The sweat dripping off my brows makes my eyes sting. I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand and finish screwing the final wire onto the detonator.

It’s not the reason I’m sweating. The detonator isn’t connected to anything.

Not yet.

Can’t just blame it on the heat, either, even though this windowless old shack is hotter than the devil's diner.

It’s her.

Blue.

I’ve sweat bullets since sending her into the house last night. Ever since she left my dick harder than the flag pole at Iwo Jima.

I wanted her like I haven't wanted any woman in years.

Wanted it worse because I knew I couldn’t have her, too. Even though she’d wanted it just as bad.

Pure torture.

Both of us are drowning in our own flesh and there's nothing we can do about it.

I go to sleep hard. Wake up harder. Brain, body, and soul tangled up in Blue.

Fuck, I couldn't even face her this morning. So I woke up before dawn and left while she and Nat were still sound asleep.

Assembling this very illegal, high powered weapon of death is preferable to spending another morning staring at those lips. Fixing my eyes on her ass when she's turned around. Pushing every growl down with coffee, paint-stripping strong, hoping it'll keep me from thinking how bad I want that ass under me for two fucking seconds.

My lip curls back in a snarl. I shouldn't be doing this. And neither should she.

“Damn it, Davey!”

My shout echoes off the building's walls and worn rafters. Very fucking worn. Should've collapsed years ago.

I set the screwdriver down and pick up the detonator to give it a closer look. This little remote will take lives. Set off a blast that could clear a city block.

End this shit once and for all.

Rubbing my face, I choke back an apology. I'm not even sure who it's for.

It’s easy to blame Davey. To wish he’d listened and stayed the hell away from the Pearls, but it won’t bring him back. Won’t change anything.

Honestly, I’m just as pissed off at myself as him.

I’d vowed to change. To become everything Natalie would need in a father. And I have.

Had, rather.

Until the Pearls poked their evil fucking noses in my life. That left me with no choice but to return to the man I’d left in the past. Turn into something I don't want to be.

I’ll pay off Davey’s debt, all right. Just not with cash.

By the time I’m done with the Black Pearls, there won’t be enough left of them to bury.

Justice will be served.

I set the detonator in an old army ammunition box and stash it in the far corner, along with the rest of the supplies I’d bought, bartered, and damn-near stole from salvage yards and skeezy looking gun runners from here to Tucson. Trained by some of the best, the years I spent being a tactical and explosive expert in the army has its benefits.

After strategically layering the old lumber to look like a misshapen pile of driftwood, rather than a hiding spot, I put the tools in the toolbox and carry it out to my truck.

Bastard Phil knows I was in the army. Believes I was in disposal and clean up – skills I built my business on post-Iraq. Luckily, he's just like everybody else. Doesn’t know that in order to clean up a mess, you have to know how it was made in the first place.

There are parts of this mess I don’t understand.

Like Davey. Why and how he got snarled in a web woven deep and tight by the Pearls.

I might never know all of it, true, but I’ve accepted that because the how or why doesn’t matter. Not as much as it ending.

All of it.

I let the air conditioner cool off the cab before I put the truck in gear. The trap is set, or close to it. Actually planting the explosives can’t happen till I figure out how to lure the Black Pearls out here. There’s an old road that runs along this side of the small mountain separating the ranch from the decaying shed.

It’s the perfect set up. I just have to figure out the enticement to get them here.

Everyone. The head honchos and their minions.

Having not been used for years, the trail that leads back to the ranch is rough, and I take it slow. Which gives me ample time to contemplate my other issue.

Blue.

Damn it. I’ve never been attracted to someone like I am her. From the moment we met.

Never wanted anyone so bad. Not even Cindy.

I don’t even know how to pursue someone like Blue without destroying her.

She's clean. Honest. Innocent.

I sense that in her every waking moment we're together.

Innocence.

Shit, I’ve never had to pursue anyone. These looks plus the patches I've worn, Grizzlies MC and US Army alike, pull pussy like no tomorrow.

