I gritted my teeth. The man was ridiculously stubborn. “I need to know.”

Rix shook his head. “No, you don’t. It’s better for everyone if you don’t ask questions.”

I pushed up on one elbow and propped my other hand on my hip. “I’m asking questions, dammit. And I want answers. Trinity wouldn’t tell me anything because you ordered her not to, and you said you’d fill me in.”

“I just did.”

I was going to scream. “You didn’t fill me in on a damn thing. Nothing. I know nothing.”

Rix tugged my propped arm, and I fell toward him. Before I could untangle myself, he had me pinned beneath him, both arms over my head, rendering me helpless.

“What are you doing?”

He pressed a hard kiss to my mouth to silence me. When he lifted his face, his expression brooked no argument. “I’m explaining how things work.”

“I’m not going to like how things work, am I?”

He didn’t respond, just waited, eyebrow raised, as if expecting me to keep protesting.

I didn’t, instead opting to wait for whatever he was about to decree.

“Maybe, maybe not. But either way it doesn’t change a thing. The less you know, the better. So that means you’re gonna know as little as possible about what goes on in my world. There’s nothing good there, and you don’t need to be any part of it.”

I bristled at his pronouncement, but not because of the reason he would expect. “You’re in your world, so there has to be something good.”

Rix’s expression was almost pained. “Trust me when I say I’m not good either. And if you want to call this off right now because you can’t handle what I’ve got to offer, then do it. Tell me to go. You got your girl back. That’s what you needed from me, so if there was ever a time to drop my ass, it’s now. Do it before this goes any further.”

He caught me off guard completely. “Drop your ass? You think the reason I haven’t called the cops when you continually break into my house and sneak into my bed is because I only wanted Trinity back? Are you insane?” I struggled beneath him, trying to break free. It didn’t work. “If I recall correctly, you laid out some asinine requirement that I sleep with you for payback, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who can follow the chain of events here because that happened before. You didn’t have to extort anything from me because I gave it to you freely. Does that make it sound like I want to drop you now that she’s safe?”

I’d finally made my decision. And now he was throwing it back in my face? Oh. Hell. No. That’s not how this was going to work.

Rix hadn’t said anything yet, and I was ready to drag the words out of him.

“Let me up,” I demanded.

He shook his head. “No. I’m still deciding what to do with you.”

“You don’t get to decide what to do with me. I do. And I’m ready to shake some sense into you.”

His chest shook until a deep laugh echoed through my room.

“You’re one of a kind.” He lowered his forehead so it rested on mine. “I don’t deserve you. Shouldn’t be here. But I’m not goin’ anywhere. You’re stuck with me, duchess. You had your out. I’m keepin’ you.”

I strained upward and pressed my lips to his. “Good thing I’d already decided I was keeping you.”

“Fuck, I wish I was inside you right now.”

“Why aren’t you?” My body was molded to his, and more than ready.

He pressed up on his elbows. “Because there’s a kid in the house, and I don’t roll that way. But I gotta get out of this bed or I’m gonna forget I have a problem with it.”

Trinity. Crap. I forgot.

How could I forget?

I rolled out from under Rix, only because he let me this time.

“I need to make sure she’s still okay. And get her some breakfast. And—”

Rix snagged my hand. “Chill out. It’s okay. She’s fine.”

I might have growled at him, but I’d never admit it.

Rix laughed again and dropped my hand. “Or don’t chill out. Do what you need to do. I’m gonna grab a shower.”

Rix in my shower. After he spent the night in my bed. And we’d decided we were keeping each other. Things were becoming awfully domestic all of a sudden.

The rational voice inside my head whispered this couldn’t last, so I might as well enjoy it while I could. I quieted that voice, but decided the advice about enjoying it wasn’t a bad idea.

I pulled on some clothes and made my way downstairs as I heard the shower water kick on. I wanted to rush back to the bathroom and make sure he was properly caring for whatever kind of injury he had, but I stopped myself cold. Rix’s body was not only tattooed, but scarred. I’d never asked any questions, and it seemed that was exactly how he liked it. He was a capable, grown man and didn’t need me fussing all over him.

He also didn’t need me killing him off with my cooking. I racked my brain for the fastest breakfast places around that might deliver if promised a hefty tip, but the thoughts died when the scent of food hit me.

Bless that girl, she was getting a raise. A big one.

Steam rose from the waffle maker and Trinity scrambled eggs on the stove.

I crossed to the espresso machine and pressed the button, watching as the dark liquid poured into a shot glass.

“I have a waffle maker?”

“It was in the pantry, still in the box. I took a chance, assuming you actually like waffles and didn’t know how to operate it.”

“I’m sure it came with directions . . . I just didn’t try to figure it out.”

“You know you’ve got at least six other appliances in boxes in your pantry. What gives?” She turned and shot me a laughing grin as I sipped my espresso.

“My mother. She thinks I’m going to become a housewife who cooks one of these days. Actually, she’s hoping I’ll start pinning recipes and DIY vertical gardens on Pinterest, and get so caught up I start pinning wedding ideas. She’s crazy, because that’s never going to happen.”

Trinity raised an eyebrow. “You planning on more of a courthouse gig? Your daddy officiating?”

I jerked my head back. “Whoa, let’s not even go there. A wedding is not part of my plans anytime soon.”