So Riley Ames had just rocked his world.

He’d expected it to be good. To be really good.

He hadn’t expected to want to throw her over his shoulder, carry her to bed and never let her leave. He was always pretty ready for them to leave. He never wanted to keep them. He had to-go coffee cups, for fuck’s sake.

But he never wanted Riley to drink coffee anywhere else.

Damn, this had gotten complicated and messy. Really fucking fast.

He finally kissed her shoulder and moved back. She turned in his arms, and they kissed long and deep. He couldn’t keep his hands off her ass.

“Let’s go to bed,” he said against her lips, squeezing that ass.

But he felt her push him back. She pressed her lips together and looked up at him, adorably disheveled and flushed.

“We probably shouldn’t do that.”

He lifted a brow. Oh, they definitely should. “Why not?”

He could tell she was considering not telling him what she was really thinking. He squeezed her ass. “Don’t lie to me, Ry.”

If she was surprised he knew what she was thinking, she didn’t show it. She took a breath. “Because if we go to bed, we’re both not getting anything else done today and you’ll be late to work.”

Okay, that was all true. And hearing her say it was hotter than hell. He leaned in and kissed her, then said, “Sounds about right.”

“And we can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“The guy who’s always around, doing everything for everyone, suddenly disappears for a day? I think they’ll notice.”

“They?” But yeah, they would.

“The whole entire town.” She pushed him back, and his hands slipped from her butt.

He sighed.

She laughed. “Yeah, being the town’s favorite person might have a drawback or two.”

Normally having stuff to do, places to go, people waiting for him to show up, was a fantastic excuse to get gone. Now, he was regretting everything.

And that was, actually, what pulled him out of the Riley daze. He didn’t want to have to report in about everything he was doing to anyone, and he didn’t want someone coming along and changing up his routines and, hell, his life. He liked things the way they were. Being with a woman who he’d grown addicted to within only a few days of hanging out and after fucking her once against the wall was not a part of the plan here.

That hit him right in the chest. He was looking for a relationship, but he was looking for one with someone who wouldn’t mess with his life and who wouldn’t—and he cringed even thinking it—be someone he could be so wrapped up in, he wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Shit.

Fuck.

Damn.

That was a crappy way to approach a relationship. Even he knew that. If he didn’t want to be involved in someone else’s life and have them involved in his, then he shouldn’t be in a relationship.

Which was exactly why he’d avoided it until now.

His dad tried to juggle everything—his interests and the things he needed and wanted to do, with his wife’s constant need for reassurance—and it never worked. For either of them. She wondered where he was. He hated that she didn’t trust him. Then he felt guilty for not giving her all the reassurances she wanted, and she felt guilty for needing them in the first place.

But as Derek stared down at Riley, he realized that he was so fucked when it came to her if he didn’t want to be involved and wrapped up. She was already a part of his life. They had a history. They knew each other’s families. He wanted to encourage her in the job with Scott. He wanted her to tell him that his pizza business was a fantastic idea.

And he wanted to fuck her over and over and over again in every position and room in his house.

And he would kind of love it if Riley was the least bit clingy.

And he had no fucking clue how he was going to be able to date Lucy now.

“Yeah, okay, I guess you have a point,” he conceded.

She put a hand on his face, and he had to actually hold himself back from saying to hell with it and throwing her over his shoulder anyway. “Yeah, I have a point,” she said softly.

He wondered briefly if she was reading some of his thoughts and emotions on his face. He turned his head and kissed her palm. Then he smacked her on the ass and said, “If you don’t want to end up bent over on my kitchen table, you better get out of here.”

She gave him a smile. “Well, I do want that. But I’d still better go.”

She bent to retrieve her clothes, and he watched her pull them on. “But you have to say it before you leave, you know,” he told her.

Riley pulled her shirt over her head and then lifted her hair out of the back of it. “Say what?”

“You know.”

She frowned slightly, but the next moment it was clear she caught on. She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not saying it.”

“You have to.”

“No way.”

“I mean, it’s very easy to tell that you think so, but I really think it’s only fair you say it.”