Cindy was the one who chased me down, and I let her catch me. It was fun. Good at times. That’s what we were both after. A good time. For the moment.

When she told me she was pregnant, we both took it seriously, figured we had to find a way to make it work.

She would have held up her end of the bargain. Deep down, she was a good person.

Just wasn't good for me.

Never got into my head. Under my skin. Not like a little teacher I've spent far too many hours pissing off, and too many more drawing naked.

I crack the window, needing a breath of fresh air. I'd nearly flipped my shit when she found my sketches. Thought for sure I had a slap or two coming, after she had proof what an obsessed pig I can be, but fuck...it's like they just made her want me more.

Fuck.

I don't know what this is. Can't comprehend it.

I’ve had other women. Before Cindy and in between our on-again off-again relationship. Life made sense then. Had no need for a full-time woman lodged too deep in my life.

It's the one familiar thing I wish I could bring back with everything else going to hell.

The Black Pearls may have forced me to become the man I’d left behind. One whose only focus is on the here and now, but I can’t let that spill into the rest of my life.

Can't let two maddening problems fuse together. Can't let them multiply.

The last thing Nat needs is me dragging women into her life, only to have her watch them leave.

Exactly what I’m doing to her with Blue. Her fucking teacher, no less.

A fireball of anger rolls across my stomach. I squeeze the steering wheel harder.

Fuck the Black Pearls. They’ve gone too far. Threatening Blue, bringing us face to face with our demons, that's the final straw.

The truck's Bluetooth system firing up breaks my concentration. It's Blue calling. Concerned, I hit the answer button. “What’s up?”

“Hey, Dad!”

I may be mad at the world, but the sound of Natalie’s voice still makes me grin. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Where are you?”

Remembering the hike I’d promised her, I say, “I drove out to check the hills to see how far we can go this morning. On my way back now.”

“I was hoping you remembered!”

“Course I did.”

“Well, Izzy and I have pancake batter ready to fry. The bacon's done and the scrambled eggs are ready to go in the pan, so we’re wondering when you’ll be back.”

A hard bump rattles the truck before the trail evens out as it starts to run along parallel to the old fence. “I can see the ranch,” I tell her.

The screen door creaks in the background before she says, “I see your dust plume. Great timing! We’ll start the pancakes and eggs.”

“Sounds good. I’m hungry.”

“We are too. Love you.”

“Love you, baby girl.”

She clicks off, ending the call, and I let out a long sigh.

I’ve fucked up too many times lately. Have to put a stop to this before it goes any further.

* * *

I arrive at the house a few minutes later and smell the bacon and pancakes the second I get out.

Unfortunately, it all tastes as good as it smells. Had it been burnt, I would have had more reasons why Blue can’t spend another night at the ranch with us.

Natalie isn’t going to like that no matter what, so delicious food really doesn’t hold credence.

Natalie talks non-stop about the hike while eating. She already has on her boots and jeans, and practically gobbles down her food. “Izzy can come with us, can’t she, Dad? I already told her she could.”

“And I already said no thank you,” Blue answers.

She’s barely looked at me since I walked in the house.

I shouldn’t have kissed her last night.

I knew that, and it took all I had to stop it from becoming more than a kiss. Even later, when I found her sleeping in the top bunk, I was aching hard. Dick practically begging to get wet.

“I’m going to clean up the kitchen while you two go hiking,” she says.

“And then you have some paperwork to do,” Natalie says solemnly.

“Sure do,” Blue says, smiling softly at Nat. “The academy being closed for the long weekend gives all you kids a four-day weekend. But teachers still have work so everything's ready when you return on Tuesday.”

Nat shakes her head. “I don’t want to be a teacher when I grow up. You never get a day off.” She smiles at me. “I like Daddy’s job better. It might be stinky and gross, but he gets free time.”

“That's the trade off,” I say, standing. “Ready to hit the hill?”

A hint of guilt rolls through my stomach at leaving before the kitchen is clean. Natalie and I have been on our own from the beginning. We're used to cleaning up after ourselves. But I also sense Blue wants us gone. Me, especially.

