Tough Love

by Lori Foster

  Best that she get things cleared up right now.

  “But—”

  His gaze went to the ceiling. “Always a ‘but.’”

  “—you won’t dictate my friends to me.” She didn’t take friends lightly, ever. Leese, with his platonic caring and no-pressure support, was her second best friend, right behind Yvette.

  Gaze clashing back to hers, Stack put his fists to his hips. “You can’t expect me to—”

  “Trust me? Yes, I do. Just as I trust you.” Though he didn’t look receptive, she pressed closer and knotted her hands in his sweatshirt. “You and me, like you said last night. I agreed to that, remember?”

  His hands clasped her wrists. “What I’m remembering is that you threatened to ask Leese to be your date to the wedding if I said no.”

  Frustration twisted her mouth. “Again? We’ve been over this.” Going to tiptoe, she enunciated sharply, “I do not want to have sex with Leese.”

  A cough sounded behind them.

  Vanity froze, then dropped her head to Stack’s chest. “It’s Leese, isn’t it?”

  Stack rubbed between her shoulder blades. She heard his amusement and his satisfaction when he confirmed it. “None other.”

  Vanity twirled around with a strangled welcome. “Leese, hi.” He was now sweaty and undeniably sexy. Wind had tousled his dark hair, and his cold-chafed cheeks made the pale blue of his eyes more pronounced. Like Stack, Leese’s cut body did amazing things for sweatshirts and running pants. “The dogs behaved?”

  “They have more energy than I do.” He laid the leashes on the counter and helped himself to a glass of water.

  Stack tracked his every step with sharpened animosity.

  Vanity nudged him, and when his gaze shifted down to her, she shook her head—an indication that he should knock it off.

  He didn’t.

  “Why’d you call her?”

  Leese finished the water, his throat working as he drank it all. When the glass was empty, he put it in the dishwasher.

  Stack didn’t miss how comfortable Leese was in her kitchen.

  To Vanity, Leese said, “I let them into the backyard since they weren’t ready to chill yet, and I thought you were still painting.” He rested back against the counter, folded his arms, and finally addressed Stack. “I knew she had a lot to get done today. Just checked to see if she needed anything.”

  Match, meet fuse.

  “That’s exactly why I’m here.” Stack took a step toward Leese. “They’re my sister’s dogs. If Vanity needs help with them, I’ll help.”

  Not even a little intimidated, Leese advanced a step, as well. “If it was Armie who’d helped, would you be staging a pissing contest, or is that just reserved for me?”

  “You tell me. Is there a reason you’re different?”

  Vanity threw up her hands. “Know what? You’re both asses, and I don’t have time for it. Let yourselves out. I’ve got work to do.”

  Ready to make a grand exit, she headed for the basement stairs, but Stack snagged the rear of her pajama pants and hauled her back. Wrapping her up in his arms, this time with her back to his front, he said to Leese, “See you at the rec center.”

  With his gaze going over Stack’s firm hold on her, Leese nodded. “Right. Later.” On his way past, he winked at Vanity, which made Stack growl.

  Ready to throttle him, Vanity strained away. “Let go.”

  No reply. Stack held her, occasionally pressing a kiss to her cheek or temple, until he heard the front door close. Then, as the anger uncoiled, he nuzzled her neck. “I’m sorry.”

  Un-freaking-believable. “Oh, now you’re sorry.” Everywhere his mouth touched, her skin tingled—but she fought it. “You owed the apology to Leese.”

  “He and I will talk.” His clever mouth drifted to her ear, making her toes curl. Using his breath as a tease, he whispered, “Not for you to worry about.”

  She started to relax against his big, hot body—then it hit her, and she strained away again, twisting to face him. “Oh, my God. You moved the pissing contest to the rec center.”

  Giving up, Stack released her. “He and I will talk, that’s all.”

  Crossing her arms and tapping one foot, Vanity demanded, “About what?”

  “You.” The dogs hit her back door, and Stack moved around her to let them in. Euphoric at finding Stack there, they began a frantic yapping. Stack knelt down, and Norwood climbed into his lap with his entire body jiggling.