“I am not saying it.” But she was grinning.

He moved in close, palmed her ass once more and kissed her. Because he wanted to prove his point.

And because he couldn’t help it.

When he lifted his head, she sighed. “Fine. You really are a Sex God.”

He chuckled at her tone. “Damn right.” Then he pinched her and let her go.

“I’ll see you later,” she told him, blatantly taking another long look at his naked form.

And said form started stirring to life again just from her look.

“See ya.” He stood, waiting for her to actually leave.

It was the right thing. She should leave. They couldn’t have sex all afternoon. But he certainly wasn’t pushing her out the door.

Which should have been the biggest red flag of all.

She sighed and shook her head. “Just wow.” Then her eyes finally made it back to his. “See ya ’round.”

He laughed. “Yep.” No matter if it was complicated or not, there was no avoiding that.

Finally, she turned and headed for his door.

And for the first time in his life, watching that door shut behind a woman made him feel anything but relieved.

“I can’t believe you charged him.”

Riley sighed as her mother put more green beans on her plate. “Why wouldn’t I charge him?”

“He’s your brother.”

“And he hired me to do a job. That he can afford to pay me for,” Riley said.

“Do you have any idea how much Kyle gives away to this town?” Erika asked, pulling out her chair and sitting down across from Riley. In the chair she’d sat in for every meal Riley could remember.

“Yes, I have an inkling,” Riley said dryly. “But I didn’t do his clinic website as a favor, and he’s not a charity. I did it because his other designer messed up a bunch of stuff, and he needed some new features added.”

For fuck’s sake, her mother wanted her to have a job. Now she had one, kind of, and she wasn’t supposed to charge for it?

“You don’t understand,” Erika said, passing the plate of pork chops to her husband. “I guess the computer business is different than health care. But Kyle does a lot of his work for free.”

Yes, and he could calm the storms and walk on water. Riley got it. She’d gotten it a long time ago.

“I just thought you could help him out this way and indirectly contribute to the town,” Erika added.

“How am I contributing to the town by not charging Kyle for the website?” Riley asked.

“You’re helping out the guy who helps so many other people out,” Erika said. “Kyle has the money to pay you, of course.”

Of course. Because perfect Kyle was far too successful and smart and generous to ever be plagued with not being able to pay his bills.

“But the money he pays you could go to something else. Like that little boy who is having to have some kind of kidney treatment while his dad is deployed. Or Elizabeth Victor,” Erika said. “Kyle helped Derek put a ramp in at her house now that she needs a wheelchair when she’s out of the house.”

Hearing Derek’s name made Riley’s heart thump in her chest, and she had to resolutely not think about it. “But if Kyle already put the ramp in, how does this money help with that?” she asked.

She vaguely realized that she was being a brat. She knew what her mother meant. And she didn’t need the money. She had no bills, living here with her parents. And she had to be honest—as long as she was in Sapphire Falls, she’d be living with her parents. There weren’t a lot of places for rent, and she wasn’t buying anything that might signify a commitment to staying.

But there’s a really nice couch about nine blocks away. Or even a bed. He invited you into the bed.

She pushed that thought away. She couldn’t just keep sleeping on Derek’s couch, and she definitely couldn’t sleep in his bed on any kind of long-term basis.

Could she?

“You know what I mean,” Erika chided as she took a bite.

Riley sighed again and started eating as well. Yeah, she knew what her mom meant. All of the things her mom meant. Like that Riley’s job could be simply a way of supporting the much more important work her brother was doing.

“I’m working with Scott Hansen on a project for his task force.”

Erika looked over as Jake passed the pork chops. “What task force?”

“The sex trafficking task force he works with.”

Erika frowned. “Sex trafficking?” She looked concerned. “Why is he doing that?”

Riley set her fork down and leaned in. “Because it’s a huge problem, and he’s in law enforcement and wants to make a difference.”

“But what does he do for that?”

“They go after the people who are trafficking,” Riley said. “They find the people doing it, shut them down, arrest them, save the people they’ve tricked and manipulated and trapped.”

