“Fine, say what you have to say so I can leave.”
He knew if she really wanted to leave, she wouldn’t stay to hear him out. He took that as a promising sign. “The truth is my last relationship kind of messed me up.”
She looked wary, her eyes raking over him. “You look fine to me. That chick you were banging the night you called me would probably agree.”
“Maybe I’ve been doing what you do,” he said, testing her, hoping she wouldn’t retreat further. “Sticking to safe bets, people I know can’t hurt me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She paced the small room. “And I really don’t have time for your psycho-babble. I’ve got real problems.”
He wanted to hear more about those problems, but that would never happen until she believed she could trust him. “If I’m not too invested, it won’t bother me if she walks away.”
The flash of light in her eyes when she looked at him told Rowan she got it. She got him.
“But seeing you walk away today did bother me, Ten. In fact, it bugged the shit out of me.” He stepped closer, daring her to let him. “That’s how I knew you weren’t a safe bet.” His breath was fanning her face, but he was keeping his promise. He wasn’t touching her. “You’re dangerous. You think the same of me.”
She let out a ragged breath, shaking her head even though the truth was in her eyes. “No.”
“You want me, and that scares you because it’s been a long time since you’ve wanted someone. I mean, really wanted them.” He knew exactly how she felt. Hell, he could read her mind right now because he was thinking the same thing she was. Bail or risk it?
“No.” The word came out as a broken sob before she cleared her throat and shook her head furiously. He didn’t know if she was mad at him for backing her into a corner or at herself for showing some real emotion, but her vulnerability only made him want her more.
“No you don’t feel it or… no you can’t take a chance on me?”
“I can’t. I won’t.”
She tried to be so strong all the time. He wondered if she ever let anyone in, aside from her brothers.
“Then this is the end of the road for us?” He’d never felt such loss over something he’d never really had.
“It has to be,” she said, looking as disappointed as he felt. “Maybe if we’d met some other time—”
“Sssh.” He didn’t want to hear her excuses. If she couldn’t be with him, the reasons didn’t matter. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me an explanation. I mean, we barely got started, right? Hell, we haven’t even slept together.”
But he knew that didn’t make what he felt for her any less real. He’d slept with some women dozens of times and felt nothing when he said good-bye to them. But with Tenley, everything felt different.
“Good luck next season.” She tried to smile, but it never reached her eyes. “I’ll be watching you kick ass on that mound.”
Sure, she would—on the TV screen, from her comfortable sofa. Where her heart wasn’t at risk. Where Rowan couldn’t touch her and she couldn’t touch him. Where it was safe.
“Thanks.” He reached the door, and he felt her chest brushing his back. She may have just been anxious to leave, but he preferred to think she wanted the same thing he did. He turned and cradled her face, remembering his promise not to touch her. “One more kiss.”
She responded by thrusting her hands into Rowan’s hair and plastering her tight little body against his. Their tongues danced, both of them getting hotter with every stroke, and he knew if he didn’t get the hell out of that room, he’d take her right there on the desk.
“Gotta go,” he panted, tearing his lips from hers. “While I still can…”
Chapter Seven
“This can’t be,” Walker said, pacing his penthouse. “How the hell did this happen?”
He turned on their older brother, Brant, and glared at him. Brant, not one to be intimidated, glared right back.
“Don’t blame me!” Brant shouted. “I’m just the messenger! If I had my way, that bastard would be in jail for the rest of his life after what he did to Tenley.”
The bastard Brant was referring to was Tenley’s ex-fiancé. The man who’d tried to take her life. According to the prosecutor who’d put him away, Justin had paid his debt to society, and now he was getting out early for good behavior.
She thought she’d have more time to live her life, more freedom. But her sentence came early. Eighteen months early. Now his period of incarceration was ending, and hers was just beginning. She knew he’d come after her. His last words still haunted her. A threat promising it would never be over, that he’d never let her go.
“He can’t come within fifty feet of her,” Brant said. “And he’s still on probation. He’ll have to check in with his probation officer for the next—”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” Walker asked, throwing his arms in the air. “You think this son of a bitch gives a goddamn about some restraining order? You’re a cop, Brant. You know those things aren’t worth the paper they’re written on half the time.”
Brant was an undercover cop who busted drug dealers. He looked the part with his bulging, inked biceps, faded jeans, leather jacket, biker boots, and black bandana. No one would question whether he was a legit member of the motorcycle gang he was currently trying to infiltrate.
“Well, it’s all we’ve got,” Brant said with a worried glance in his sister’s direction. “Besides, she’s not as defenseless as she was back then. She’s got a gun, and she knows how to use it. I made sure of that.”
Tenley loved going to the shooting range with her brother, but the thought of putting a bullet through someone, a man she’d once loved no less, scared the hell out of her. “I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to assure them as well as herself.
Not looking convinced, Walker said, “Maybe you should stay with me for a while until we can figure out what he’s got planned. This building has twenty-four security and—”
“I won’t be his prisoner,” she said, thinking of the dark days when he’d made her just that. “Not anymore.”
