher
ass?Letherrubthatsoftbodyalloverhim?Wait,thatwaswrong.Skeezy.Hedidn’tevenknowwhothis
chickwas.

A few years ago, not knowing the girl in his bed wouldn’t have stopped him, but that wasn’t his life

anymore.Hedidn’twanttobethatguy.

Shekissedhimagain,thistimeperilouslyclosetohislips.Gabecouldn’tthinkwithhermouthonhim,

so he put his hands on her shoulders and angled away to create some distance. The woman turned her
headandpressedanopenmouthedkisstohisknuckles,temporarilyshortingouthisbrain.Oh,God.Gabe
shouldgetoutofbedanddemandtoknowwhatthehellwasgoingon.Howmanytimeshadhetriedto
stemthetideoflonelinesswithaone-nightstand,onlytowakeupthenextmorning,moreemptythanhe’d
beenbefore?

Butbeforehecoulddisentangletheirbodies,sheranherhanddownhischest,herfingertipsdancing

alongtheedgeofthesuddenlynot-thick-enoughsheet.Gabebitbackagroan.Tohellwithit.Hecouldn’t
forget her name the morning after if he didn’t know what it was to begin with, right? She could chase
awaythebittercoldinsidehimforalittlewhile.He’ddealwiththeconsequencestomorrow.

“Areyousure?”Christ,hisvoicewassoroughedupfromsleepthatitbarelysoundedlikehisown.
Her little sigh seemed to roll through his entire body. Gabe found himself holding his breath as he

waitedforheranswer.Whenshespoke,itwassosofthealmostmissedthewords.“I’msure.”

Working in his nightclubs, he spent a lot of time around bartenders and brassy dames—chicks who

knewwhattheywantedanddidn’thesitatetogoafterit.Helikedhowdifferentthiswomanwas,howshe
trembledagainsthimwhenherarmswoundaroundhisneck,howhertonguedartedout,sodamntentative,

andtracedhisbottomlip.Heopenedtoherandhisfirsttaste,allpeppermintandwoman,madehishead
spin.Itfelt…clean.Innocent.Perfect.

He wasn’t exactly a magnet for innocent girls—not with the tats covering so much of his upper body

andcrawlinguphisneck.Theytookonelookathimanddecidedhewasn’ttheknightinshiningarmor
type.

Theywereright.
Butmaybehewantedtobe.
Gabeshutoffthatnaggingpartofhisbrainandlethimselfenjoythisnewexperience.Herhandtrailed

up his chest, pausing over his pecs before finally cupping his jaw. Each touch was light and
almost…treasuring.ItburnedthroughGabeandhisbodyinstantlyjumpedtoattention,demandinghedo
more than hold this woman. But instead of yanking her on top of him like he wanted to, he touched the
back of her neck, relishing the softness of her skin, marveling at how fragile she felt, and ran his other
handdownherside.Rufflesandsatinand…moreruffles.WhatinGod’snamewasthischickwearing?

Finally,hefoundthesilkyskinofherthigh.Gabewentstillassheshivered,makinganoiseintheback

ofherthroat.Thatlittlewhimper,morethananythingelse,undidhim.Hehadtohaveher.Now.

Deepeningthekiss,hehookedhishandaroundthebackofherthighandliftedhereasily,settlingher

over his hips, a leg on either side of him. She gave a little yelp that turned to a moan when he rocked
againsther,onlytwothinpiecesofclothbetweenthem.Lettinggoofherneck,hemovedjustenoughto
kickdownthesheet—oneproblemdown,onetogo.

Shegasped,pullingawaylongenoughtosay,“You’renaked.”
Wasn’tthatthepoint?BeforeGabecouldask,shewaskissinghimagain,bolderthistime.Hepulledoff

her dress thing, nearly cursing when she had to let go of him to toss it aside. But then she was back,
keepingupthetorturouslylightstroking.Heleanedupandtookoneofhernipplesinhismouth,sucking
harduntilherhipsjerked.Everyoneofherresponseswasso…hedidn’tevenknow.Itwasasifshe’d
neverbeentouchedbefore.

