She was the first girl I kept around for more than one night. She was the first girl I ever actually dated and not just slept with. She was the first girl I could ever remember that made me both hot and bothered and cold and frozen in the same breath. Every time I took her to bed, or put my mouth on her, or held her close, the nagging thought that I better enjoy all of it while she was still around slapped me across the back of the head and reminded me I better be careful because if it had ripped me apart when she left before, I felt like it would hollow me out and leave me empty when she left me now.

I had gone from all the “remember whens” to appreciating all the things she brought with her to the here and now. We were no longer catching up and reminiscing but learning about each other as the adult versions of ourselves, and I had to say I liked all the things that came with grown-up Salem Cruz a whole lot.

My favorite thing was how she seamlessly fit into my life and in with my friends. It was like she had always been part of the Marked family and like she had always been in D-town. She was funny. She was still brutally honest but in a more subtle way than Cora was. She called me out when I got uncomfortable and put on the charm and flirt to distract her from whatever topic I was trying to avoid, usually something having to do with the past and her sister. She had lived an interesting life in the time since she had left Loveless behind, and her travels and experiences made for a lot of valuable life experience and a truly independent woman. I loved that if I was tired or wanted to go hang out with Jet when he was in town, she didn’t care. She was perfectly fine on her own and I found that remarkably sexy. And while she was okay letting me just do my thing while she did hers, when we were in bed together it really felt like there was no physical way to get close enough.

Sex was nothing new to me. I thought I had seen and done it all. I mean there were only so many ways two people could come together. But every single time I was with her I felt like I was experiencing something brand new. Every touch, every kiss, every breathless sigh or guttural groan, every shimmery orgasm, the kind that made my spine feel like it would snap in half from pleasure . . . all felt new and overwhelming. I was having a hard time processing what that meant and I worried if what was happening between us felt the same to her. It was just another bunch of firsts I could attribute to the raven-haired beauty.

I was walking out the front door and double-checking that it was locked behind me since the shop was closed Sunday and Monday when a soft female voice interrupted me.

“Working late?”

I looked over my shoulder after pocketing the keys and gave half of a grin to Sayer as I recognized her in all of her elegantly cool glory—even at almost nine on a Saturday night she seemed regal and refined. She looked like she had just left high tea or court.

“Yep. You, too?”

I had no problem being friendly even if once again I felt like she was standing on the sidewalk in front of the shop specifically for me. Salem had mentioned running into the pretty lawyer once or twice while getting coffee and she seemed to think the woman was harmless. I wasn’t so sure I agreed.

She shook her head in the negative. “No. I was actually headed this way and noticed you were still working and I finally worked up the courage to approach you for the real reason I’ve been lurking around. I was waiting for you to finish your appointment and come out. I was hoping you had a free minute to talk with me. Maybe we could grab a coffee or a drink?”

I blinked at her in shock. First, I had serious doubts I was even slightly her type if her reaction to being in the shop the first time was anything to go by. Second, she knew Salem, so she had to know we had something going on between the two of us, and if she was ignoring that, then all the class she exuded had to be for show. Third, I didn’t think I wanted to have anything to do with her real reason for semistalking me.

“Uh—no. I’m sort of seeing someone. I’m not interested.” I generally had more tact than that but I was still slightly dumbfounded by her and the moment.

She smiled at me sadly and shook her head again. “Not a date, Rowdy. Not even close.” She heaved a deep sigh and I saw something working in her very blue eyes. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot. She blurted out like the words had been trapped inside of her for a long time, “I’m your sister . . . well, half sister, but still we’re related.”

All I could do was stare at her while she stared back at me. I was sure she had to be joking. Finally, after what felt like five solid minutes of silence, I threw my head back and laughed. I laughed so hard tears collected in my eyes and my ab muscles started to hurt. It took me another minute to catch my breath and I told her, “That’s a f**ked-up joke, lady. I don’t know what kind of game you think you’re playing at but it isn’t funny, and I am beyond not interested.”

I went to walk around her when she stuck out a manicured hand and latched on to my elbow.

“I’m serious, Rowdy. My dad—our dad—passed away last year from a massive heart attack. I was finalizing his will with the estate lawyer when I was stunned to realize he wanted me to split everything in half with someone I had never heard of before . . . his son.” Her eyes were pleading with me. “You.”

I shook her off and took a step away from her. She had to be out of her ever-loving mind, but as I narrowed my eyes at her I couldn’t help but notice her eyes looked awfully similar to the ones that stared back at me in the mirror every morning.

“You’ve got to be kidding me right now.” I had spent my entire life alone. I had been thrown into an overcrowded system because there was no family to claim me, and now this woman was trying to tell me there had been someone out there all along with my blood in their veins. I couldn’t believe it—or her.

“He was married to my mom when you were born.” She bit her lip so hard a bead of blood pooled up under the pressure. “He was a very hard man with a lot of secrets. It took months to track you down. Texas has far too many children in the system. When I finally did locate you I couldn’t figure out a way to tell you. I actually pictured it going exactly like this. When my company offered me a transfer to Denver, I thought moving here and settling in would give me some time to work up to breaking the news, figure out a way to approach you and get to know you. I just kept chickening out.”

I shoved my hands through my hair, messing up the slicked-back style and causing the blond strands to stick up all over the place.