She was aware that her voice had risen slightly and that her mother was looking horrified. But that didn’t bother Riley. Erika should be horrified. Everyone should be horrified about it.

“Where does he do that?”

“All over the state. The Midwest even,” Riley said. “But, Mom, it’s happened everywhere. There are local girls affected. Guys too. It’s not just females.”

“No Sapphire Falls girls have been sex trafficked,” Erika said resolutely.

And she was right. “Yet,” Riley said.

Her mother’s eyes widened. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true. Anyone could be a victim. Even kids from Sapphire Falls.”

Erika shook her head. “We would know.”

Riley leaned in, but she took a breath before she launched into a rant. Erika wouldn’t listen to that. She needed to present the facts calmly and clearly. “These victims don’t go into it knowing what’s going to happen,” she said. “These people use all kinds of things to lure them in. Sometimes it’s a call for models or actresses. Sometimes it’s job offers—like nanny positions that will allow them to travel to amazing places and see the world. Sometimes they’re tricked by someone they meet and get to know and think they can trust.”

Erika swallowed. “The kids here don’t think about things like modeling or traveling the world.”

Riley laughed at that before she could stop herself. “They’re kids, Mom. They think the same things that kids in other places do. And yeah, I realize it’s never been easy for you to believe, but sometimes people want to leave Sapphire Falls.”

“Yes,” Erika said coolly. “I’m aware. I’ve been told many times.”

Riley felt a little pang in her chest. Why couldn’t her relationship with her mother be easier?

“Well, anyway, I’m working with Scott and the task force,” Riley said, bringing the conversation back around. She wanted her mom to know this. She was proud of the fact that she’d been able to help Scott with a couple of the sites. And if she’d introduced a horrible virus to another and flat-out crashed a fourth all on her own, well…everyone knew that technology and the internet could be finicky.

“How are you helping? It’s not dangerous is it?” Erika asked.

“I don’t want you anywhere around those scumbags,” Jake agreed. “You need to be careful.”

“I’m nowhere near any of them,” Riley said. Though she was already feeling a little urge to volunteer to help Scott more directly. “I’m helping with the computer side of things. They sometimes use websites to attract their victims. I’m helping with taking them down.”

Erika looked surprised for a moment. “You mean you’re hacking them?”

Riley didn’t usually mind the term hacking, but when her mom said it, it came with a whole bunch of judgement. “Yeah, I am.”

“So you’re helping to take the bad guys down by getting into their websites?”

Riley nodded. “And I’m working on tracking their bank accounts now.”

There was a flash of something that almost looked like Erika was impressed. Then she frowned. “Is it legal?”

Riley sighed. “Of course. I’m working with the cops.”

“Are they paying you?”

“They are,” Riley told her. Okay, so those details weren’t completely finalized, but Riley was in now. She’d learned enough and already felt enough pride in what she was doing that she was going to keep up with it. And she was going to impress Scott Hansen at least. She was going to become valuable to them. And then she was going to ask them to pay her if they didn’t offer. “But I’d do it for free,” she added. “I really would. This is important work. I’m helping do something that matters.”

Erika gave a slow nod. “Yes. You are.”

Riley couldn’t believe the sudden jab of relief and happiness she felt in her chest. Should she care what other people thought of her? Maybe not. But she wasn’t sure anyone could ever fully shake the idea of wanting their mothers to be proud of them.

“And I’ve been thinking about doing an advocacy and education event here,” Riley said, before she could overthink it and decide not to share. Her mom was very involved in the community and had been a part of arranging a number of community events. She could be a great resource. Especially considering Riley didn’t know much about putting those kinds of things together.

“What would that be like?”

“It would be a way to educate the people of Sapphire Falls about sex trafficking and how close to home it can hit and what to be on the lookout for. Peyton and I were also talking about somehow showing victims that Sapphire Falls is a safe place. If they’re traveling through and need help, or if they escape and need a place to go…”

“Couldn’t that bring some of the sex traffickers to town too?” Erika asked. “If we make a big deal about it, they might decide to come here to look for girls.”