Gabetookherothernipple,lashingitwithhistongueuntilherentirebodyquivered.Heranhishand

downherstomach,cuppingherthroughhersilkpanties.Evenwithsolittleforeplay,shewasreadyfor
him. He traced the edge of the fabric, hooking it with his fingers, barely touching her heated skin. She
criedoutandhegaveupteasingtopushonefingerinsideher.

Feeling her wet warmth clamp around him, the desire to flip her over and bury himself in her nearly

made Gabe pass out. No. He needed to slow down. Savor her while he could. Working her with his
finger, he moved back to her first breast, covering it with open mouthed kisses as he pushed a second
fingerintoher.Gabetwistedhiswrist,searchingforthespotthatwoulddriveherwild.

Her entire body shuddered when he found what he was looking for, mercilessly stroking it with his

fingertips.“Oh…ohGod…itfeelsso…I’venever…”

Never?Christ.Thiswasthebestnightever.Gabewrappedhisfreearmaroundherwaist,holdingher

inplaceashekeptitupuntilshearched,throwingherheadback,hernailsdiggingintohisshouldersas
shecriedout.

He’dneverheardanythingsobeautifulinhisentirelife.
Now.Gabehadtohavehernow.Butherhandsdidn’tseemtoknowwhattodonowthatshe’dcome,

fluttering from his neck to shoulders to neck again. Gabe ached with the need for her do more. “Touch
me.”

Her entire body went rigid, and he only had half a second to wonder if he’d said something wrong

beforesheshrieked.

TheguyinbedwithherwasnotNathan.

WhichmeantEllewasbuck-nakedandwantonlyridingthewrongguy.
Shescrambledawayfromhimandimmediatelyfelloffthebed.Hehadn’tsoundedquiterightwhenhe

askedifthiswasokay,butEllehadbeentoofocusedonnotembarrassingherselftoworryabouthowhe
soundedjustthen—hehadbeenasleep,afterall,andwhywouldtherebeanotherguyinNathan’sbed?—
buttherewasnomistakingthedifferenceinhisvoicenow.

Sheneededtocatchherbreath,butshecouldhearhimmovingclosertowhereshe’dlandedinaheap.

“Babe,what’swrong?”

Babe? She scrambled to the wall and flailed for the light switch. When the lights clicked on, it was

everythingshecoulddotonothyperventilate.“OhmyGod.”

HowcouldshehavemistakenthatmanforNathan?Sure,theyhadfreakishlysimilarbodies—oratleast

whatshepicturedNathan’sbodywouldlooklike—andsimilarhair,butthismanhadtattoos.Ellenearly
whimperedatthesightofsomuchink.Evenfromthisdistance,shecouldtellitwasreallywelldone—
moreartworkthanbranding.GoodGod,hepracticallyhadaneonsignoverhisheadthatscreamed“Bad
Boy.”

Hewasexactlythetypeofmanshewouldhavechosenforherself.
Makinghimexactlythetypeofmanshe’dvowedtoavoidatanycost.Andshe’dalmostsleptwithhim.
OhGod,ohGod,ohGod.Athickbandtightenedaroundherchest,makingitimpossibletocatchafull

breath.Spotsdancedoverhervisionasshefoughttoinhale.ShewasgoingtodierighthereinNathan’s
loft.They’dfindhernakedbodyandthat’swhatshe’dbeknownasuntiltheendoftime—thewomanwho
diedinthemiddleofabotchedseductionofthewrongman.Hermotherwouldbringherbackfromthe
deadjusttokillherfortheembarrassmenttothefamily.

Elleswayed,smackingintothewallwithherback.Notenoughair.Sheclawedatherchest,desperate

foroxygen.Ahandgrabbedherchin,forcinghertolookintogorgeousbrowneyes.“Breathe,babe.Big
inhale,holdit,nowexhale.”