  Maggie piddled on the floor.

  Sighing, Vanity gathered up paper towels and cleaner. While reassuring Maggie that she was forgiven, Vanity swabbed up the mess.

  Stack just watched her. “You’re good with the dogs.”

  “But not so good with friends?” She threw the paper towels in the trash with more force than necessary.

  Slowly Stack stood again. “You’re under the misguided perception that straight men can actually be friends with women that look like you.”

  Looks! Few things could set her off as easily as that.

  “Oh?” She swung around to face him. “So you aren’t Merissa’s friend? Yvette’s? Cherry’s? They’re all attractive, so are you lusting after them?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “No?”

  Eyes widening, she gaped at him. “Oh. My. God. You do! You lust after all of them!”

  Making a face, he said, “I don’t go around lusting after anyone.” Then he verbally backtracked, “Well, you, now. But only because you’ve pushed me—”

  “Oh, poor Stack. Have I driven you to distraction?”

  Curious, he leaned a hip against the counter and studied her. After what felt like an eternity, he said, “Let me start this over.”

  Gesturing grandly, Vanity said, “Go.”

  “All men have sexual thoughts about all attractive women who aren’t related.”

  Her jaw loosened at such an outrageous outpouring of nonsense. She concentrated on her umbrage, rather than her heartache, because it seriously broke her heart to think of Stack wanting every other woman...meaning she wasn’t special to him at all. “So you have—”

  “Considered it? Yes. Ever thought to act on it? No.” He didn’t approach her. When the dogs tried to regain his attention, he pulled two chew treats from his pocket.

  The dogs went nuts.

  After a long look at her face, Stack tended to the dogs. “C’mon Maggie, Norwood. You guys want treats? Good dogs, let’s go.” He led the leaping, woofing dogs to the living room.

  So now he’d just walk away without a word. Throat tight and heart heavy, Vanity turned away to face the window over the sink and concentrated on hiding her hurt.

  Then, big warm hands settled on her shoulders, and Stack leaned around to see her face.

  She ducked, avoiding eye contact.

  “Vanity.” His arms came around her for a hug. He propped his chin atop her head and for the longest time just held her.

  Refusing to be the first to talk, Vanity stood there, loving his touch, wondering what it meant, and knowing she had to get it together.

  Stack gave her another squeeze. “I’m going to try total honesty here, and I hope I don’t dig myself in deeper.”

  She said nothing.

  “I am friends with the ladies. Harper most of all because she’s around the rec center so often. Friends only, because they’re a part of our group. Have I noticed them as smoking hot women? I’m not blind, so, yeah. Have I ever given it thought? Yes. I’m a man.”

  She felt him shrug, and her eyes narrowed. She had to pinch her mouth tight to keep silent.

  “But would I have ever made a move on them? No.”

  Bully for him. So while he imagined sex with all of them, he kept his hands to himself. Big whooping deal.

  When she said nothing, he continued.

  “For a long time we all knew Gage had a thing for Harper. Maybe even before Gage knew it.”

  Yes, one only had to see Gage and Harper together to know they were meant t
o be.

  “For the most part, we’ve always treated her as a relative. Now that they’re married, that’s what she is to us. Family.”

  His hands went to her shoulders, gently massaging while he talked.

  “The day Cherry showed up, everyone noticed, believe me. Cherry’s stacked, and she’s cute and likes to party. But Denver made it clear he wanted her. End of story. We all respected that, and none of us would ruin a friendship over a woman.”

  No, they wouldn’t. They were loyal to each other, and Vanity admired that a lot.

  Stack’s tone went quieter, heavier. “We all remembered when Yvette left. She was still young. We knew what happened to her, what she’d gone through. And of course we knew Cannon had been there when it all went down.”

  Yvette, a sister of her heart. Vanity turned in Stack’s arms, silently asking for comfort from the memories.

  He gave it, gathering her close.

  Yvette had been hunted by a madman, almost raped, threatened with being burned alive... Vanity shivered, and Stack’s arms tightened around her.