“Have fun,” she says. “Don’t forget to take plenty of water.”

I don’t have to reply. Nat speaks for both of us, assuring Blue she’s packed nearly a gallon's worth of bottles in her backpack, along with a bowl for Shadow, who always tags along on our hikes for the first leg or two.

We’re barely off the steps when she says, “Isn’t Izzy the best, Dad? Those pancakes were delish!”

I hold my tongue. 'Best' isn't the word I'd use for the black magic around this woman, turning every damn drop of my blood molten.

Blue's still inside, well within earshot, and I’m struggling not to turn around, hoping to get another glimpse at her. She has on a flowered dress that leaves a good portion of her sleek legs bare, as well as her sun-kissed shoulders. There’s not a single part of her body that isn’t stare worthy. Not a square inch of her I don't want to tame with my tongue.

“I know you thought so, too,” Nat says. “You ate four. I’ve never seen you eat four pancakes before!”

Guilty. “I was hungry. Long morning,” I mutter, which is an excuse and the honest truth.

“She’s fun, too.” Nat steps around a big boulder and watches as Shadow jumps onto the rock. “I know you like her, Dad. I’ve seen you looking at her when she’s not looking at you.”

Nat turns, a wicked smile on her face, reaching up to stroke the purring animal's chin.

Shit. Like this can't get any worse.

My breath sticks in my throat.

I’d been careful about that. Extremely careful. Hiding.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I’m not embarrassed, Nat. This isn’t something you should be talking about.” I take a hold of her upper arm as she steps over a wide rut. “Bl-Ms. Derby is your teacher.”

“Well, yeah!” She jumps over the next rut. “And I know the academy has rules about teachers fraternizing with students and their families.”

I live with this kid, have her entire life, and know she’s extremely intelligent. Still, her matter-of-fact tone catches me off guard now. She's my baby girl, and growing up way too damn fast. “How do you know? Do you even know what fraternizing means?”

She rolls her eyes. “It means socializing outside school, Dad. Jeez.” With one hand on her hip, she asks, “Would you like me to spell it, too?”

That’s not like her. “Are you being smart with me?”

Her chin falls. She turns and starts walking again. “No. I just don’t understand why you don’t want me to like her. What's the big deal? It's not like Principal Jacobs is here eavesdropping.”

Parenting is the toughest assignment I’ve ever had. Ever will. “Nat, that's not the point. I’m not saying we can't like her. Just trying to save you from being upset. We're helping her out this weekend, a one time favor, but after...” Having no clear explanation, I shrug. “The only place you’ll see her is in school.”

She stops walking and stares up at me with a quiet anger I rarely see.

“Why? I won’t tell anyone.” She spins around and stomps forward.

Flustered, I follow, trying to come up with an answer she’ll accept. She might be smart as a whip, but she's got a lot to learn about the world's many fucked up complexities.

Without looking back at me, she says “You’re always telling me I need friends, Dad. Well, you need them too, you know.”

“I have friends.”

“You mean Juan? Collin? The people you work with are employees, Daddy. They aren’t your friends, just like the kids in my class aren’t my friends.”

My heart takes a hard tumble. Damn it, that's not the same. “Nat.”

“I like Izzy, Dad.” She plops down on a rock. Elbows on her knees, she sets her chin in her palms, gazing up at me. “She's fun. Easy to talk to. You get along with her better than you admit, too. And I can talk to her about stuff I can't with anybody else.”

Stuff? I sit down beside her and take a deep breath.

I’m not ready for this.

Not now.

“We have our fun, and you can talk to me about anything.”

She picks up a pebble and throws it. “No, I can’t.”

Although I’m scared shitless as to what the answer might be, I ask, “Like what?”

“Like how old a girl is when they start wearing a bra, or using deodorant, or –”

“You can ask grandma all that,” I say, a shock rolling through my blood.