Airrushedintoherlungs,somuchitmadeherlight-headed.Elleshudderedatthestrengthofhisfingers

diggingintoherjaw.Itdidn’thurt,buttherewasnomistakingthepossibilitiestheyheld.Heck,hadn’tshe
seenthatalltoowelljustfiveminutesago?“Getawayfromme,”shewheezed,smackinghishandsaway.

Heletgoofher,buthedidn’tmovebacknearlyenough.“What’swrong?”
What was wrong? Everything was wrong. Right about now she was supposed to be making love to

Nathan,notstandingnakedinfrontofastranger.Hisgazeflickedoverherchestandsheimmediatelytried
tocoverherbreastswithherhands.“Thisisn’thappening.”

Maybethiswasallafeverdream.Thathadtobeit.Shewasprobablysafelytuckedawayinherbed,

tossingandturningandtwistingupthesheets.Elleclosedhereyesandthenopenedthemagain.Thattoo-
masculinefacestilldominatedhervision,perfectlyshapedlipsturningdowninafrown.Whywasshe

noticinghislips?“OhGod,thisishappening.”

Theguycrossedhisarmsoverhischest,whichonlyservedtoremindherthathewasnaked.Against

herwill,hereyesskateddownhisnicelymuscledtorsoandgotstuckrightaroundhiships.Itdidn’thelp
thathewasstillaroused.

Timetogo,Elle.
“Wait.” He reached for her again, but she scrambled back, desperate to stay out of reach. God only

knewwhatwouldhappenifshehadhishandsonheragain.“Pleasedon’tgo.”

The man held out his arms as if he were trying to calm a skittish horse. Elle didn’t like that mental

comparison. At all. She started sliding sideways away from him. “This was a mistake. A terrible
mistake.”Andshehadtogetoutofthere.

“Likehellitwas.”
Shesnatchedupherlingeriethenchangedhermind,tossingitonthefloorandgrabbingthesheethe’d

kickedoffthebed.Shewrappeditaroundherbody.“Youknowwhat?Itdoesn’tmatter.Right?Right.”

“Itmighthelpifyoutoldmewhat’sgoingon.”
Elleforcedhergazebacktohisface.What’sgoingon?Itfeltprettyobvioustoher.She’dalmosthad

sex with a stranger. If he hadn’t said anything, she would have. Her breathing got all choppy again just
thinkingabouttheimplications.“You’renotNathan,”shechokedout.

He dropped heavily onto the bed, emotions flickering over his face. Shock. Horror. Guilt. Something

thatmightberegret.

She pressed her fingers to her mouth. “I have to go. I’m sorry.” And then she fled, closing the door

softlybehindher.

ChapterTwo

You’renotNathan.

Aterribleideahadblossomedinhismindthesecondthewordsleftthatgorgeousmouthofhers.He

hadn’tjusthookedupwithhisbrother’sgirlfriend,hadhe?Christ,he’devenlikedit.Thiswasnotokay.

Gabe bolted off the bed. No way was she getting away that easily. Not without some sort of

explanation.Hepulledonhispantsandthrewopenthedoor.

Theloft,ofcourse,wasempty.
Ignoringthelittlevoiceinsidedemandinghegiveupandcrawlbackintobed,hemarchedtotheother

bedroom and banged on the door. “You better be goddamned decent, Nathan.” When his little brother
grumbledaresponse,Gabestrodeintotheroom.“Getup.”

Nathanburrowedunderoneofthefivepillowsonhisbed.“Goaway.”
Gabeyankedoffhisblanketandsmackedhimontheback.“Up.”
“Whatthehell?”Heliftedhisheadlongenoughtolookatthedigitalclockonhisnightstand.“WhyamI

awakeatthisungodlyhour?”

“Youaren’tdatinganyone,areyou?”ItwasalongshotwithNathan’shistory,buthe’dneverforgive

himselfifhe’dnearlybangedhisbrother’sgirlfriend.

