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  “Enough.” She turned to Adam. “What are you doing here?

  “What kind of greetin’ is that?”

  She sighed. “No offense, Adam, but I’m fightin’ for my life, and I don’t have time for manners.” Although, her momma would be appalled. Being rude was the eighth deadly sin in her opinion.

  He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I wanted to check on you.”

  King snorted.

  “I’m fine.” She didn’t buy his excuse, Adam could’ve called to check in on her at any time.

  “Besides, your fan club is missing you.”

  “My fan club?”

  “Yeah, Nathan. Nathan has been worried about you. He’s called me three times in the past 24 hours, asking if I’ve heard from you.”

  Woah. He’d always been intense about her. Truthfully, she could’ve handled things better. They’d gone out for coffee once, and then she’d ghosted him. Savvy hadn’t given him her personal number, so he’d been forced to go through her assistant. Eventually, he’d left her alone.

  “And did you tell him where I was?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “I’ve been thinkin’ about you.” There was a spark in his eyes she hadn’t seen in a long time. Not since they’d slept together.

  Uh oh.

  If he’d come up here to rekindle the old flame, Adam was nuts.

  King didn’t comment, but from the way he bristled, he’d picked up on it too.

  “As you can see, I’m fine.”

  “Does he have to be here?” Adam glanced over her shoulder. “Can’t we go somewhere else? Just the two of us, darlin’?”

  “Either talk to her right here or leave. Those are your choices.” King balled up a fist and took a step toward Adam, but she put herself in between them.

  Savvy needed to end this situation before it got out of hand.

  “I’m sorry, Adam, but maybe you should leave…”

  “Savvy…”

  “Was there somethin’ you needed?” she asked, in a gentler tone.

  His lips thinned. “You got an invitation from Bloom.”

  “I see.” Adam was a master at manipulation.

  “Their headliner was hospitalized with exhaustion and canceled. They knew you had come back to the States, so they offered you the top spot if you want it.”

  Bloom was a very popular outdoor country music festival. She’d never headlined a show there, so this was an excellent opportunity. She’d always wanted to perform there, and she hadn’t sung for anyone but King in days.

  The temptation was overwhelming. But she couldn’t give into it.

  “Are you out of your mind?” King threw his hands up in the air. “This ain’t no joke. Someone is gunnin’ for her.”

  “I seem to recall you sayin’ that you could keep Savvy safe. Wasn’t that the whole point of hirin’ you? Is she going to hide out here forever?”

  “At least I’m keepin’ her out of harm’s way. She’d be a sittin’ duck on stage.”

  “Enough. I got the message, Adam, and I’ll consider it.”

  “Savvy, you can’t seriously be—”

  “I said I would consider it, King. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” She felt like a referee standing between two boxers.

  “Savvy, this would give your album a big boost. Bloom gets a lot of press.”

  “Adam, we’ll talk later, but you need to go. King, let’s go inside.”

  She turned on her heel and walked toward the house, expecting him to follow her. And King did, although he kept glancing over his shoulder to sneer at Adam.

  Adam screeched out of the driveway and took off.

  When they got back inside, King slammed the door behind him.

  Savvy flinched.

  King was furious, and he wasn’t bothering to hide it.

  “Is that asshat your boyfriend? Do you to have somethin’ going on. On the side?”

  “No, absolutely not.”

  “Is he your ex?”

  “Yes, and no.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “I don’t know how you’d classify our relationship, it fell somewhere in between casual sex and dating. When you work with someone and sleep with them, it becomes a very blurry line.”

  “He doesn’t seem to think it’s in the past.”

  “Yeah? Well, it’s his problem. Not mine. We haven’t been together in years. And newsflash, he’s engaged. I don’t date men who are taken.”

  He sat down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such an ass but he doesn’t give a damn about you.”

  “I don’t pay him to care. He handles the business. I don’t always agree with his methods, but I can’t argue with the results.” At least until this last record. “As for our relationship, it was a huge mistake, one I regret.”

  Thank God they’d left their personal relationship on good terms, and she hadn’t screwed up her singing career in the process. If she could go back and kick her twenty-year-old self in the rear end, Savvy would. It had been a stupid, selfish move. Luckily, it hadn’t blown up in her face. Things could’ve ended very differently.

  “Yeah, I’ve made a few of those myself. I said it before, but I hate the guy. And I swear this isn’t personal. Something’s off about him.”

  Savvy didn’t agree. They’d had their differences, but she ultimately trusted Adam.

  “Adam is many things, shallow at times, more concerned with profit than people, but he’d never hurt me. Not under any circumstances.”

  “Are you sure? Because he seems willing to risk your life.”

  Savvy didn’t know how to respond.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The way I read him…? He’s a little obsessed with you.”

  “He’s engaged to Emerald.”

  “Then why did he show up here? If Adam just wanted to tell you about the music festival, he could have given you a call.”

  “I think you’re jealous.” It slipped out before she could pull the words back.

  He stood, and his nostrils flared. “You’re right. I’m jealous. I want you so damn bad, I can’t think straight, and you know it.”

  All of a sudden, her knees went to jelly.