“No, I can’t.” She throws another rock. “She’ll start blubbering and tell me I’m growing up too fast.”

That hits the nail on the head. But, I’m sure if I talk to my mother first, she’ll be able to approach the subject less emotionally. When the time comes.

It certainly hasn’t. Right? “Nat, listen, you’re only ten and –”

“And in eighth grade. Four years from now I’ll be fourteen and graduating high school. Then what? College? Trying to get my driver's license while the other girls are old enough to drink?”

The shimmer in her eyes as she looks up at me stops my heart.

“Kinda scares me, Dad. It really scares me.”

I wrap an arm around her, hug her tight, and tell her the truth. “That scares me too, baby girl. Doesn't matter, though. We'll figure it out like we always do.”

Always. I'd crawl over broken glass in Chernobyl for this girl to keep her smiling.

Shadow jumps up on her lap and she twists to snuggle the cat close. “Just so you know...I haven’t asked Izzy any of those things, but I know she’ll have the answers if I do. She’s already helped me so much.”

“Helped you with what?”

“Things.”

Needing to know, I push her harder, “What things?”

“She saw me at recess one day, reading, and then talked to my pod teacher. So now I have fitness with the fifth grade instead of the eighth. It’s fun. I like it, and I like how I have the same lunch period as those kids, too. Izzy gave me some books girls in that grade are reading, so I have things to talk to them about.”

It doesn't sound like much, but I can tell how much they mean to her. “That was nice of her.”

Her eyes hold unshed tears when she looks up at me. “Please let her be my friend, Dad. Let her be yours, too.”

I’d give this girl the world if I could, but I also have to be cautious what I promise. “I can’t make anyone be your friend, Natalie, or mine.”

“I know.” She sighs heavily and leans against me again. “I know.”

Having no idea what more I can do, or say, I let silence do its work.

Before long, Nat lets Shadow go and gives me a final hug before jumping to her feet. “If we’re going as far as the notch tree, we'd best get going.”

The notch tree is just that. A dead old tree that we put a notch in every time we hike this trail.

I’m still raw on the inside and torn over what to do. Being a father's the one thing that doesn't get easier with experience.

I can take the pressures of the army, of running my own business, of the Black Pearls breathing down my neck, but this...being a preteen's dad, outweighs all the other issues. Easy.

Natalie reverts back to her usual smiling self when we arrive at the house. Blue sits in a chair on the porch with a stack of papers on the table beside her. Shadow lounging lazily by her feet.

“How was the hike?”

The shine in Blue’s eyes as they settle on Nat scares me as much as I appreciate it. Might not know what the hell to think about this woman, or what to do with her, but I do value what she does for my daughter.

“Awesome!” Nat says. “We made another notch in our tree. Number fifty eight.”

“Good for you.” Blue gestures towards the kitchen. “I made some lemonade. It’s in the fridge if you’re thirsty.”

“Thanks. I’ll get some. You want a glass, Dad?”

“Sure.” I sit down in the chair opposite Blue. “What are you working on?”

She gathers the papers into a neat stack. “Lesson plans.”

Hearing Nat in the kitchen, talking to Shadow about getting the cat some treats and water, I lean closer. “The other day, when you accused me of keeping Natalie within arm’s reach, what did you mean?”

She frowns and glances towards the kitchen. “Just that...you seem to have control over everything she does.”

“I have to, she’s my daughter.”

Blue nods, keeping her voice hushed. “She certainly is, but she's also her own person. A few opportunities for her to interact with other children her age, without an adult around, could really benefit her.”

I can tell how carefully she’s treading. “Like a different gym class or lunch period, you mean?”

She bites her bottom lip and nods. “Yes. I apologize if I overstepped, but she’s lonely. Very lonely. She’s smart. Brilliant. But emotionally, she’s ten, and needs to be around other ten year olds in order to learn how to cope with things better.”

Again, she’s stepping lightly. Carefully.

If it was anyone else, I’d probably be so pissed off I’d send them packing, but whatever Blue did for Natalie, it was totally to help her. I respect that.