“What?No.Wherewouldyougetanidealikethat?”
“Youknowablonde?Gorgeous,rockin’body,aboutyeahigh?”Heheldhishanduptohisshoulder.
Nathansatupandranhishandsoverhisface.“CouldbeanumberofwomenIknow.”
“Thisonewouldbenursingathingforyou.”
His little brother cringed. “My coordinator, Elle. Sweet girl, really nice—innocent even. She’s been

throwinghintslikecrazythatshewantsmetoaskherout,butit’sjustnotthereforme.”

Sweet.Nice.Whilethosewordsmightwork,Gabedidn’tbelievetheinnocentpart.Shemightbemostly

agoodgirl,butgoodgirlsdidn’tcrawlintobedintentonseducingaman.Thenagain,whatdidheknow?
Gabedidn’tmakeahabitofassociatingwithgoodgirls.

“Elle.”Helikedthewayhernamerolledoffhistongue,though.Hell,he’dliketorollmorethanthatoff

histongue.

“Whyareyouasking?”
Heconsideredlying,buthe’dnevergetawaywithit.Especiallywithhisbrother.“Youswearyoudon’t

wanther?”

“IwouldtellifyouifIdid.”Nathannarrowedhiseyes.“What’sgoingon?”
Gabetookadeepbreathandtoldhimeverything.Whenhefinished,Nathanwaslaughingsohardhis

faceturnedamottledshadeofred.SeeingthehorrifiedlookonElle’sfacealloveragain,theperfect“o”

of her pink lips when she’d turned on the light and got a look at him, Gabe barely resisted punching
something—preferablyhisidiotbrother’sface.“Idon’tseewhat’ssogoddamnhilarious.”

“Onlyyou.Thiswouldonlyhappentoyou.”Nathanmadeanefforttobeserious,buthecouldn’tseem

to stop grinning. “I never would have guessed she had a scheme like this in her. I’m actually kind of
impressed.”

“Hahaha.Sofunnyshefreakedoutinthemiddleofit,andranoffwithoutevengettingdressedfirst.”

GaberanahandthroughhishairandsatheavilyonthesideofNathan’sbed.“Hell,man,shetookyour
sheet.”

Thatsoberedhisbrotherup.“Ifshequitsbecauseofthis,I’mnotgoingtobehappy.”
Soitwasn’tjustthelossofhis1,500-thread-countsheetsthatwipedthesmileoffhisbrother’sface.

“Noneofthisismygoddamnfault.”

Nathanfrowned.“You’remorepissedaboutthisthanI’dexpect.”
Despitebeingtheyoungerbrother,he’dalwaysbeenoverprotectiveofGabe.Theywerealleachother

had.Butthatdidn’tmeanhewantedtogetintothemushystufforexplainhowmuchithurttohaveElle
literallyrunfromhimaftertheglimpseofheavenshe’dgivenhim.“Ijust…She’sdifferent.”

“Yes,sheis,whichiswhyI’mnotgoingtobehappyifshequits.”Nathansighedandclimbedoutof

bed. “Don’t suppose you started coffee before bursting in here? Because obviously I’m not getting any
moresleeptonight.”

“Nope.”
“Sadist.”
“Youactlikeyou’resurprised.”Gabefollowedhimintothekitchenandgrabbedastool.
Theybothwatchedthecoffeefillthepot,onedripatatime.Itwasonlywhenhe’dpouredtwocups

thatNathanfinallysaid,“It’sgoodtohaveyouback.”

Gabehadbeengonelongerthannormalthistimearound.Itwasn’tplanned,buteverythingthatcouldgo

wronghadwiththeL.A.club.“It’sgoodtobehome.”OrithadbeenuntilElleclimbedintohisbedand
thenactedlikeshe’dkissedamonster.Notexactlythemostencouragingresponse.

Astheydranktheircoffee,Gabewatchedhisbrother.Nathanlookedlikeshit.Oh,notthattheaverage

personwouldnotice,butGabewasfamily—heknewwhensomethingwaswrongwithhisbrother.Ithad
beenlikethisforalongtime,butthingsseemedtobeworseeverytimehecamehome.“Howyoudoing?”

