Alexis hesitated in the doorway as Bryce’s eyes widened. He fumbled with the remote, dropping it in his lap twice before he mashed the power button and turned off the TV.

She rested her hand on the knob. “I’m sorry. I should’ve knocked.”

“No, no.” He stood and wiped his palms on his pants. “I gave you a key. I wanted you to use it.”

As she stepped into the living room, she slipped out of his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. She immediately missed its warmth and woodsy scent. It had been like a permanent hug from Bryce over the last couple of days. “I got your message.”

His Adam’s apple rose and dipped as he swallowed. “Good.”

Sam bounded toward her, his tail wagging like a tornado, and she bent down to pet him. “What were you watching?”

He ran a hand through his hair and cast his gaze to the TV. “Oh, uh…football.”

She suppressed a grin and ran both hands over the dog’s shoulders, giving him a good scratch as his left leg thumped the floor. “Who’s playing?”

Bryce chuckled. “The Saints, of course.”

“The Saints?” She straightened and put her hands on her hips. “Didn’t they play last night?”

He scratched his head and looked at his dog. “I DVR’d it.”

“Right.” What was he up to, and why didn’t he want her to know what he was watching?

He picked up a plate from the coffee table and rushed into the kitchen. “Are you hungry? Karen made some amazing jambalaya. Want some?”

Her heart dipped into her stomach to swim through the jealousy boiling there. He had a woman cooking for him? “Sure. Who’s Karen?” She shuffled into the kitchen and picked up the pink stationary lying on his counter. It would be her luck if he had a girlfriend he’d neglected to tell her about. “She have the hots for you?”

He stopped and looked at her, and the corner of his mouth tugged into a crooked, kissable grin. “She lives downstairs. Read it.” He gestured to the paper.

She scanned the note. “Who’s Michael?”

“Her son. I talked him down from an eleventh-story window ledge. That’s why I was in the hospital that day. When I found you.” He locked eyes with hers, and her stomach fluttered. When he’d found her…like she’d been lost.

Maybe she had.

“You…Wow.” Her chest warmed as if her wolf were saying I told you so.

He shrugged. “It’s my job.”

“You act like it’s no big deal.” Of all the things for him to be proud of himself for, saving lives should have topped the list. She set the stationery on the counter.

He took a deep breath and twisted the ring on his finger. “I know it is a big deal, but I have to play it down. Ultimately, it was his decision to let me grab him and pull him to safety, like it would have been his decision if he jumped. If I go around saying I saved his life, then what will I have to say if I lose someone?” His hazel eyes held a deep sadness, as if the safety of the world rested on his shoulders.

Having that kind of responsibility was unimaginable. She sank into a dining chair as he put a plate of food in front of her. What a stressful job that must have been. “I never thought of it that way. Have you ever lost anyone?”

He hesitated, his gaze growing distant before he blinked and shook his head. “No, but I’ve only been doing this for a few months. I know people who have.” He settled into the chair next to her.

“Still, it’s amazing what you do.”

“Thanks.” He held her gaze, the look in his eyes somewhere between a smolder and curiosity. He was either going to drill her with questions or pull her into his arms and kiss her, and she couldn’t handle either at the moment.

Focusing on the food, she took a bite of jambalaya. The overwhelming heat of the spices burned her tongue, but she couldn’t seem to stop eating. She shoveled it in and had cleaned her plate before she realized it.

The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. “Hungry?”

She took a sip of whiskey. “I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal. Tell Karen I said it was delicious.”

Bryce cleared the dishes from the table and washed them in the sink. Alexis watched his backside as he dried the plates and returned them to the cabinet. He was meticulous in his ways, putting each dish in its proper place before wiping down the counters and the table and pouring two more glasses of Jameson.

He was a walking, talking contradiction. Cool and cocky on the surface, but inside he was so much more. He saved lives for a living, dedicated his life to helping others. Her initial perception of Bryce had been all wrong, and her wolf was gloating in her soul.

“Shall we?” He gestured to the living room.