An excited squeal comes from the kitchen. “Cookies!”

Blue cringes slightly. “You had a visitor while you were gone. Mrs. Wingard. Shadow didn’t come home last night, so she figured you were here and brought over a platter of cookies.”

I hold my breath for a second. The harder I try to crawl out, the deeper this shit gets.

Old Lady Wingard is as nosy as her cat. “She ask who you are?”

“Yes.” Her cheeks redden. “I said I’m Natalie’s tutor.”

That was a better answer than I could have come up with.

Hell of a lot better than a fake fiancé, like I'd told Preston. I still hate that guy. Hate the idea that he had a real date with Blue. Whether he’d fucked it up or not, she’d actually agreed to go out with him.

I don’t like the idea of her agreeing to go out with anyone. Also don't give a damn how insane that sounds.

Nat returns carrying lemonade and cookies. After eating a few, and enjoying how intently Blue listens to everything we say about our hike, I need a way to release the tension.

That’s all it takes. Five minutes with her and I’m hard as stone. Thinking thoughts that I shouldn’t be thinking and wanting things that I shouldn’t be wanting.

“Think I'll go take care of that dead tree behind the barn.” I down the last of my lemonade and stand.

“We’ll help,” Natalie says. “I’ll get Izzy a pair of your old gloves.”

“She’ll need more than gloves,” I say, referring to her dress and sandals as I head for the door.

Lady Luck isn't on my side. In fact, she's decided to give me the bird today.

Blue has jeans. A pair that molds to her sweet ass perfectly.

Fuck.

The next several hours of cutting the tree into logs and splitting each one into smaller bits is close to hell. I can’t take my eyes off her as she carries the wood to the barn and stacks it in a pile. The tight tank top and jeans leave little to my imagination, besides imagining how bad I’d like to rip that tank top off with my teeth, suck on those perfect tits, and bury my throbbing cock deep in her.

I’m so fucking hard it hurts.

Have been the entire time. There are few things worse than being so close, yet still not able to get your rocks off. Every part of me stays on edge, screaming for a release it’s not getting.

I pull my t-shirt off and toss it on the ground. Fuck it all.

I have to stop getting so worked up over her. “That’s it.”

Blue turns towards me, tilting her head. A soft sheen of sweat makes her skin glisten, and her nipples couldn’t be more noticeable. “What’s it?”

“The wood. You’re done. I’ll finish up.”

“But I can –”

“No.”

She’s staring at me. Frowning.

I know I sound pissed. I am.

Fully frustrated. Need a few minutes of reprieve. “You and Nat should go inside. Start getting ready for the rehearsal dinner.” I send the axe into another log so hard my shoulders pulse.

Now, I’m imagining her in the shower. Cleaning up. Naked. Fuck!

I can't fathom how this ends, but my gut tells me one way, and one way only.

One of us gets fucked. The other, completely destroyed.

* * *

Hours later, after an ice cold shower, partially because the hot water heater needs to be replaced, and not allowing myself to do more than glance her way, we pull into the Mexican restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.

A crowd of people will help. It has to.

There’s a crowd, all right, and a hushed silence fills the banquet room as all eyes turn to us. Dread fills her eyes as Blue glances up at me.

Despite all the misery I’ve put myself through the past twenty four hours, I put my hand in the small of her back and guide her forward. It's too late to do anything else.

Dressed in another flowing red outfit including a floppy hat, Cleo rushes towards us. If I was hoping she’d act as some sort of shield, I’d thought wrong.

“Finally, the man of the hour! Everyone's bursting at the seams to meet you, Mr. Eden.” She lowers her voice to add, “They all thought I was lying. Even though Clara insisted she’d met you, too.”

I catch the way Blue’s breasts rise as she draws in a deep breath and holds it. She’s wearing another short dress. Dark blue with a low-cut neckline. Her hair hangs loose, past her shoulders, and flutters slightly as she bows her head and presses a hand to her forehead.