Brant’s eyes softened before he pulled her into his strong arms. Ever since they were kids, these two guys had been her lifeline. She knew she wouldn’t be as brave as she was if she didn’t know they had her back, that they’d lay down their own lives to protect her.
“You don’t have to be,” Brant said fiercely and kissed the top of her head. “Because I swear to God if he comes after you again, I’ll hunt him down like a dog, and this time I will kill him.”
Last time it had almost come to that, but she’d convinced Brant to let the law handle Justin.
She just assumed her ex would get more than seven years for kidnapping and threatening to kill her. But he’d cut a deal. It seemed like a lifetime ago when the prosecutor proposed the plea deal that would allow Tenley to avoid testifying at his trial.
She thought she’d have more than enough time to banish the ugly memories, but she still woke up screaming and thrashing, begging for her life and feeling as though her hands were bound while his threats echoed in her ear.
“What’s this I hear about you having a new boyfriend?” Brant asked, holding her at arm’s length. “Are you really dating Rowan Nixon?”
“Not anymore.” It had been five days since she’d heard from him. He’d probably forgotten about her by now.
He glanced at Walker. “I thought you said they were together?”
“Last I heard they were,” Walker said, shrugging. “But how the hell should I know? She doesn’t tell me about her personal life.”
Because her brothers were overprotective and didn’t think anyone was good enough for their baby sister. Except Rowan. Walker had made it clear he thought he was good enough. Probably because he was angling for front row seats to his next game.
“I can’t think about that now,” she said, hoping they wouldn’t ask questions she couldn’t answer. Like why she’d pushed
Rowan away without giving him a chance. She’d been asking herself that question ever since she watched him walk out of her brother’s office.
Her safety would always be more important to Brant than her love life, or lack thereof, so she asked him, “Do I need to take any special precautions?”
“For starters, you can take my Mustang,” Walker said. His “spare” car was the classic car he’d lovingly restored because he’d obsessed over it as a teen and believed he’d never be able to afford one. “It’s safer than the bike. Plus, your ex doesn’t even know I own that car, so he wouldn’t know to look for it.”
Tenley loved her bike and the sense of freedom Pearl promised every time she straddled her, but Walker was right. She wouldn’t feel safe out in the open like that, where any maniac with a grudge could have a clear shot at her.
But she knew how much he loved that car. “Are you sure?”
“You’re more important to me than a set of wheels,” he said, as though he could read her mind. “Take the car.”
“It’s not a bad idea for you to think about staying here,” Brant said, leaning on the arm of Walker’s leather sofa. “Just for a little while.”
“I don’t want to turn my whole life upside down.” She knew she’d have to make some concessions, but he’d already taken too much from her. “I’m staying at the apartment with Stacey. Besides, I can’t leave her there alone knowing he’s out there. He might come looking for me, and that would put her in the line of fire.” At least Tenley had a prayer of defending them if her ex showed up on their doorstep. Her friend was defenseless.
Walker seemed to consider that before he said, “You could both stay here.”
Brant chuckled. “You’d want your ex-girlfriend staying here with you?”
“She wasn’t my girlfriend.” Walker swiped a hand over the dark stubble on his jaw. “She was a hook-up.”
“Oh?” Tenley said, deciding to test him. “Then it won’t bother you that she’s dating Ace Phillips.”
Walker’s jaw dropped. “Shut the hell up! Since when?”
Huh, so he wasn’t as immune as he pretended to be. Interesting. “Less than a week, I guess. But they’ve been together almost every night. I think he’s spending the night at our place tonight. Which reminds me, can I crash here? They can get kind of loud.”
Walker’s neck was corded as he folded his arms. “Are you telling me she’s sleeping with this guy already?”
“Why should that bother you, Walker?” Brant asked, tongue in cheek. “You said she was just a hook-up.”
“It doesn’t bother me. Why the hell would it bother me?”
Brant and Tenley refrained from laughing as they watched their brother stalk down the hall and slam his bedroom door.
“He took that better than I thought,” Tenley said, sinking into the couch cushions and kicking up her feet.
***
Tenley sneaked into the apartment early the next morning, hoping to grab a quick shower and change her clothes before work without having to run into the happy couple.
She liked Ace and she thought he was good for Stacey, but she always got the feeling he was sizing her up, trying to figure her out, and it made her uncomfortable.
“Hey,” Ace said, making her jump as she closed and locked the door.
“Shit, you scared me,” she said, her hand to her chest. “Why’re you up so early?”
“I like to train first thing in the morning,” he said, raising his coffee cup. “I was going to whip up some eggs. You want some?”
Her stomach was grumbling, but she wasn’t sure breaking bread with one of Rowan’s best friends was a good idea. “I have to get ready for work.”
“Stacey said you guys didn’t start ’til nine.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s only six thirty. That’s why I let her sleep. You have plenty of time. Come on, join me. I hate eating alone.”
The lure of freshly brewed coffee finally convinced her. She sat on a stool at the breakfast bar between the small dining area and kitchen, watching him whip up scrambled eggs for himself and a cheese omelet with toast for her.
