"I'm sorry… about your friend, Dom."
Dom just snorted. "We weren’t friends. We were associates. Paths crossed. That was it."
"Of course. You know I don't believe that."
"Well, that's what the official line is going to be. Don't want any more questions than that. Not from outsiders."
"I understand that. But I am not an outsider. "
Then he was pulling into her parking lot. "Stay here. I'm going to check the place first. Keep the doors locked. You know the drill."
"You are not leaving me out here after dark while you go inside. Not happening."
"Still afraid of the night, huh, baby?"
"I probably always will be."
"I know. And you deserve so much better than that."
Madison led the way into her kitchen again. Dom had checked in her closets and under the bed, just like she’d suspected he would. Now she was dealing with the cat. Missy was rubbing around her legs, saying hello. Then the cat went to him—to be picked up. Missy liked Dom, she enjoyed rubbing all over him. Dom usually tolerated it. Since he’d invaded her life lately and everything. She rarely had people to her place, except her mother and Max and Charlotte. Mostly she went out to her family’s house or to Shelby or Zoey’s or their other friends. Mostly she and her friends hung out at Shelby’s. There was plenty of room, and an amazing pool. And since Shelby had recently been pregnant, they’d just wanted to keep her where she was the most comfortable. Zoey’s place was another favorite hang-out—Madison and Charlotte liked to play with the smarthouse features Luc had installed to see what they could make them do.
But…hanging out lately hadn’t happened. Everyone had been so busy recently. And with what had happened…she didn’t want to think they were drifting apart, but sometimes that was what it felt like.
Madison looked at her invader. He still had thatlookin his eyes. He was hurting.
Madison didn’t know what made her do it, but she just walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. I know it hurts, whether he was your friend or not.”
It took a moment, but Mr. Tough Guy wrapped his arms around her and just held her right back.
She hated that he was hurting. Dom was more sensitive than he would ever show the world. Someone needed to remember that.
“You don’t have to be tough and strong all the time, you know. Not with me.”
His arms tightened on her. And he lifted her.
Madison strongly suspected she knew what was about to happen.
She met him halfway.
It really did feel like the world was changing right now. It just did.
He hadno business putting his damned hands on her. Dom told himself that, even though he had her in his arms.
He was just thirty feet from the stairs to her bedroom.
All he had to do was carry her upstairs. He’d strip her down and show her exactly what she did to him. Remind himself thathe was alive, she was alive, and all they had were the moments between them.
But he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that to her. She needed a different kind of man than he was.
He knew that.
What could he give her, really?
He pulled back. “I am not going to do this. You deserve better than me.”
“What kind of man is better than you? For real, Dom. Tell me. Because I know you. The real you.” The challenge in her words was hard to miss. “You aren’t exactly a serial killer. You like kids and small animals. And you would never willingly hurt me. I’m tired of the excuses. From both of us. You…are just scared. I scare you. So either…do something about what this is, or…put me down. And we go back to the way it was. I can’t keep…doing this. We both know it. So…make the decision.”
Hell. She was basically telling him she was his for the damned taking.
