Sweet Temptation

Despite the firm grip her teeth had on her bottom lips, tears welled in her eyes.

Connor herded her into the living room and pushed her down onto one of the leather sofas.

“Talk to me, sweetie,” he said in a gentle voice.

Some of his calm invaded her, and she took several steadying breaths. Despite his calm, she noticed that he gripped his cell phone as if he were ready to place a call the instant she told him what was wrong.

“Nothing’s happened,” she said. “Micah is fine. He’s pissed but he’s fine.”

Connor relaxed just a bit, but his brows drew together in confusion. “Where is he? Why the hell are you out by yourself?”

She closed her eyes. “He told me to get out so I left. If I wasn’t so tired, I would have just kept on driving. It’s what I should have done.”

Connor’s mouth worked up and down, and his right eye twitched. He raised a hand to his head and ran it raggedly over his hair. Finally he found his voice, only to spit out a string of expletives.

“What the ever-loving fuck? He told you to get out when some crazed asshole is stalking you?”

Her lips turned down into a sad frown. “He had good reason.”

For a minute she thought Connor was going to explode. He was absolutely furious.

“There is no reason he should have thrown you out. I don’t care what you did to piss him off.”

“He was right,” she said in a small voice. “I’ve manipulated him at every turn, but I didn’t mean ...” She closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I never meant to hurt him.”

“Christ,” Connor muttered.

He moved beside her on the couch and pulled her into his arms.

“Do I even want to know what the hell you supposedly did that warranted him tossing you out to face some crazed lunatic on your own? Because I can’t think of any goddamn reason to justify it.”

“I can’t tell you,” she said against his chest. “He’s pissed enough that I know.”

Connor pulled her away and stared fiercely back at her. “You don’t owe him a goddamn thing. Not now.”

Connor’s cell phone rang, and he yanked his gaze to the coffee table, where he’d placed it.

He scowled. “It’s Micah.”

She pulled away and hugged herself protectively.

Connor shook his head and reached for the phone.

“What the fuck do you want?” he snarled into the phone.

“Have you seen Angelina?”

It was said so loud that Angelina could hear every word. He sounded so furious.

“Yeah, I’ve seen her. I’m looking at her now.”

“Sit on her until I get there.”

Connor pulled the phone away in surprise. “Asshole hung up on me.”

She nodded miserably, knowing that round two with Micah was coming.

She stiffened her spine. Some of her shock melted away, replaced by her own anger. No way in hell she was going to apologize for loving someone.

Micah roared into the apartment complex parking lot and whipped into the space next to Angelina’s car. His anger over her revelation had quickly fled and been replaced by gut-wrenching fear the minute he realized she’d left.

He wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled and then he wanted to spank her ass.

He holstered his pistol in his shoulder harness and stepped out of the truck. He hadn’t worn a weapon since he’d left Miami and yet it still felt like second nature. An extension of himself. Some things never changed.

He hurried to Connor’s door and rapped sharply. The door opened immediately, and Connor stood there looking for the world like he wanted to beat Micah’s ass.

Micah sighed and brushed past his friend. “Where is she?”

“I put her to bed. She probably cried herself to sleep.”

Micah winced. Talk about playing dirty.

“What the fuck were you doing, Micah?” Connor asked in a dangerously low voice. “Have you lost your goddamn mind? I don’t give a shit what she did to piss you off. You’re a fucking bastard for tossing her out when some asshole is after her.”

Micah mentally counted to ten. He had no desire to get into a damn fight with Connor over a misunderstanding. He sat down on the couch and rubbed the back of his neck. Hell, how had it come to this? Not an hour ago, he’d planned a night of making love to Angelina. Now everything had gone to hell, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it.

“Look, man, I’m guilty of getting pissed. I’m guilty of losing my temper and I’m guilty of hurting her feelings, but goddamn it, I did not kick her out of the house. I told her to get out. I meant of the room. I was pissed. Hell yes. She has the uncanny knack of making me insane. I swear to God no one else can make me react like her. But I’d never do anything to put her in danger.”

The corner of Connor’s mouth lifted. “What did she do to piss you off so bad?”

Relief made him fold inward. Angelina hadn’t told Connor everything. Of course she wouldn’t. She was intensely loyal. Head-strong, courageous and loyal to her bones.

“No offense, man, but that’s between me and Angelina.”