“So why’d you screw my buddy over?” he asked, tossing a tea towel over his shoulder.
She should have seen that coming. “Is that what he told you?”
He passed her a cup of coffee with sugar, milk, and a smile to soften the blow. “He didn’t have to tell me anything. I’ve known him a long time. When he gets all quiet and broody, I know there’s a reason.”
“And it’s usually a woman?” she asked, adding another teaspoon of sugar to her steaming brew.
“No, it’s rarely a woman. But this time, the pieces fit,” he said, stirring his scrambled eggs in a smaller skillet. “He was psyched about meeting you, then all of a sudden he doesn’t want to talk about it. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out something went wrong.”
“If he doesn’t want to talk about it, what makes you think I would?” She could tell Ace was the kind of guy who didn’t pull any punches, so she felt comfortable calling him out.
He grinned. “I can push you. I can’t push him. There’s a good chance he can kick my ass. You can’t.”
She didn’t appreciate being underestimated, but not many men could stand their ground against Ace Phillips. Even with years of kickboxing under her belt, she still wouldn’t stand a chance. Not that a guy like Ace would ever go toe-to-toe with a woman. She could already tell he was too much of a man for that.
His smile slipped, and he tipped his head toward the door. “Since you didn’t come home last night, can I assume there’s someone else?” When Tenley didn’t respond, he said, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell him. I wouldn’t do that to him.”
“I spent the night at my brother Walker’s place.”
“Ah, yeah, this brother I keep hearing so much about.” His lips were drawn tight as he set two loaded plates between them.
“Stacey’s talked to you about Walker?” Tenley couldn’t believe she’d talk to her new boyfriend about her ex-boyfriend. What was she thinking?
“Just in passing.” He shrugged, trying to play it off as if it didn’t matter. “She mentioned something about you working for him.”
“Then you know they dated?” she asked before popping a bite of cheese-laden perfection into her mouth.
“Yeah, she said something about it.” He looked wary, as though he were holding his breath. “She said it wasn’t serious though. Was it?”
Tenley thought about Walker’s reaction when he’d found out Stacey was sleeping with someone else. “Um, I don’t think so.” When someone tapped on the door, she gasped, her eyes widening. “Who could that be?”
“Relax,” Ace said, resting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just my training partner. We’re going to hit the gym.”
He walked to the door and checked the peephole before he opened it.
Tenley swore softly when she saw Rowan walk in. Ace couldn’t have warned me?
“Hey,” she said when Rowan’s eyes landed on her.
“Hey,” he said softly, looking as uncomfortable as she felt.
“I’m just going to get changed and say good-bye to Stacey,” Ace said. “Be right back.”
She gestured to the coffee pot on the counter across from her. “Coffee’s hot. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
The sight of his broad shoulders in a tight gray T-shirt made her heart thump erratically. If she’d had half a brain, she would have screwed him senseless before she sent him on his way. At least then she would have had memories instead of worthless fantasies.
He turned to face her, taking in her skinny jeans, black tank top, and ballerina flats. “You’re up early. I thought you don’t start ’til nine.”
“I just got in.” She sipped her coffee as she waited for his reaction. Testing him was cruel, but she wanted to know if he’d care that she may have been with another man last night.
“You just got in?” He leaned back against the counter, bringing the
mug to his lips. “From where?”
At least he wasn’t jumping to conclusions. “I spent the night at my brother’s.” She tipped her head toward the bedrooms. “Thought I’d give those two a little privacy.”
“I asked Stacey why they don’t just spend the night at Ace’s place. You know what she told me?”
Tenley wasn’t sure she wanted to guess. “No. What?”
“She told me that she doesn’t like leaving you alone. She said you have wicked nightmares. What’s that all about?”
Stacey hadn’t known her when Justin was a part of her life, and since Tenley didn’t talk to anyone outside of her family about her ex, Stacey had assumed she’d suffered from night terrors since childhood, and she let her believe that.
“Who knows why people have night terrors?” she asked, tearing her gaze from his. “It’s a mystery, right?”
“Is it?” His eyes locked on hers as though he could hear what she hadn’t said.
She cleared her throat, desperately hoping he’d be willing to change the subject. “So how’ve you been?”
“I’ve been better.” He took a sip of coffee. “You?”
“Same.” With a fork, she pointed at the skillet. “There’re some eggs left over. Help yourself.”
“Did you make them?” he asked with a smirk.
“No, your friend did.”
He shrugged. “They should be edible then.”
“And if I made them, they wouldn’t have been?” she asked, trying to hide her smile.
“I didn’t say that.” He scoured the cupboards until he found a bright pink plate that made him grimace. “Seriously?” He held it up. “You expect me to eat off this thing?”
“What’s wrong? Does it threaten your masculinity, big guy?”
He chuckled before dumping the rest of the scrambled eggs onto his plate. “No. Nothing threatens my masculinity.”
As her eyes trailed over his muscular body, she realized he was right about that. He was all man. No doubt.
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