  “I think about you, I dream about you.” His voice dipped lower. “I fantasize about you. You’re in my head all day long. And last night, you were in my bed, but I managed to control myself because I care about you, and I don’t want to take advantage of you, Savvy.”

  Somehow his anger and envy was an aphrodisiac. She wanted him to push her down on the table and fuck her senseless. Maybe he’d be a bit rough, pounding her.

  Get a hold of yourself, girl.

  “And I’m not wrong about your boy. I’ve got a gut feeling and it ain’t goin’ away. As a matter of fact, I’m gonna have Storm dig around and see what he can find out about Adam.”

  “King, no, you—”

  “This isn’t up for discussion. I can’t let anything compromise this mission. I couldn’t live with myself if anythin’ happened to you.”

  “It won’t.”

  “You don’t know that. I failed Nicole, and I refuse to let you down, too. I won’t spend the next thirty years haunted by your face.”

  And then he stalked off.

  ***

  There was a knock on Savvy’s door. “Are we still on for tonight?”

  Hours had passed since their confrontation. King had taken off in his Jeep, and Zane had kept an eye on her instead. Savvy was in her room, setting up her new phone. King was turning the old one into Storm, as soon as he got back from Cincinnati. And then he would be running a background check on Adam, too.

  King had to be wrong about this. He just had to be.

  Now, he lurked in her doorway with a sheepish expression on his handsome face. And suddenly, she had trouble remembering she was angry with him.

  “Depends. Are you gonna go all Neanderthal on me again?”

  “Look, I’m sorry about earlier.” He spread his hand
s. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  “What about Adam?”

  “Nothin’ has changed.” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Storm will poke around and see what he can find. I’m sorry for upsetting you, but I won’t compromise when it comes to protecting you.” His tone indicated, she could either take it or leave it.

  And I’m gonna take it.

  “Then sure, we’re still on.” Savvy lifted her chin. “Just so you know, I think you’re wrong.”

  “We’ll see.” He flashed a grin. “I just got back from the grocery store. You were too angry to give me a grocery list, but I found your Pinterest boards, and some of them were public, so I got the ingredients anyway. Tonight, we’re havin’ chicken for the grill, along with bacon wrapped asparagus, Parker House rolls, and chocolate mousse.”

  “It sounds fantastic.”

  “Yeah?” He seemed doubtful. “Even though it won’t be fancy?” King obviously wanted to impress her, but he already had.

  “I ain’t really a fancy kind of girl.”

  “Then I’ll grill the chicken, while you make the side dishes. Deal?” He smiled. “And I’ll make sure they’re fully cooked.”

  “Thank you.”

  They spent the next hour making a meal together, side by side. It was so domestic, and she enjoyed every second of it. It reminded her of all those Sunday evenings she’d spent at home with her family.

  ***

  King watched nervously as Savvy took a bite of chicken and closed her eyes.

  Earlier, he’d gone to Red’s Smokehouse and picked up a rub for the meat, along with barbecue sauce. Red made them both in-house, and the ingredients list was a secret. He’d wanted to make this evening extra special for her.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s delicious.”

  He beamed. “Thank you, and the asparagus is great, too, but I love the rolls.” King couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun on a date.

  Who are you kidding? You haven’t been on a real date since you were courting Nicole. Sweaty sex with strangers doesn’t count.

  “Yeah?” Her eyes danced. And she looked so pretty, King wanted to steal a kiss.

  “My wife used to make homemade bread. It’s my favorite.” Every time he’d gotten back from deployment, she had a fresh loaf waiting for him. It was a tradition.

  For once, thinking about Nicole didn’t make him sad. He appreciated thinking about a joyful memory, instead of how it ended one awful night on their patio.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Savvy shook her head, as though reconsidering. King was grateful. He didn’t want to spoil the moment.

  She cleared her throat. “Well, you haven’t even tasted dessert yet.”

  After they finished the meal, they cleared the table and did the dishes together, laughing and talking the entire time. They never ran out of topics and conversation flowed naturally.

  And then Savvy brought him a chilled wine glass full of chocolate mousse.

  “It isn’t quite pie, but I think you’ll like it anyway.” Before he could lift his spoon, she dabbed her finger in the chocolate and raised it to his mouth.

  “Here, taste.” Savvy was standing next to him, her leg, pressed against his own.

  Closing his eyes, King took her finger into his mouth, sucking slightly.

  When he opened them again, King noted her nipples were hard, pressing against the thin fabric of her white shirt. King wanted to anoint them with chocolate, too, and then spread her out on the table, make a feast of Savvy, instead.

  Her lips were parted, begging to be kissed.

  A man can only stand so much torture.

  “Delicious,” he croaked. His voice had gone rough and hard, like other parts of him.

  I’ve gotta get the hell out of here before I do something stupid.

  “It’s late, and I’m full. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.” He pushed the dish away and with a knowing smile, she put it back in the fridge.

  Unfortunately, Savvy followed him upstairs. Once again, they did their hallway dance, lingering by their doors.

  “Well, goodnight.”

  King stayed rooted to the spot, afraid he’d reach for her. His control would snap, and this would all be over.