Nathanshrugged,justlikehealwaysdid.“Fine.Workingonsomethingnewandit’skickingmyass.”
Gabehadthesneakingsuspicionthesourceofhislittlebrother’sdemonswasawomanfromtheirpast,

buttheynevertalkedaboutit.“Yousaythat,andthenitendsupsellingforashit-tonofmoney.”

“I’mgoodatwhatIdo.”Hefinallygrinned.“SohowwasL.A.?Tookyourasslongenoughtogetback

here.”

“Itwasamess.TheG.M.Ihiredhadathingforprettyredheadedbartenderswithmoretitsthansense,

and he was skimming off the top. I finally had to fire the whole lot of them.” A month. A whole damn
monthtofindadecentreplacement.“ButIfoundachickwhoknowsherstuff.Lynndoesn’ttakeshitfrom
anyone.”Gabeneededaballbustertokeepallthosehigh-strungbartendersinline.

“Howlongyoustickingaroundthistime?”
“Noidea.I’mgoingtoneedtovisittherestoftheclubssoon—makesurethingsarerunningsmoothly.

Youknow,theusual.”Hetriedtodoatouroftheclubsheownedatleasttwoorthreetimesayear.Itwas
tooeasyforthingstoslipundertheradarwhenhewasn’taround.Thenagain,hemightactuallyhavea
newreasontostickaroundSpokanenow.“SotellmeaboutElle.”

Nathansethiscupdown.“LikeIsaid,she’sagoodgirl.Workshard,thoughIdon’tknowmuchabout

herprivatelife.IservedwithherbrotherinIraq.He’sagoodguy,abettersoldier.Icantellyouright
nowIanwon’tlikeyousniffingaroundhispreciouslittlesister.”

Whatbigbrotherwould?Gabewasn’texactlythekindofmanwomentookhometomeettheirparents.

Hehadthehardlifewrittenalloverhim,fromthewayhecarriedhimselftotheinkonhisskin.Always
had.Thethoughtmadehimwanttosnarl.“She’stheonewhostartedthis.”

“Hey,I’mnotarguingwithyou.AllI’maskingis,howfardoyouplanontakingit?”
Itwassomethinghehadn’tconsidered.Gabetookadrinkofthecoolingcoffee.Thereweretoomany

variablestosayforsure.Allheknewwasthathedidn’twanthislastsightofElletobeherfleeingfrom
him.“Idon’tknow,butIwanttofindout.”

“ThenIsupposeyou’llneedtoaskherout.”
Again,thelookonherfaceappearedinhishead.“Idoubtshe’dsayyes.”
“Andwhenhasalittlethinglike‘no’stoodinthewayofyourgoal?”
If Gabe were put off by rejection, he never would have gotten their first nightclub off the ground,

inheritedmoneyorno.Hell,evenifhe’dbeenabletostartthatfirstclub,therewouldn’tbeclubsinall
themajorWestCoastcities.Hegrinned.“Agoodpoint,littlebrother,averygoodpoint.”

Wantmore?Grabyourcopyof

RONG

IGHT

today!

AndwatchforNathan’sbook,

TwoWrongs,OneRight

comingSummer2013!

Eightyears ago, formerArmy sergeant NathanSchultz let the loveof his lifedisappear without a fight.
Afterwatchingeveryonearoundhimfindhappinesswhileheslippedfurtheraway,he’sfinallyreadyto
fightforChelseaCallaghan—andhe’snotafraidtoplaydirty.

Chelseahasalwaysfollowedherconservativefamily’srules—withoneheartbreakingexception.When

shereceivesaninvitationtoanoldhighschoolfriend’swedding,sheknowswho’stoblame.Thoughshe
goessolelytogiveNathanapieceofhermind,heblackmailsherintostayingtheentireweek.Withhim.