“Come with me, darling,” Cleo says, taking Natalie’s hand. “I’ll introduce you to the other children. I’ve told them all about you and our trip to the zoo. There’s a kid’s table set up so you youngsters can all eat together when the food is served and won’t be bored by all the silly adults.”

Silly is right. Every adult in the room stares at us, whispering. Nat looks up at me, and unlike Blue, excitement shines in her eyes. I give her a nod and she hurries off with Cleo.

“Ready?” I ask Blue.

She lets out a long sigh and glances up at me. “To leave? Heck yes.”

Hoping to ease her anxiety, I laugh, loud enough so others hear, and then lean closer, “Just say the word and we're out of here.”

“I wish!” she answers. “But we have to stay long enough to eat. Common courtesy.”

“I’m sure they make a good margarita.”

She shakes her head. “I had enough last night.”

“We’ve all been waiting for you,” Clara says, approaching with a group of others. “Izzy, make the rounds with our man of honor! Everybody's waiting for Brent.”

Blue does just that with a worn smirk on her face. Onward we go, and I make an effort to remember specific people and their names.

Particularly the ones who cast the most scornful, jealous glares.

I don’t know what sort of joy these people get out of embarrassing her, but they do, and a few of their remarks do more than irritate me.

“He doesn’t mean any harm,” Clara says, after a cousin makes a snide remark. “Izzy's been a member of the lonely-hearts club for so long, a few people took bets you were an imaginary friend. Thought she’d still show up all by her lonesome. Joke's on them!” She elbows Blue, grinning.

I slide my arm around to Blue’s side and tug her closer. “I’m not imaginary and she’s not alone. Won’t be tomorrow, either.”

Clara smiles and bats her eyelashes. “You’ll have tongues wagging, talking about another wedding happening soon.”

The bride and groom arrive then, along with the rest of their small wedding party. I’m thankful as hell the focus of the room shifts to them, until Clara says one more thing.

“Don’t worry, your secret's safe with me. I haven’t even told Cleo I ran into Preston Graves. Or that he mentioned your engagement.”

Blue smothers her gasp only because she quickly covers her mouth with one hand.

I escort her to the table and order us each a margarita.

She offers a shaky smile. “Thanks.”

I nod, but have to ask, “Didn’t you say you met Preston on a dating site?”

“Yes.”

“Then how does Clara know him?”

Her shoulders slump. “Fuck if I know. Right now, I can't say I care.”

I don’t say anything. No need to give that little bastard a second more of thought than he deserves.

There are bigger sharks in my pond right now. Far more dangerous ones.

Others arrive at the table. Small talk trails from one end to the other. I join in with those nearby, especially Cleo’s boyfriend, George, sitting across from me.

Of all the people here, he was the only one who greeted Blue with sincerity, and his expression held respect when he shook my hand. I get the sense he doesn’t care as much as the rest of the family if Blue and I are really dating. Only that she’s not here alone. I can appreciate that.

Halfway through the meal, I glance around the table and say to Blue, “Isn’t the rehearsal dinner usually just for the wedding party and immediate family?”

She huffs out a breath while nodding.

George laughs. “You’ve been recruited. Congratulations.”

“Recruited?”

“Sure,” he says, “after the meal ends, we’re all expected to go over to Janice and Joe’s house. Bride’s parents. There, we’ll set up tents, tables, chairs, and anything else they need strong, abled-bodies to complete.”

I look at Blue. She takes a sip off her margarita. “We can leave. I’ve already told mother.”

Sitting across from Blue, Cleo gives me a pleading look.

It’s a test. Or, in my eyes, a challenge. Something I can never back away from.

This family is harsh, but only on Blue, which rubs me the wrong way. And continues to as people keep glancing our way. They don’t even try hiding their doubts, or how they whisper to each other.

Later, as I pull in the wide driveway and park behind George and Cleo, Blue insists we don’t need to help. Under her breath because Nat seems excited, hoping to play longer with the girls she was introduced to at the restaurant.

