Page 14

Seb. Hot girls. Breakfast.

I took a step toward the door before I realized I wasn’t presentable for company. Knowing Seb would get rid of them if I didn’t hustle, I pulled on yesterday’s jeans, not bothering to grab a clean shirt or brush my hair. My curls were always frightful in the morning when I didn’t wear my silk bonnet to bed, so I avoided making eye contact with the mirror on my way out of the bedroom. What I didn’t know couldn’t embarrass me.

I peeked cautiously out of the hallway. If they were really hot, I might rethink my strategy. Women had always flocked to Seb when we were together, regardless of whether I was standing next to him or not, and that had bothered me more than I would ever admit out loud. The man flirted like he breathed. Most of the time, he didn’t know he was doing it. He had never given me a reason to doubt him—until the end, when he left without explanation. Questions niggled at the back of my mind. Had he left me for another woman? And was he still with her now?

And was she right outside the door?

Seb’s big body filled the doorframe, blocking the view outside. I could barely make out a crown of dark hair near his shoulder.

Seb pushed back slightly, still blocking the entrance, and sighed. “Dammit, she’s awake. You woke her up.”

Damn his special forces training. It was like he had a sixth sense or eyes in the back of his head. Of course he had heard me tiptoeing down the hallway. I stepped into the living room, clearing my throat. “Good morning.”

He craned his head to look at me over his shoulder, his gaze sweeping quickly over me. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to face me.

The girls took advantage of the opening and pushed past him. A tall brunette and a short blonde. Yup, they were hot, all right. But judging from the way they ignored Seb and focused on me, neither one had a claim on him.

Not that I did, either.

I just didn’t want things to be awkward, staying in his cabin—in his bed—if he had a girlfriend.

The blonde got to me first. “Lila, right? I’m Emma Cole. Can I hug you, or would that hurt?”

I blinked. My side ached, but that was true whether or not someone touched me. “I’ll take a hug. Just avoid my ribs.”

Her smile was all sunshine as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. It made me ache in an entirely different way. A good kind of ache that made me happy and homesick all at once. I needed to call my mom. Let her know I was safe, but it would be a while before she saw me again.

“You’re going to be okay,” Emma said. “You’re safe here.”

Hot tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them back. “Thank you.”

Emma released me, and the brunette smiled. It was a friendly smile but guarded. She didn’t offer a hug, instead raising the tin-foiled plate as a greeting. “I’m Lennon Graves. Are you hungry? The food is still warm-ish, but it will be better if we pop it into the microwave for a few seconds.”

God, it smelled good, and I was starving, but I could smell the cinnamon and sugar, and that made my stomach sink even as my mouth watered. Baked goods were my nemesis. I hated starting a new friendship sounding ungrateful, but⁠—

“I might have to pass on the cinnamon rolls,” I said. “It was so nice of you to bring me breakfast, but⁠—”

“Don’t worry, it’s gluten-free. Seb stopped by the kitchen yesterday with a wheelbarrow load of gluten-free flour and other food for you. Celiac, huh? That’s a bummer, but you won’t starve while you’re here. We’ve got you.”

He remembered. Celiac and my favorite bedtime snack—and, yeah, I hadn’t missed Relly gleaming in the porchlight when we got home last night, as clean and shiny as the day he rolled off the assembly line in 1993. Seb had remembered everything. He’d taken care of me like I was his.

But I wasn’t.

Because he didn’t want me to be.

And if I was going to survive living with my ex-husband without losing my mind, I had to remember that. This would be my defense. My castle wall. My crocodile moat. Every time he did something thoughtful or flashed his abs, I would picture those suitcases. I would Pavlov myself into feeling nothing for this man if it killed me.

I smiled at Lennon like Seb was just somebody that I used to know. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”

My head tilted as I studied her. She was impossibly pretty, the kind of woman you’d expect to see strutting down a Victoria’s Secret runway, not standing in a cabin with a plate of home-cooked food. There was something familiar about her. “Have we met?” I asked.

She gave a husky laugh. “Well, you did run straight into my arms and bleed all over me. That’s probably it, unless you have an affinity for topless cooking shows.” She laughed again at the confused expression on my face. “I was a cam girl until three months ago.”

“Oh. Um…no. Nothing against boobs, but I hate to cook,” I confessed. But I remembered now. The way she had kept me from hitting the ground while she hollered for help. Lennon had helped save my life. “Thank you. And sorry about the blood.”

“Nothing a little hydrogen peroxide and cold water couldn’t fix.” She hefted the plate again. “So, breakfast?”

“Yes, please.”