she’d been lost in thought, Cinder grinned. “Oh, yeah. I’m great.” And she was. Tired, but oh so happy. She stretched. “It was a long day, that’s all.” But how could any day go wrong when it ended with her at Evan’s apartment? With Evan. She gave a sappy sigh.
Watching her in that concentrating way of his, Evan walked over and offered her a hand up. She let him haul her back to her feet—and into his arms for a proper greeting.
“I’m glad you’re home,” he said against her mouth, and kissed her again.
Home. His home, not really hers.
Maybe she should just come right out and ask him if the arrangements were permanent.
Brick rubbed his hands together. “Now that you two have the smooching out of the way, I hope you’re hungry. I brought over steaks.”
Yeah…she’d talk to him about their living arrangements—after they were alone. “I’m starving. We were so busy today, I didn’t get much time for lunch.”
“The grill’s already hot,” Brick told her. “You’ve probably got fifteen minutes before we eat.”
Doug barked at the door, whined.
“Perfect timing.” She took his leash off the wall. “I’ll take him out, then change clothes before we join you.”
But as she opened the door, Doug lunged forward, almost yanking her off her feet. Cinder held him tighter, confused—and suddenly Evan was there. In one smooth move he handed her Cate and relieved her of the leash. Brick stood with him. Both men looked like thunderclouds.
Cate sank her claws into Cinder’s arm, hissing in upset at the way Doug behaved.
Jesse took her elbow. “Come back inside, hon.”
“But what…?” Doug continued with an awful racket, barking and snarling—and suddenly it hit her. The intruder. “Oh my God.”
While holding her with one hand, Jesse used his other to make a call on his cell.
Evan’s gaze met hers. “Wait with Jesse.”
“ No.”
As if they had it all planned out, each with an assigned role, the men moved in an orchestrated manner. Jesse nudged her back into the doorway, Brick tried to block her. And Evan… Evan allowed Doug to lead him down the hallway toward the front door.
Oh, no, no, no. She watched in horror as Doug yanked at the leash, doing his utmost to get free.
“Wait!” She pulled away from Jesse. When Evan glanced back at her, he wore such an unyielding scowl that she didn’t bother trying to deter him with reason. Instead, she cuddled Cate closer and squared her shoulders. “I won’t have my dog hurt.”
“He won’t be,” Brick told her. “Look at the lot. It’s daylight still. People are out and about. But someone is lurking, and Doug knows it. Let him do his thing, Cinder.”
She said, “Doug,” in pleading tones, but he paid her no attention. He wanted to be free to attack.
Brick stepped in front of her, and with some male-inspired meaning, said, “Let Evan do his thing, too. Okay?”
What in the world was his thing?
“The cops are on the way,” Jesse announced.
That did little to ease her reservations. “What if he still has a gun?” What if, this time, he used that gun?
“We can’t let him get away,” Evan told her. The force of his determination showed in every rigid line of his body. “Not this time.”
“Oh God.” What to do, Cinder wondered. Jesse continued to hold her arm, but she wasn’t dumb. If they were hell-bent on a showdown, she wasn’t going to race out and get in the way. However, she did turn in a rush and race to the patio doors to look out.
Jesse secured the front door and joined her. Together, their ears touching near the glass, they watched as Evan and Brick strode out. The men refrained from talking, almost as if they didn’t know each other. Evan pulled a resistant Doug to the grassy area, but Doug had no intention of doing his business. Not right now.
Brick circled around to his truck and got behind the wheel.
“What are they doing?” Cinder asked.
“Thanks to Doug, they know right where
Watching her in that concentrating way of his, Evan walked over and offered her a hand up. She let him haul her back to her feet—and into his arms for a proper greeting.
“I’m glad you’re home,” he said against her mouth, and kissed her again.
Home. His home, not really hers.
Maybe she should just come right out and ask him if the arrangements were permanent.
Brick rubbed his hands together. “Now that you two have the smooching out of the way, I hope you’re hungry. I brought over steaks.”
Yeah…she’d talk to him about their living arrangements—after they were alone. “I’m starving. We were so busy today, I didn’t get much time for lunch.”
“The grill’s already hot,” Brick told her. “You’ve probably got fifteen minutes before we eat.”
Doug barked at the door, whined.
“Perfect timing.” She took his leash off the wall. “I’ll take him out, then change clothes before we join you.”
But as she opened the door, Doug lunged forward, almost yanking her off her feet. Cinder held him tighter, confused—and suddenly Evan was there. In one smooth move he handed her Cate and relieved her of the leash. Brick stood with him. Both men looked like thunderclouds.
Cate sank her claws into Cinder’s arm, hissing in upset at the way Doug behaved.
Jesse took her elbow. “Come back inside, hon.”
“But what…?” Doug continued with an awful racket, barking and snarling—and suddenly it hit her. The intruder. “Oh my God.”
While holding her with one hand, Jesse used his other to make a call on his cell.
Evan’s gaze met hers. “Wait with Jesse.”
“ No.”
As if they had it all planned out, each with an assigned role, the men moved in an orchestrated manner. Jesse nudged her back into the doorway, Brick tried to block her. And Evan… Evan allowed Doug to lead him down the hallway toward the front door.
Oh, no, no, no. She watched in horror as Doug yanked at the leash, doing his utmost to get free.
“Wait!” She pulled away from Jesse. When Evan glanced back at her, he wore such an unyielding scowl that she didn’t bother trying to deter him with reason. Instead, she cuddled Cate closer and squared her shoulders. “I won’t have my dog hurt.”
“He won’t be,” Brick told her. “Look at the lot. It’s daylight still. People are out and about. But someone is lurking, and Doug knows it. Let him do his thing, Cinder.”
She said, “Doug,” in pleading tones, but he paid her no attention. He wanted to be free to attack.
Brick stepped in front of her, and with some male-inspired meaning, said, “Let Evan do his thing, too. Okay?”
What in the world was his thing?
“The cops are on the way,” Jesse announced.
That did little to ease her reservations. “What if he still has a gun?” What if, this time, he used that gun?
“We can’t let him get away,” Evan told her. The force of his determination showed in every rigid line of his body. “Not this time.”
“Oh God.” What to do, Cinder wondered. Jesse continued to hold her arm, but she wasn’t dumb. If they were hell-bent on a showdown, she wasn’t going to race out and get in the way. However, she did turn in a rush and race to the patio doors to look out.
Jesse secured the front door and joined her. Together, their ears touching near the glass, they watched as Evan and Brick strode out. The men refrained from talking, almost as if they didn’t know each other. Evan pulled a resistant Doug to the grassy area, but Doug had no intention of doing his business. Not right now.
Brick circled around to his truck and got behind the wheel.
“What are they doing?” Cinder asked.
“Thanks to Doug, they know right where
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