  She licked her lips, and he groaned under his breath.

  “I’m not sleepin’ with you tonight?” Savvy laid a hand on his chest.

  He swallowed. “Don’t tease me.”

  “Why not? We both want this.”

  “If you knew how badly I need you…” King trailed off. “Don’t do this…”

  “Don’t what? Tell you how much I need to kiss you. How wet I am for you.”

  Christ Almighty.

  His dick was so hard, King swore it might break in half.

  A fire crackled in her eyes, a promise of unladylike behavior, a wild night spent in his bed, instead of a warm, comfortable one.

  His body had gone haywire.

  The girl of your dream’s standing in front of you. Take her.

  Think about her sweet little pussy wrapped around your dick. She could take all of you as you rode her hard. You could fuck her all night long.

  “I read somewhere willpower is a finite resource and over the course of a day, it gets used up.” When he gripped the door handle, his hand shook.

  “And?”

  “Mine’s gone. Completely exhausted.”

  King wanted it, wanted her, with a blistering intensity.

  And then he slammed the door shut.

  Chapter 9

  “How was Cincinnati?”

  The next morning, King had been pacing by the front door, waiting for Storm to get back, and he pounced as soon as Storm hopped out of the Jeep.

  King waved to the rest of the team while they unloaded their luggage and headed inside.

  “Why are you all weird?” Storm made a vague hand gesture.

  “I’m not weird, I was being polite. Answer the question so I can move on.”

  “Fine, I think we have another client.” He tilted his head to one side. “What’s up?”

  “I need you to spy for me, but we’ll get to it in a second.” King handed him the cell phone and explained what happened.

  “I’ll take a look, but I won’t make any promises.”

  “You didn’t get anythin’ from the envelopes?”

  Storm scowled. “Not a damn thing. Know what I hate?”

  “Smart criminals.”

  “Yeah, I like mine dumb. What else have you got for me?”

  King leaned forward. “I need you to look into Savvy’s manager.”

  “Why? Is he a suspect?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Do you have any evidence?”

  “Not yet. Call it a hunch.”

  Storm studied him a moment, and King grew more agitated under the added scrutiny. When they had been deployed, Storm was the one who interrogated the terrorists. He was practically a walking lie detector, and he could see straight through people.

  “Are you sure you aren’t doing this because you’re jealous?”

  King glared. “Have you been talking to Zane?”

  “Yeah, we texted.” He scrunched up his nose. “Nox is making his own pornos, huh?”

  “Just look into it.” King could feel a headache coming on. Apparently, Zane couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

  Storm sobered. “You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, please run it down.” King wouldn’t be able to relax until he’d discovered all the skeletons in Adam’s closet. His instincts were usually spot on.

  “I’m on it, brother. Consider it done.”

  ***

  That evening, King, Zane, and Savvy were seated around the kitchen table eating sweet potato fries. They were laughing, joking, enjoying themselves, but suddenly, King stopped talking.

  Savvy swallowed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Jesus.” He was flushed, and his fists were clenched.

  When Savvy t
urned, she saw the source of his distress. A young woman was standing in the doorway. She had a black eye, and her lower lip had been split wide open. There were a half a dozen scratches on her otherwise pretty face. Clearly, someone had beat her up.

  Storm walked up beside her. “Look who I found outside.” His face was grim.

  “Are you okay?” King bolted to his feet. “Do you need any medical care? My kit’s upstairs.”

  “No, I’m fine. Tommy, can I stay here a couple of days until things blow over?”

  “Yeah, you can stay as long as you like, Ellie,” King said softly.

  Ellie. This must be his younger sister, the one she’d heard so much about. Upon closer inspection, Savvy noted a family resemblance. Ellie had King’s hair and eyes.

  Savvy could tell he was hurting, caught somewhere between rage and the need to save his sister, comfort her.

  “Dave didn’t—”

  “Beat the ever-livin’ shit out of you? You’re tellin’ me this was an accident?” King asked tightly. “What? You fell down the stairs? Or banged your head after getting out of the shower? What’s the excuse?”

  “We had an argument, and things got out of hand.” She glanced down. “Can we please discuss it later? In private?” The last bit came out in a hushed whisper.

  Ellie was apparently in love with the man who’d abused her. Savvy sympathized with her, but she had no reason to be ashamed. She had done nothing wrong.

  Savvy didn’t know what to say or do, so she sat there quietly. And then she noticed something else.

  If King was angry, Zane was enraged.

  A tight, white line had formed around his mouth, and a muscle in his jaw bunched. She didn’t quite understand the aura of barely leashed violence, but she had a feeling Zane cared for Ellie very deeply.

  What’s going on here? Did Zane have a thing for Ellie?

  Right then, West and Nox walked in the room. They took in Ellie’s bumps and bruises and then glanced at King, to gauge his reaction.

  “I’m gonna kill him.” King gripped the back of a chair, and his knuckles had gone white.

  “Are we saddling up, brother?” West asked.

  “Yeah. Get ready.”

  Nox grinned. “I love teachin’ assholes a lesson.”

  “No, please don’t.” Tears slipped down Ellie’s cheeks.