Riley frowned. “Sex traffickers could already be coming through town,” she said. “They could be gassing up at The Stop. They could be eating at the diner or getting a drink at the Come Again. We can’t build a fence or a bubble around Sapphire Falls.”

Though from everything she’d heard, Scott was trying his best to keep watch over every inch of the town. Partly because of his work with the task force. He knew how normal the people involved in the dirty, horrible world of sex trafficking could look and how easily the victims could fall prey.

“Don’t say that,” Erika told her.

“Not saying it doesn’t make it less true,” Riley said, barely resisting her eye roll.

They all ate quietly for a couple of minutes.

Then Erika said, “You know, I’m sure your brother has worked with sexual abuse victims.”

Riley swallowed. Yeah, she was sure he had. And she was sure he was good at it. Kyle was calm and reassuring and could even be funny and charming if needed. He was also a damned good doctor. She nodded. “I’m sure he has.”

“Have you asked him about any of this? Maybe to get involved?”

Riley pressed her lips together. She hadn’t. Not because he wouldn’t be great at it, but because… She wasn’t sure. She supposed she thought maybe the ultimate advocacy project would involve a lot of people, a committee or something, and she was not the kind of person to head up something like that. She guessed that Scott would do it. Maybe. Or Peyton. Not that Peyton was any more the committee chair type than Riley was.

She set her fork down and decided to be honest with herself first. She hadn’t asked Kyle because she kind of wanted to do something great that didn’t involve him.

Then she decided to be honest with her mother. “Kyle doesn’t have to be a part of everything in this town.”

Erika opened her mouth to reply when they heard the front door open and, “Hey, anyone home?”

Speak of the devil.

Kyle came into the kitchen with a big grin and a huge cake in one hand, and Hannah’s hand in the other.

“Hi, honey.” Erika pushed back from the table and went to take the cake from him.

“Are we in time to have dessert?” Kyle asked. He slapped his dad’s shoulder while Hannah leaned over and kissed Jake’s cheek.

“Hey, Riley,” Hannah greeted.

“Hi.” Riley really liked Hannah. She made Kyle happy, and it was clearly mutual. All through high school, Hannah had been a fixture at this kitchen table. She and Kyle had been inseparable. They’d broken up for a few years, and Riley knew that Kyle had tried to get over her. But Hannah had only been back in Sapphire Falls for a few days before they’d gotten back together. And Riley could honestly say that Kyle had relaxed since Hannah had been back. He smiled more. He joked more. He took more time off. Not that he was ever completely off. He was the only doctor in town. But he didn’t go looking for jobs and activities all over town like he’d once done. Like Derek did now.

And just that easily, Derek Wright was back in her head. Did Derek keep himself so busy because he didn’t have any reason to stay home? And if she’d said yes to staying in bed all day, would he have really blown off all the odd jobs she was sure he had lined up? And would he really be able to blow them off on a regular basis once he had a girlfriend?

And why did she suddenly hate the idea of him having a girlfriend?

Riley forced her thoughts back to the conversation happening around her. About the education and advocacy program that she’d just told her parents about. The conversation that went on without her, with Kyle and Hannah both inputting what they knew and getting excited about helping.

Riley sat back in her chair feeling disappointed and suddenly left out. Of something she’d brought up. Dammit.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she suddenly prayed it was someone whose computer had crashed and needed help immediately. She didn’t want to play IT guy to the entire town and yet…it beat having dinner and dessert with her family at the moment.

But it wasn’t a computer crash.

It was Derek. And her stupid heart did a stupid flip.

You know, you could come down early to taste test the pizza.

Pizza. Now there was something that was always a good idea. And Derek. Who had recently become one of her favorite ideas. Oh boy.

I’d actually love that. But might be a bit. Kind of in the middle of something.

Kyle and Hannah there?

Yes. How did you know?

He mentioned it.

Ah.

But I will see you later?

Hope so.