She followed him to the sofa and sat next to him, shifting her knees toward his so she faced him. The intensity in his gaze held her as he pressed the glass to his lips and took a sip. A tiny drop of alcohol dripped onto his lower lip, and his tongue slipped out to retrieve it, sending a warm shiver cascading down her spine.

He set the glass on the table, never taking his gaze off hers. “What made you decide to come back?”

She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. “It’s pretty cold out tonight. Didn’t want to sleep in my car again.”

“I see.” His eyes searched hers, penetrating her soul, making her want to open up to someone for the first time in her life. Could he really be the one? Was she ready to listen to her wolf?

“That’s a lie.” Her body involuntarily drifted toward him.

“I know.” He didn’t move away.

“I came to see you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” She reached behind his head and pulled his face to hers. Their lips met, and warmth spread through her body like a wildfire consuming a forest. She closed her eyes as her tongue brushed his, and he slid a hand to her hip. She wanted him. To feel his hands on her body, his bare skin pressed to hers. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him harder, trailing her lips across his jaw and down his neck.

“Alexis.” He gripped her shoulders gently and pushed her away.

His eyes swam with emotion, the greenish-gold irises almost molten, the brown flecks seeming to shimmer as he blinked. He looked at her with desire, but his mouth pressed into a hard line. “As much as I enjoyed that. I need answers before it happens again.”

She slumped her shoulders. Of course he needed answers. He deserved them. He deserved so much more than she could give him.

He released his hold and leaned back on the couch. “This Eric guy. He your boyfriend?”

She stared at her hands folded in her lap. “I used to date him a long time ago, before I met you. I guess he still thinks there’s something between us, but there isn’t. I swear.” She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “It’s kinda like you and that red-headed nurse.”

“Not even close.” His jaw clenched, the tendons in his neck tightening like wires. “Is he the reason you climbed that tower? Was he trying to hurt you?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

“Why did you lie to the police?” He stared at her, his silence willing her to continue.

She held her breath as a hundred different lies flitted through her mind. There were a thousand ways she could spin this story, but in her heart, she didn’t want to lie to Bryce. “I did a job for him.”

He arched an eyebrow.

“Not like that. I do construction work. I fix things. It’s how I make a living. I soundproofed a room for him, so he could start a heavy metal band and not disturb the neighbors.” That wasn’t a lie. She never would’ve done the job if she’d known the real reason he needed the room.

He let out a dry laugh. “That sounds about right for a guy like that.”

“When things didn’t work out between us the first time, I left him. Then he called me a few months ago to do the job, and I needed the money so I agreed, but he never paid me. He gets an allowance from his dad, and he said he was late on the deposit, so I waited. When I went back to collect, he still didn’t want to pay, but he did want me to stay.”

Bryce’s hands balled into fists. “And he hurt you.”

Her gazed drifted to the floor, and she forced the word over the lump in her throat. “Yes.”

His eyes softened. “Why won’t you press charges?”

This was the hard part. She couldn’t tell him the real reason, but he could obviously spot a lie. She’d talked to Eric’s dad and done all she could to stop his idiotic plan.

“I want it to be over. I don’t want to deal with all that, and I never want to see him again. Please.” She reached for his hand, and his fist relaxed under her touch. “Can we let it go?”

The sound of his teeth grinding told her the answer. “He’s the ‘wrong kind of guy’ you always go for?”

She clutched her hands in her lap. “I guess so.”

He leaned away from her. “And that’s what you think I’m like?”

“No. I…I don’t know.”

He rose and shuffled behind the couch. “Well, you’re not doing a very good job of keeping your distance if I’m the wrong kind of guy.”

She twisted around to face him. “I’m trying to figure out what kind of guy you are. You’re cocky one minute, and then you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met the next. You care about people, but you act like nothing bothers you. I can’t stop thinking about you, though I honestly don’t know who you are.”

“Who do you want me to be?”

“I want you to pick one. Either be the sweetheart or be the jerk, but don’t keep me guessing which one is real.”

He crossed his arms and studied her. His gaze narrowed as he chewed his bottom lip and drummed his fingers against his forearm. “You want to know who I really am?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll show you the real me, but you’re not going to like him.” He hesitated then slowly moved around the sofa and took the remote from the coffee table. “You wanted to know what I was watching? Here you go.”

