She should have felt guilty that someone threatened violence over her. Clifton was a petty criminal, and Carmella hated that this part of her life had to touch Duke at all.

But there was no denying how it made her feel that he wanted to protect her. Gave her a place that was safe.

It wasn’t that Carmella forgot the only person she could count on was herself. It was more that she allowed herself to count on Duke too. Just a little.

“Come spend the night.” She stood and he followed, locking up and joining her on her front porch.

The new key was odd. Different. The lock was smooth where her old one was sticky. Ginger ran inside to smell everything and make sure no new dogs had moved in. Duke stepped in next, keeping Carmella behind him until he was sure everything was all right.

No one had ever done that for her before.

“Oh, Mick and I made you a window box. I hope that’s okay. I forgot to tell you.”

Delighted, Carmella went out the back door to find a pretty white wood window box full of red geraniums.

“This is beautiful.” She hugged him. “Thank you.” She used the excuse to keep her face buried in his chest as she choked back the lump of emotion in her throat.

“We had the extra wood after fixing your window. That asshole did a number on the sill so we rebuilt it for you. We installed a motion detector light back here too. Don’t worry, we made sure it didn’t point at anyone’s window. But it’s better lit back here now and on the side of the house as well.”

“Thank you doesn’t seem like enough for all this. I feel better knowing you did this.”

Duke’s smile softened. “Good.” He turned them around and steered her back inside. “Let me show you the new lock on the bedroom window. The shower was fine, though I lubed it just a little so it opens and closes better.”

“You are so damned handy.” She paused at her bedroom doorway. “I need to change the sheets and tidy up in here.”

“Let me help.” He started toward the far side of her bed. They’d put the mattress back in place the night before after Clifton had tipped it to see if she had anything beneath.

“I’m good. Really.” She blurted it and he paused to look her over carefully.

“Right on. I’ll play ball with this other pretty lady to tire her out. She guarded us today while we worked so she deserves some fun.” He called Ginger’s name and she roused herself, casting a glance in Carmella’s direction.

“Go on. I’m fine,” Carmella said, and after a quick bark, the dog tore after Duke, leaving her alone. What she needed was to get over this break-in. To take back her house and reclaim it.

So she changed the sheets and cleaned her bedroom up, vacuuming and putting her freshly laundered clothes away.

An hour later she went outside to find Craig and Duke sharing a beer and still tossing a ball with the dog.

“Really? A voicemail, Carmella?” Craig asked as he caught sight of her.

“You were in class but I wanted you to know before you found out some other way.”

He hugged her and then slugged her arm with big brother strength.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“Not calling me last night. You are such a brat.”

Duke cleared his throat. “That’s one free shot as I understand your annoyance and she’s your little cousin. But now we’re done.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked all bulgy and hot.

There was simply no limit to the ways the man was sexy. How ridiculous was that? If she spent hours doing physical labor in the summer sun, she’d look like a sweaty, sunburned mess. Duke just looked glisteny. A little sweat. A little sunscreen. The setting sun glinting against the strands of gold and white in his hair.

Despite the memory of the break-in, before that? In his hallway like there was nothing else to do but rut and scratch and fuck? That was so honest and raw she was still reeling from it on some level. Together like that, skin to skin, it was the most truthful she’d ever been with anyone else. It was more than sexy, it was overwhelming and fantastic and she yearned for more.

Craig interrupted her filthy thoughts about Duke. “Roger that. I told Mom and Dad what happened and that I was coming over here after my last class. You owe me for that,” Craig said, hugging her again, this time without the sock in the arm.

“I’ve covered your ass so many times in so many ways you’ll owe me favors until the end of time,” Carmella told Craig. “Anyway, everything is fine now. I didn’t want to worry any more people than I already had. It’s just Clifton. It’s not as if I’m shocked he’d rip me off.”

“If I see that weasel around town …”

“Get in line,” Duke said.

“Okay now everyone spit and hitch up your pants,” Carmella said.

“You can make fun all you want. But we don’t know what his motivations are here,” Craig argued.

“He’s smart enough to run some small-time cons, but too lazy to learn the technology to run better ones with lower risk and higher return. So he’s caught in a downward spiral with no real prospects of getting better. He’s not malicious. He’s just pathetic. Yes, I’m mad because he stole from me even after all the times I helped him out in some way. But more than that, I guess I’m just relieved he’s out of my life and I feel sorry for him.”

“You don’t know what the years have done to him. What his circumstances are now. Desperation drives people to do risky stuff,” Duke said.