She did want to get out of here, but she was also aware that if she left in the middle of this conversation, it would look like she didn’t really care about the topic. And God only knew what her family would come up with without her. They’d have the entire program planned. And very likely she’d be left out of it completely.

Ten minutes later, Riley had put her foot down twice—about a program and event that she’d only just begun having the tiniest inkling about yesterday—and she had four pages of written notes that she planned to run past Peyton. She wasn’t sure how this whole thing had snowballed on her, but that would teach her to open her mouth to try to impress her mother.

Then again, some of these ideas were really good.

But she was now really ready for some pizza. Or some Derek. She wasn’t sure which, but pizza seemed like a safer thing to be craving.

The doorbell rang, and she nearly sagged with relief at the interruption. “Okay, this is all good, but I have to talk to Scott,” she said. Scott, who hadn’t exactly hired her for the job. The job that she wasn’t even sure technically existed. But she was going to have to make it exist. Or maybe she’d do this all voluntarily. But either way, she was going to do it.

“I’ll get it,” Jake said, pushing his chair back.

Riley took the opportunity to get up too. She was going to get pizza. This was enough family time for now.

But as she gathered her papers and her mom started picking up the dishes from the table, her dad came back into the room. “Hey, everyone, Derek’s here.”

Riley’s head came up fast, and her gaze collided with Derek’s the moment he rounded the corner. As if he’d been looking for her first.

“Derek.” Erika was clearly thrilled to see him. “Hi, honey. Do you want some cake?”

“Hi, Erika.” He crossed to her and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “Nope, I just dropped by to pick Riley up.”

Riley felt surprise jolt through her. He looked over at her and winked, and she covered her shock. “Oh, is it time already?”

“Pick Riley up?” Erika asked.

“Yeah, she’s taste testing some of my pizzas tonight for me.”

Erika looked at Riley. “You didn’t say anything. You didn’t have to eat with us if you promised to help Derek.”

Which Riley decoded to mean, “If you have a chance to hang out with Derek, you should take it because he’s amazing.” And he kind of was.

“I’m always happy to taste pizza,” Riley’s dad joked.

Derek laughed easily. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be asking you all what you think. But I have to start with Riley.”

“Oh?” Erika asked.

“Yep,” Derek said. “I haven’t quite been able to convince Riley that I can do no wrong like I have you.” Derek put an arm around Erika’s shoulders and gave her a smile. “I need her brutal honestly here at the start.”

Erika squeezed him. “Well, it’s hard not to think that.” She returned his smile, then focused on Riley. “You’ll be nice though, right?”

And it suddenly hit Riley that she could not date Derek. No matter what. Not that it was on the table or even the remotest possibility, but she couldn’t date him. Her mother would never think she was doing that right. If Riley couldn’t even become a sex trafficking victim’s advocate without her mom thinking she needed help, there was no way she could be in a relationship—something she was not all that great at to date—with one of her mother’s favorite people in the world without her thinking Riley wasn’t doing it right. God forbid they ever have an argument. Or break up.

“I’ll be honest,” Riley said. But good Lord, at this moment, she loved him for showing up like this. “But yes, I’ll be nice.”

“You just have a tendency to be a little blunt,” Erika said.

Riley opened her mouth to reply, but Derek beat her to it. “That’s one thing I love about her.”

Whoa. That was…what?

“I also love that she’s always up for trying new stuff, that she can hack the shit out of any computer system, and that she never apologizes for just being her.” He gave her a grin, and Riley felt her panties get a little warm. “If Riley likes something, you know it and can truly bet on it being awesome.”

Yeah, whoa. Just…whoa. He loved things about her? Things that drove her mom crazy? And he was willing to say that to her mom?

“Don’t you think it’s awesome that you can always depend on Riley to make you think about new things you haven’t thought about before and old things in a different way?” he asked, directing the question at Erika.

Riley realized she was holding her breath.

Her mother was studying her with a puzzled look on her face. After a long moment, she nodded. “I guess she does do that.”

Riley couldn’t have been more surprised if her mother had announced she was going to get a few tattoos to match Riley’s.