He pressed a button, and the TV flickered on. A bald man in a futuristic red and black shirt filled the screen. “Star Trek. I was watching Star Trek.” He picked up the book from the end table. “I’ve read The War of the Worlds eight times. You accused me of being a sci-fi nerd, remember?” He lowered his gaze to the book and sighed. “Well, you were right.”

Why didn’t he want her to know he’d been watching Star Trek? “Just because you like science fiction, it doesn’t make you a nerd.” She grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Eric likes Star Wars. You can still be a jerk.”

He sucked in a breath like he planned to say more, but then he clenched his jaw shut. He tossed the book onto the table and dropped into the chair. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m a jerk.”

“That’s what I thought.” Not even close. She stood and paced around the couch.

Bryce stared at the TV screen. “Get me a beer while you’re up.” Though he’d tried to make it sound like an order, the inflection on the final word lifted, turning his attempted command into a request.

She stifled a laugh and continued to the front door. “Nice try.” He was too sweet to bark orders. Turning the knob, she pulled it open.

Bryce shot to his feet, a hint of panic tightening his eyes. “Hold on, now. You don’t have to leave.”

She straightened. “Maybe I want to.”

He let out a defeated sigh. “It’s too cold to sleep in your car. Stay here. Please?”

“That’s not a very jerk thing to say.” She suppressed a grin.

“Even an asshole wouldn’t want you to freeze to death.”

He had no idea. “All right. I’ll stay. I’m going to get some clothes from my car.” She stepped through the threshold before he could respond and slammed the door to keep in character.

Crossing her arms over her chest to ward off the cold biting at her skin, she trotted to her Ford she’d parked on the curb. Opening the back door, she glanced at Bryce’s apartment and found him peering through a slit in the curtains.

That man couldn’t pull off asshole if he tried. The more time she spent with Bryce, the more she saw through his smartass exterior, and that conversation proved it. There was a lot more to Bryce than met the eye, and now she was determined to know the man beneath the mask.

She shoved some clothes and toiletries into a backpack and shut the door. As she turned toward the window, the curtains fell shut, and when she returned to the living room, she found Bryce sitting in the chair, beer in hand, staring at the television.

If he wanted to pretend he was a jerk, she’d let him. If he’d admitted to being the sweetheart she knew he was, she might not have been able to resist him tonight. She had no clue what she was going to do about her blossoming emotions for the man, but sleeping with him wouldn’t be the best place to start. First, she needed to get to know him. The mask would have to come off sometime.

“Mind if I use your shower?”

He didn’t look at her. “Whatever you want to do.”

“Okay then.” She shuffled to the hall and glanced at him.

He flicked his gaze toward her, and his eyes held so much confliction, she almost apologized for calling him a jerk. Instead, she turned and headed for the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom to find Bryce sprawled out in his bed, his arm draped over his eyes. Lamplight seeped into the hall from the living room, but all the other lights were off.

She stood in his doorway. “I’m not climbing into bed with you.” No matter how tempted she was.

“I didn’t invite you.” He folded his hands on his chest and met her gaze. “There’s a pillow and blanket on the couch.”

“What happened to you gladly giving up your bed if it meant I was safe and warm?”

“You can be safe and warm in the living room. I’m a jerk, remember?”

She rested a hand on the door jamb. “You’re not a jerk, and your couch is actually pretty comfortable. I’ve been treated a lot worse.”

He rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand, and her chest tightened. Her wolf wanted her to climb into bed with him and end this ridiculous charade, but pride kept her feet glued to the floor.

“If you want to talk about it, I’m happy to listen.” He paused, pinning her with a heavy gaze as he waited for her to respond. When she didn’t, he rolled onto his back.

Would it be so wrong to talk to the man? In her heart, she trusted him. In her soul, she wanted to share everything with him. And that was the problem, wasn’t it? If she allowed herself to fall for Bryce, she’d want to stay. Rogues never stayed, and people never changed. “Goodnight, Bryce.”