  She relaxed enough to share with him. “Yvette had told me about Cannon. She made him sound like Superman. Larger than life and very heroic.”

  “That about covers it.”

  “I knew he was special to her.”

  One of his hands dipped down to the small of her back. “None of us realized she was the one for Cannon, not until she came back to town. Then it clicked. During the years she was away, Cannon dated plenty. But he never settled on anyone. When he saw Yvette again, it was pretty clear. He wasn’t himself anymore. He was... I don’t know. Part of her, too.” He dipped to see her face. “Does that make sense?”

  “Yes. They’re a couple.” Together, they were whole.

  “Part and parcel with each other.” Stack’s hand smoothed up and down her back, then settled lower near her hip. “Merissa is Cannon’s little sis. That alone makes her off-limits. But the fact that Cannon knows us all so well, knows how we think—”

  Indignation dug back in. “Meaning what?”

  Fighting off a smile, Stack said, “Meaning we pretty much focus some part of our brains on sex 24/7. All guys. But it’s just random thoughts. Not intent.”

  Having finally regained her aplomb, Vanity patted his chest. “I understand.”

  “You do?”

  “Sure.” She almost smiled over her deviousness, but she managed to keep it in check as she said, “Women are the same.”

  His relieved expression fell in a comical way. “What does that mean?”

  “Oh, please. You think guys have a copyright on lust? Pfft.”

  Brows gathering together, Stack levered her back the length of his long arms. “So you have been lusting after Leese?”

  Swallowing her laugh, she managed a credible shrug. “I’m saying I’ve noticed his gorgeous blue eyes, that his body is different from yours but just as shredded. Heck, all the guys at the rec center are drop-dead sexy—in their own unique ways.”

  His hands fell away from her. “Un-fucking-believable.”

  “Oh, poor Stack. You were so honest, I wanted to be honest with you, too. I didn’t realize you thought women had only pure thoughts. Were you under the assumption that we sit around thinking about knitting or shopping or doing our nails?” Vanity poked him in the chest. “You think we wear virtual blinders and only notice a guy’s shoulders, abs or butt when we fall in love?”

  “Butts?” Disbelief lightened his scowl. “You’re telling me you moon over guy’s asses?”

  The laugh bubbled out. When she saw the flare of outrage in his eyes, she slapped a hand over her mouth, but it didn’t help. “Muscled glutes.” She could barely get it said around her giggles. “Mmm.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Now you’re fucking with me.”

  Pinching the air, she confirmed, “Little bit.”

  Relief had him taking a deep breath. “Brat.”

  “You are too funny, Stack.” She drew him down for a kiss, then hugged him tight and said, “But we really do.”

  Again he stiffened. Luckily her hold was tight, so he couldn’t get away.

  “You really do what? And, no, don’t you dare start snickering again!”

  She gave him another squeeze for good measure. “Women notice all the same things men notice, including a well-shaped butt.”

  “Hell.”

  “Yours is really nice. All the ladies think so.”

  He groaned.

  “But for now—” she moved both hands down to clasp his sexy backside “—this ass is mine.”

  He grinned with her. “I have no problem with that.”

  “No, you just have a problem with me having friends.” Before he could get his anger going again, she moved away and then pointed at him. “We’re the same. We both appreciate good eye candy.”

  His lip curled. “Men are not eye candy.”

  “That is the dumbest, most sexist thing I’ve ever heard. Men are totally eye candy—especially when we’re talking buff fighters. But my point is that, like you, I can admire without crossing a boundary. And so can Leese.”

  “Not the same thing at all. Leese would be in your pants in a heartbeat if you gave him any encouragement.”

  “I...” She closed her mouth, because that one stymied her. Would Leese be amenable to that? Sure, she admired him physically. But he wasn’t for her, not that way.

  Stack crossed his arms, waiting.

  Rolling her finger in the air, she said, “Rewind. Do you think Leese is honorable?”

  His jaw worked before he gave a grudging confirmation. “Yes.”

  “And an honorable man wouldn’t overstep, especially among friends. Right?”