There was a long, totally silent pause. Then her brother, shockingly, said, “Yeah, me too.” He gave Riley a grin. “And if Riley says Derek’s pizza is good, everyone will know that’s the God’s honest truth.”

That was nice. It wasn’t that Riley didn’t think her brother loved her. She knew that her inability to be on time for things and her messy bedroom and her general disregard for most rules drove him crazy. But she’d always gotten the impression that Kyle understood why she did the things she did. All her unorganized, don’t-care attitude had been on purpose. She was actually quite on top of things with her work and, while her apartment in California wasn’t immaculate, it wasn’t the mess her high school bedroom had been.

But it was nice to hear Kyle say some things he appreciated about her too. And that it was her honesty that people most liked.

And if I say Derek’s good boyfriend material, all the women in town will know that’s the God’s honest truth.

She could do that. She would do that. He was a good guy. Who she couldn’t have.

But she felt her freaking bottom lip tremble.

Coincidentally, that was the moment Derek let her mom go, took three steps toward her, and held out his hand. “So, let’s go already. I can’t wait to see what you think.”

She didn’t look at her parents or her brother as she reached out, took his hand, and let him tug her out of the kitchen.

He kept going down the hall toward the front door.

“Who’s covering the bar?” she asked, the realization that he showed up here when he should have been at work just occurring to her.

“I’m not the only one who can pour beer in this town. I’m just the only one willing to stay up until midnight doing it every night.” He shot her a quick grin.

For some reason, her stomach flipped.

“So who’s babysitting the bar while you run over here?”

He pulled the front door open. “Bryan. Until midnight. Then he’s closing up.”

“The bar is closing at midnight?”

“Yep.” He gestured for her to step out of the door.

“But what about the people who all come in after midnight?”

“They’ll be okay.”

She still hadn’t stepped out of the door. She turned to face him fully, standing closer than she really needed to for the conversation. But he’d rescued her in there. And she wanted to stand close to him. Really close. “Why aren’t you going to be at work tonight?”

“I have somewhere else to be.”

“Where?”

“With you.”

That made her feel a rush of warmth and affection. Was that what he was feeling? Or was he feeling sorry for her? Or horny? “Why?”

He let out a breath. “Ry, do you really want to talk about that? I mean, we can delve in, if you want, but I think that might be more than either of us is really up to right now.”

He had a point. A very good point. This was complicated. And that meant he wasn’t just horny or feeling sorry for her. “Are we going to eat pizza?”

“Maybe.”

“But that’s important to you.”

He looked down at her. “Yeah. That’s one thing that’s important to me.”

Oh, boy. They didn’t even need to actually talk about anything for this to be complicated.

“You’ll have to cook the pizzas in the oven at the bar for them to taste right.”

He nodded.

“So eventually, we’ll end up there.”

“Eventually.”

“Okay.” She took a breath. “But let’s not go straight over there.”

“Where do you want to go instead?”

That was a no-brainer. The warmth and affection contributed to her feeling horny. But a second later she corrected that. It wasn’t horny. Exactly. She just wanted to be close to him. As close as she could get. “Somewhere where no one will look for us. And that we can be naked for a while.”

His gaze heated and he nodded. But he didn’t seem completely surprised. “I really do like it when you’re blunt.”

Yeah, he’d even told her mom that.

And Riley wanted to climb on top of him and lose herself in pleasure with a guy who not only really knew her, but appreciated some of her more annoying characteristics.

They drove out to the river. She knew that’s where he was headed the minute he turned out of town. And it was the perfect choice. No one would look for them to be there together, alone.

Once they had bumped over the narrow dirt road that led down to the river, he turned east and continued along the bank for a few hundred feet. The dirt road ended at the best place to park and carry coolers down to the sand right along the edge of the river. It was the most popular party spot. It was also a spot that was likely to have other visitors at some time tonight. Instead, Derek turned and drove over the grass, heading west, and parked two football-field lengths away. He backed the truck up to the edge of the short bluff that overlooked the river and killed the engine.