There’snowayshe’llbowtoNathan’swillwithoutmakinghimpay.Unfortunately,revengeisadish

bestservedfullyclothed,andtheycan’tbeinthesameroomwithoutlosingtheirs.Asinsatiable,anger-
fueledlustshiftsintosomethingmore,theybegintolosesightofwhytheycan’tbetogether.Butwithso
manyunforgivablewrongsbetweenthem,canNathanandChelseaevermakethingsright?

Acknowledgments

Firstandforemost,asalways,toGod.

Ahuge,gigantic,OMGthank-youtoHeatherHowland.Eachbookisajourney,andthisonewaslonger

andfarmorewindingthanmost.Thankyouforthecountlesse-mailsandbrainstormingsessions,andfor
neveroncequestioningthatthisbookwouldbeawesome.Icouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou.

ToLiz,forhelpingwhenwecouldn’tseetheforestforthetrees.
ToTahra,forgoingthroughtheearlierversionsofthisbook,andtoHaleighforgoingthroughthemore

recentones.YoubothhelpedmegetIanandRoxannetowheretheyneededtobe.

To Seleste, for being there through this wild ride and letting me vent and squee and everything in

between.You’rethebestfriendacrazykidlikemecouldaskfor.

ToBenandDeece,forneverblinkingwhenItext/e-mail/callwithtrulystrangequestions.

AbouttheAuthor

NewYorkTimesandUSATODAYbestsellingauthorKateeRobertlearnedtotellstoriesathergrandpa’s
knee. Her favorites then were the rather epic adventures of The Three Bears, but at age twelve, she
discoveredromancenovelsandneverlookedback.Whennotwritingsexycontemporaryandspeculative
romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, ogling men, and
planningfortheinevitablezombieapocalypse.

www.kateerobert.com

UnleashyourinnervixenwiththesenewandupcomingBrazen

releases…

RulesofEntanglement

byGinaL.Maxwell

Pretending to be engaged to Vanessa MacGregor isn’t so bad. But while acting like they’re in love in
publicisdoable,oncethey’reinsideandheatingupthesheets,thelinebetweenpretendandrealitybegins
to blur. Especially when Jax is presented with the ultimate challenge—Vanessa has seven rules that
dictateherfuture,andheonlyhassevendaystomakeherbreakthemifhewantstobeinit.

AgainsttheWall

byRebeccaZanetti

ThelastthingSophieSmithexpectswhensurveyinglandforhernewgolfcourseistobeyankedatopa
stallionbyacowboy.Andnotjustanycowboy—JakeLodge,theTriballawyeropposinghercompany’s
development. But Sophie has banked everything on the golf course’s success. She can’t fail, no matter
howtemptingJakemaybe.

DownandDirty

ChristineBell

When she’s dared to rekindle an old flame, self-professed infatuation junky Cat Thomas knows she’s
screwed.She’sneverbeenabletoresistherbrother’ssexybestfriend,soafteronehotnighttogethershe
does what any sane woman would do—sets him up on a dating site before she does something stupid.
Likefallinlovewithhimagain.

PrivatePractice

SamantheBeck

Dr.EllieSwanisdeterminedtowintheheartofhertown’sgoldenboy.There’sonlyoneproblem—he
wantsaskilled,sexuallyadventurouspartner.ArmedwithTheWildWoman’sGuidetoSex and lessons
from sex-on-a-stick bad boy Tyler Longfoot, Ellie is confident she can become what he needs.…if she
doesn’tfallforTylerfirst.

ProtectingWhat’sHis

TessaBailey

Sassy bartender Ginger Peet just committed the perfect crime. Life-sized Dolly Parton statue in tow,
GingerandhersisterfleeNashville.Buttheirnewneighbor,straight-lacedChicagohomicidecopDerek
Tyler,knowssomething’sup—somethingbig—andhewon’trestuntilGinger’ssafe…andinhisbedfor
good.

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Wrong Bed, Right Guy
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Two Wrongs, One Right
Acknowledgments
About the Author

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