Natalie flies out the back door of the truck as soon as I cut the engine. She slams the door and runs straight toward the minivan where the other girls are climbing out.

“You can leave, I’ll watch Nat while she plays for a while,” Blue says.

“Nowhere I need to go.” I climb out.

She meets me at the front of the truck. “Really. You don’t have to stay.” Shooting a nervous glance, she says, “Go back to the ranch. I can borrow mom’s car and bring Natalie home later.”

Others are pulling in. No doubt they're watching us.

Enough of this fuckery. I grab her by the hips and yank her forward.

She plants her hands on my chest. “What are you doing?”

“Giving them the show they're waiting for.” I brush my lips over hers.

Pinched tight, her lips don’t respond against mine. Not at first.

Then I pull her closer, running my hand over the silky material covering her ass. “Come on, you can do better than that,” I whisper against her mouth. “I know you can.”

The heels she’s wearing make her a bit taller, but still, she has to tilt her head back slightly in order to look up at me. “We shouldn’t do this, Eden. You shouldn’t. It's –”

She’s trying too hard not to smile, to hide the flash of excitement in her eyes. “I want to,” I growl, grabbing her ass.

Taking advantage of her lips parting, I lock my mouth on hers and give some solid tongue action. Her response, her tongue twisting around mine, shoots a thrill through me. Within seconds, I’m as hard as I’d been this afternoon, aching like hell. I’m willing to take the pain.

She’s worth it. So's giving her family something to stare at.

The heat between us intensifies. Her hands go up my neck, her fingers in my hair. I feel every curve of her body as she presses it harder against mine, and it’s fucking amazing. Intoxicating.

I drag my mouth away from hers and do my damnedest to act like I’m perfectly fine. “I’ll be staying till it’s time for all of us to leave.” I plant another kiss on her forehead and then spin her about. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I press my hard bulge against her backside.

She gasps, pressing into me. “Now, you get it. I've got you, Isabella Derby. And I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

She steps forward, and so do I, keeping us tight together and flattening my hand over her stomach. The pressure of my dick against her ass is an extra stimulation I don’t need, but love. It’s like pushing on a wound, how the pain makes it feel better.

“Stop being silly,” she hisses, twisting her hips.

I nip the lobe of her ear. “This isn’t.”

I thrust my hips forward.

She jolts. “Whatever it is, stop! Before you make us a spectacle.”

I laugh, stepping out from behind her. “Too late for that.” I grab her hand to lead her to the front door the others are walking through, glancing back at us.

The beasts are quickly separated from the beauties by a thin gray-haired man in the front foyer who directs the men to the backyard and the women into the living room. For good measure, I give Blue a quick parting kiss and head out to help set up tents, chairs, and tables, just like George said.

The thin man is Joe Derby, Megan and Clara’s father. Apparently, brother of Blue's dead father. He has two other daughters, older, and already married. The mothers of the girls playing with Nat.

Megan is Joe’s youngest, and if throwing together a wedding in two weeks has him frazzled, it doesn’t show. He’s friendly and jovial and continuously passing out beers in payment for the work.

I finish pounding the final tie-down stake in the ground for the big tent and stand up as he walks closer, a bottle of beer in each hand.

“Ready for a fresh one?” he asks.

“Sure.” I set the sledgehammer down and take a bottle. Swallowing a long drink, I nod towards the huge back yard that also hosts a swimming pool. “Nice place you've got here.”

“Thanks. We built it years ago while raising our girls.” He takes a pull off his beer. “I’m sure you don’t remember, but we spoke on the phone a few years back. One of my sandwich shops had a fire in the kitchen. Called your company for a clean-up quote.”

I point out the obvious. “I didn’t get the job.”

“You’d come highly recommended, and even though I tried coaxing you to reconsider, you said you were too booked to take on another job in the time span I had to get things done. Especially a gig up here.” He holds up his beer. “No hard feelings. The guys you recommended did a fine job.”

“Wes Raine out of Flagstaff?” I ask.

