No.

I pulled my wrist out of his clasp and put more space between us.

It was dangerous being near him.

Because I still wanted him. I still...

No, not going there. Because he’d hurt me, remember?

We continued our trek to my car, until finally its white-covered hood came into view.

Except there was one problem.

Cuba cursed. “Someone slashed your tires, Dovey.”

“Someday I’d tell her.”

–Cuba

WHO WOULD DO this to her car?

“Spider?” I bit out as I checked out the flattened tires.

“Never,” she said, worry on her face. “Maybe a prank or a mistake. I don’t know.”

I stood. “Come home with me. I’ll call the garage and have them take care of this.”

“I don’t really have a choice,” she grumbled, tossing her bag in the back of the Porsche as I opened the door for her.

We drove to my neighborhood at a slow crawl. She’d gotten quiet, and when I glanced over at her, she was out, her head propped up by the window.

I was glad I’d found her.

Anything could have happened to her out in the cold on dark streets.

And Spider? My mouth tightened at the thought of her and Spider kissing. But she’d called him by my name. And that thought completely messed with my head. One side of me wanted to take her home, tuck her in, and then head straight back over to Spider’s and beat the ever-loving-shit out of him. Number one for kicking her out, and number two for kissing her in the first place. Not that I had a claim on her. I know I didn’t.

And hadn’t they probably done a lot more than that together?

On the flip side of that, another part of me, one that I didn’t allow to come to the surface much, got a hot thrill at the thought of her saying my name when she kissed a guy.

Yeah. Made me hard and pissed off all at the same time.

Pulling up in the circular drive, I noticed the front lights were on, which meant Dad was home. I parked, and it took some balancing, but I swept Dovey up in my arms and carried her to the side door next to the kitchen. Dad flicked on the porch lights and met me there, dressed in his plaid robe, wearing his wire glasses and holding a book.

Finally, I could tell him my news. Get it off my chest.

Since I had no available hands, he opened the door for me, wearing a frown.

“Who is she and where have you been?” he said in his steely voice, following me as I eased through the kitchen and down the hall.

I huffed. Really? He hadn’t been home in five days and I got this?

Dovey muttered something as I adjusted my grip. “This is Dovey, and I’m putting her upstairs. She’s exhausted. Can we do this in a minute? She’s kinda heavy.”

He gave me a short nod and tapped his book against his leg. “Come back when you’re done.”

I found the guest room nearest mine and lay her on top of the covers, remembering another time she’d stayed the night with me. She stirred around, her eyes blinking open.

“Nice digs,” she mumbled sleepily and stretched. Her pants shimmed off as she started undressing, obviously too tired to care that I stood there.

I backed up to the door, trying to be a gentleman but wanting to stay. “You need anything?”

She waved me on, but still I stood there, my eyes lingering on her exposed flesh. Leave, I told myself, but I couldn’t yet. Her face was too soft, probably from being tired, and she looked beautiful.

She turned to pull back the covers, and my heart thundered when I got a glimpse of her pink lace panties.

I groaned. I knew exactly what she tasted like under those panties. Hot and wet and sweet as honey.

Get the fuck out, I screamed in my head. But, of course, I didn’t.

Is it bad I was tempted to slide under those covers with her? That I wanted to press my naked body against hers and forget our past. That I wanted to claim her with my mouth and wipe all memories of Spider’s kiss away. But I wanted so much more than just a measly kiss.

Hadn’t it always been like that with her? Hadn’t she always consumed my dreams, my deepest desires?

Because right now my body was aching for hers. I wanted to talk dirty to her and taste her core until she came, her hands fisted in my hair. I wanted to get behind her and teach her that my cock was the only one she’d ever need. Never Spider. Never that stupid ass Jacques.

But I couldn’t do that.

I’d nearly told her the truth about some things out in the snow. I’d been so tempted to let it out, to spill my guts to her. Good thing I hadn’t. I didn’t need complications right now.

She sighed as she burrowed into the covers, and I wanted to hear her voice once more.

“Dovey?” I said, and she answered me with a soft snore.

I sighed, wanting to stay with her, which was completely irrational.

But, Dad was waiting for me, and I couldn’t put this off any longer.

I went back downstairs, leaving her.

He was sitting by the fire in his study, sipping on what looked like bourbon and coke.

First thing he said was, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here on Monday.”

Yeah. I sat on the brown leather couch near the fire. “You’re not around much anyway, so it’s not like I expected it. I see the sitting service more than I see you.” That wasn’t exactly true, but I missed him, and I was angry at his absences.

Enough is enough.

He rubbed his forehead, drawing attention to his tired face and the black circles under his eyes. Her death hadn’t been easy on either of us. He’d loved her.