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I settle back into my seat as he stuffs himself back into his pants and answers his phone.
He listens for several long minutes, says uh-huh a few times, and hangs up. He looks at me. “The private investigator is back on Dell’s tail. She swears she won’t lose him again.”
The memory of being trapped in that booth with him washes over me as fresh as it was in the moment, and I feel sick. Will I never be free of Dell? Will I have to keep paying for my mistakes forever?
“You said you have security. Can someone watch my sisters?” Now that I know Mac, I mean Jaxon, is a pop star, I have some idea of what he’s capable of and I feel no shame asking for his help when it comes to protecting my sisters.
I thought I knew Dell’s limits, but after watching him go after Jaxon the way he did, I don’t think I know at all what Dell’s capable of.
He takes my hand and squeezes. “Of course. Let’s get inside and I’ll make the arrangements.”
I nod and reach for the door handle, but he doesn’t let me go.
“You’re shaking,” he says.
“I’m okay. It’s just hitting me all at once. I’ve never thought of Dell as a truly dangerous person, but it’s occurring to me I don’t know him at all anymore.”
He lets go of my hand and nods. “Let’s get inside.”
Again, I reach for my door handle, but I must be moving slowly, because he’s suddenly outside the car and opening my door for me. I step out and he pulls me into his arms.
“Dell won’t get anywhere near you again.” He hugs me tight, his warm breath ruffling my hair.
It’s not a promise he can keep, but I don’t argue, because I want so badly to believe him. I feel safe in his arms and I want to believe this is real. “I’m okay. Let’s get that security set up for my sisters.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head and releases me slowly. With his arm around my shoulders, we go inside and he settles me on the couch. I sit there for approximately ten minutes while he makes phone calls before I can’t stand it anymore and I get up and go back outside.
Barley seems to be fully recovered, but he can’t be with Begonia until he’s for sure, totally sterile, which is going to be at least another month. It’s still too early to know if Begonia is pregnant.
Jaxon added a fence down the middle of their playground, so they each still have climbing toys, but they aren’t happy about being separated.
Even now, they’re hanging by the fence, staring through it at each other lovingly. I let myself into Barley’s side of the play yard and he immediately trots over to see me.
I sink to the ground next to him and, as soon as I feel his coarse fur under my hands, they stop shaking.
“I’m okay,” I say gently. “Dell has always been more talk than action.”
Barley lets out a sympathetic maa-aa and nuzzles my cheek with his soft muzzle. The sweet gesture brings tears to my eyes and my chest goes tight.
“I’m okay,” I repeat, to keep from crying. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Of course it is.” Jaxon sits behind me and pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ve got security on each of your sisters. They shouldn’t even know they’re there, but you might want to warn them about Dell.”
“No. Absolutely not.” The very thought makes my blood go cold. My sisters would never want anything to do with me if they knew about Dell and my past. “They can’t know about Dell.”
Jaxon doesn’t argue. “I’ve asked the security team to keep a low profile, but if your sisters do notice them, you can tell them they’re in the area for me.”
I twist to look at him. “You want them to know you’re in town? What about your aunt?”
He shrugs, but his expression is dark. “Everyone in that restaurant was filming. As soon as my aunt knows I’ve been in Roanoke, she’ll suspect I’ve been in town. Knowing her, she’ll even figure out I’m Bigfoot.”
I twist until I’m straddling his lap. “Thank you. I’ll try to keep your secret as long as I can.”
He kisses me. “Thank you.” Then he leans in again. I open to him immediately, wrapping my legs around his waist while I kiss him.
He slides his hands under my shirt, immediately going for my bra. I press myself against him, feeling his hardness at my center, and my body lights up with want. This is what I need to forget this day.
I fist his short hair and kiss him harder. He moans and kisses me right back as he unhooks my bra like it’s easy.