“Yep. I’ve used him since, too.”

I’ve known Wes for years. Always happy to recommend him. “He’s good. We’ve worked together on several big projects around the state.” My attention shifts to the patio door opening. Blue steps outside, following a few other women.

“Aw, hell,” Joe says. “Looks like they're ready to decorate the arch and it’s not up yet.”

I empty my beer and hand him the bottle. “Where’s it at?”

He points towards the house. “Box in the garage.”

“Let’s go grab it,” I say, clapping his shoulder.

'Some assembly required' involves so many tiny screws I could have built the damn thing from scratch faster than it takes us to throw it together. Except, then I wouldn’t have needed all the assistance from Blue.

Of all the women here, she’s by far the prettiest. Every time I look at her, my eyes land on her lips, remembering how soft and lush they get under mine.

“Looks perfect,” she says, admiring the archway.

“Marvelous!” Cleo holds up a mess of flimsy fabric. “Now, Brent, could you be a dear and help us get this tulle wrapped around the top?”

“I can do it, Mother.” Blue walks over and picks up one of the folding chairs.

“You can’t stand on that!” Cleo says.

I take the fabric from Cleo. “I’ll help her.”

“Thank you.” Cleo waves at both of us as she walks away.

Blue sets the chair next to the archway. “I can do this.”

“Not without my help. Not standing by while you roll off that thing and crack your neck.” I plant a swift kiss on her lips, enjoying how her cheeks go cherry red. “Let me hold the chair. Help you balance. It’ll collapse if I try standing on it.”

She kicks off her shoes. “All right.”

I grasp the back of the chair and take her hand to help her step up onto the seat.

“The quicker we get this done, the quicker we’ll be able to leave,” she says.

“Whaaat? You're leaving us already, Izzy?”

The question comes from a young woman walking past. One who's not nearly as pretty as she thinks she is, and has made a habit of walking past me several times tonight, casting looks any fool could read.

Some fools might take her up on her offer, too.

She doesn't get it.

Ever since the day Isabella Derby walked into my life, I’m no fucking fool.

Ignoring the question, I cup one of Blue’s butt cheeks. Standing on the chair, she’s taller than me, and has to bend down, just as expected. Before she can speak, I kiss her.

“What're you doing?” she asks, breaking the kiss.

“Marking territory. Letting everybody know you’re taken.”

“Oh, please! No one’s concerned about that.”

I lean back so I can see her face, the sheepish expression forming as she stands straight again. “I’ve convinced them, you mean? Glad that was fast.” I say, happy to have been of service.

“Convinced them? You can say that, I suppose.” She holds her hand out for the fabric.

I hand it to her. “That upset you?”

“I’m past being upset by what any of them have to say.”

First, I’m irritated, then my thoughts go in a different direction. One I should've thought of before. “Even if they say you’re too good for me?”

“Hardly, Eden!” She rolls the material over the top of the archway. “Quite the opposite. Between nearly every woman drooling over you with their tongues out, I’ve been told constantly how hard I'll have to work to keep a man like you satisfied.”

My irritation at her family returns, turning to anger in two-seconds flat. “Bullshit. All of it.”

“It's true.” She evens out the fabric flowing over both sides of the archway to the ground.

I let go of the chair and grab her waist, lifting her into my arms. Then I let her body slide down the front of mine.

“What are you doing? I’m not done yet.”

Isn't it obvious?

Or is she just playing hard to get like a pro?

I hold her against me with her feet barely dangling off the ground and capture her lips. Heaven.

This kiss holds nothing back. It’s long and hard and hot.

Doesn't stop till she’s slumped against me, moaning softly, holding onto my neck and gasping for air.

I must be getting used to the fact that I have no control over my body when she’s near.

Maybe I just don't care.

I’m hard. I'm ready. Eager to fuck her all night long, past sunup, but it’s not the only reason I'm running down her lips like a starving lion.

It’s the desire to teach her entire family a lesson.

When they pick on Blue, they pick on me, and I retaliate.