  A pulse in his temple throbbed. “Depends on how well he understands the circumstances.”

  “Well, there you go!” She threw up her hands. “I’d already told Leese we were hooking up after the wedding.”

  Cold disbelief washed over his expression. His whispered “What?” sounded worse than a shout.

  But given her own annoyance, Vanity didn’t care. “And this morning I told him that we’d extended things. Believe me, Leese understands because I explained it to him.” And he’d been happy for her.

  Stack’s eyes burned. “You gossiped about us to Leese?”

  Retrenching a little, Vanity turned her tone reasonable instead of defensive. “Talked, not gossiped. He’s a friend. Friends share things.”

  “What exactly did you tell him about us?”

  A knock sounded on her front door, followed by the manic barking of the dogs.

  Expression lethal, Stack stepped aside, giving her a path to the living room.

  Glad for the reprieve, Vanity hurried her step, nudged the dogs aside, peeked out, and then wanted to groan. She rubbed her face, mentally braced herself, and opened the door to Armie and Justice.

  “Hey, doll.” Catching Maggie’s collar so she couldn’t get out, Armie bent to put a kiss to Vanity’s cheek and stepped in uninvited.

  Restraining Norwood, Justice followed him. “Vanity. How goes it?”

  She knew Justice, but not as well as the others. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. A veritable behemoth at six feet five inches tall, his dark hair hacked into a mohawk, his goatee untrimmed, Justice might intimidate most people. But Vanity knew he was friends with the others, and that told her he was one of the good guys.

  “It goes well.” She closed the door behind them. “What’s up?”

  “On our way to the rec center,” Armie said, while giving the dogs a few pets. “Figured we might as well swing by to see if you need anything.”

  Justice held up a pack of colas. “And I needed to replace these since I helped myself during the football game.”

  Reminding the dogs of their fresh chews, she said, “Maggie, Norwood. Look what I have.” Enthused all over again, the dogs gave up their adoration of the guests and went back to snacking.

  With that accomplished, Vanity said to J
ustice, “I wanted you to make yourself at home.” She prided herself on being a good and generous hostess.

  “And I want to repay.” He turned to head to the kitchen and tripped over his own feet. “Stack. Whassup, man?”

  Armie glanced that way, too, then did a double take. “What the hell, man. Someone steal your favorite toy or kick your puppy or something?”

  Stack’s narrowed gaze transferred to her.

  Oh, great. So he wanted her to explain? Fine, she would explain. “We were discussing life and relationships and the differences between men and women. Some of my insights have left him less than pleased.” She pushed past everyone and headed through the kitchen for the basement door. “I’m touched by all this sudden concern, and the revolving door visits have been fun, but now I really do need to get to work.”

  Again, Stack caught her as she passed, pulling her in for a kiss she assumed would be quick and...wasn’t.

  Holy smokes, it wasn’t.

  When he finally let her up for air, he brushed her cheek with his thumb and smiled. “I’ll see you tonight at the rec center.”

  A reminder, or did he need confirmation that she wouldn’t back out?

  Like she’d let a little disagreement throw off her big plans. Not likely.

  “I’ll be there.” She forced one foot in front of the other, each step taking her farther away from what she really wanted, which was more of that heated kissing.

  More of Stack.

  The dogs rushed to join her and almost trampled her on the way down the stairs.

  Her painting waited. She needed to finish it. She really did.

  But without another thought she set it aside and replaced it with a smaller blank canvas. As she mixed a bit of acrylic paint, she smiled.

  Yes, she and Stack had hit a few roadblocks. But like her, he didn’t hold a grudge. Tonight she’d have him all to herself again.

  Little by little, she’d win him over—as planned.

  * * *

  STACK TOOK THE colas from Justice, put them in the fridge, then pointed to the front door.

  Wearing jackass grins, both Armie and Justice retreated.

  “Care to share the details of your and Vanity’s little chat?” Armie asked.

  “No.” He opened the door, and after they’d all stepped out, he locked it and pulled it shut. “How about you tell me what happened after the wedding instead?”