"Dell," she said after she'd told him where to find the records. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," he said, then paused. "And you?"

An odd longing filled her. A longing for him, which was unsettling. She wanted . . . well, she didn't exactly know.

And wasn't that the problem.

"I'm peachy," she said, and when he'd hung up she smacked herself in the forehead with her phone, castigating herself aloud. "Peachy? You're peachy?"

"I think pineapple works better," Adam said, walking through the reception area. "It's prickly." He flashed her a quick grin, making her laugh and shake her head.

"You on for tonight?" he asked.

Tonight was poker night. Dell, Brady, Adam, and Lilah were religious about the twice-monthly get-togethers. Dell hosted them at his place and these guys took their poker very seriously. "Yes," she said. "I'll be there."

"Bring your cash and valuables," he said.

Two weeks ago Jade had cleaned Adam out. He wanted his revenge. "There's going to be an ass-whooping tonight."

"Hmm," she said. "I'll bring my can of hair spray, too, in case it gets ugly."

He reached into the candy jar on the counter that Jade used to bribe little children into behaving. "You can't scare me like you do Dell."

She went still. "Is that what I do, scare him?"

Adam flashed her a look of sympathy that she didn't want. "Jade-"

"No, never mind." Standing, she nudged him clear of her area. "Okay, out you. I have to close up."

He managed to grab a handful of candy before she pushed him away. When she was alone, she looked at Gertie. "Men are annoying."

Gertie cocked her head in agreement, but Jade let out a low laugh. "Oh, who are you trying to kid? The minute he shows his face, you'll drop everything for him. Face it, Gert. You're a Dell 'ho."

Gertie grinned and drooled.

Jade sighed. She was a Dell 'ho, too. She finished closing up and got Beans into the carrier, surprised when she straightened to find Adam back in her space. "You didn't have to wait for me. The bad guys have been caught."

He shrugged. "Humor me." He paused. "And about Dell. He-"

"You don't have to explain him to me." She pointed to a stack of phone messages from the day, which she'd already entered onto a spreadsheet and sent to Dell's e-mail.

Adam picked up the messages and flipped through them. "Okay, Tina's his housekeeper. Shelly's a good friend of mine. She called me, too, wanting to know what to get the man of mystery for his birthday next month. I told her a kick in the ass. Amanda . . ." He lifted a shoulder and stared at that message. "Okay, that's a new one," he admitted, rubbing his jaw. "And probably not worth remembering."

Jade sighed. "She's a drug rep."

"And you think Dell's into her?"

"No," she admitted. "He took her to lunch last week when she drove in from Boise, and since then she's called twenty times, but he hasn't gotten back to her."

"And how many times has Melinda called?"

"Four, and there's two hang-ups, which thanks to the magic of caller ID, are also hers."

Adam just shook his head. "Christ, you two are a pair."

Dell was slumped in his dining room chair as he gathered his cards in. He'd lost.

To Jade.

Fitting, he thought. Since he'd already lost her-a fact that had been slammed home to him last night. Only a few weeks ago, what had happened in the clinic last night would have paralyzed her with fear and insecurity. But the self-defense he'd taught her had bolstered her confidence and given her some belief in herself.

And now she was going to use that newfound strength to leave here.

Great job, Connelly. Well done.

Jade was smiling as she gathered all his nickels and dimes in close, making careful, perfect stacks.

"So you have what," Lilah said to Jade. "A few weeks left?"

Jade didn't look up from her winnings. "About."

"Wish you wouldn't go," Lilah said. "We're going to miss you."

"You're the only one who can keep the knucklehead in line," Adam said in agreement.

The "knucklehead" didn't speak because if he did, it would be to utter the two words that had been stuck in his throat for so long he was choking on them.

Don't go.

"This was always a temporary situation," Jade reminded them softly. "But I'll miss you guys."

"Me too," Lilah said, and pulled Jade in for a tight hug, the full-body kind that only women could pull off. "You're leaving me here with all this testosterone, it's not fair."

"I'll visit," Jade said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Lilah sniffed and nodded and then composed herself. Jade did the same. And just like that, it was over and the two of them were smiling again.

Not Dell. He couldn't have smiled to save his life. His throat burned. Fucking burned.

Lilah filled the silence, talking about flying to Chicago to visit Jade and shop, flirting with her husband-to-be, making fun of Adam for losing when he wanted to win so bad.

Brady was just sitting there, clearly enjoying Lilah's antics. Adam was quiet, probably calculating his revenge hand.

"Love how you always kick their asses," Lilah said to Jade. "Promise me you'll fly in for our poker nights once you go home. Brady can get you in the chopper."

Brady nodded his agreement of that and Adam said something about how he'd have to start saving up for that since she kept killing him, but Dell couldn't joke about it. Hell, he couldn't hardly fucking breathe.

And how the hell she could, he had no idea.

Two weeks . . .

"My deal." Jade took the cards, shuffling like a pro. "Five-card stud. Deuces wild." She dealt, then surveyed her cards with that same little smile she always gave her hand.

She had a helluva poker face.

And if she'd looked like a naughty secretary yesterday, tonight she looked like a gambler's wet dream. Snug, silky, long-sleeved T-shirt with an equally snug vest that tied up the center into a bow between her breasts.

He wanted to tug on that tie with his teeth.

Her jeans were cut low, and when she leaned forward to collect her winnings or to toss her cards, her shirt rose a little, revealing a mind-melting strip of smooth, creamy skin.

And just the very tiniest hint of twin dimples above the best ass he'd ever seen.

Christ, she was killing him.

He drew two cards and came up with three tens and a deuce. He went all in.

Brady shook his head and folded. "Sucker."

Adam looked pained and also folded.

Lilah grinned but joined Adam and Brady in folding.

Jade pushed her money to the center of the table. She was in.

Dell looked into her eyes, and it might have been just the two of them-except for their audience, of course. The Three Stooges, watching them like a prime-time sitcom.

"You packing any heat?" Jade asked, studying his face.

"A little late to ask," he said. "You're all in."

"In more ways than one," she murmured. "Going to show me what you've got?"

In more ways than one? What did that mean? He revealed his cards. "Three of a kind."

Jade's brows went up. "Nice," she said, but stopped him when he leaned forward to collect the pile.

"Not so fast." She laid her hand out.

Full house.

Brady and Adam grimaced in tandem. Lilah chortled with glee.

Jade smiled and gathered the booty toward her. "You lost, Dr. Connelly. All of it."

Yeah. A feeling he was getting far too used to.

Much later, Dell was alone on his couch. He had his remote in hand, and Gertie doing her best imitation of a lap dog, leaving a good amount of slobber on his thigh.

A knock sounded at his door.

Not Adam or Brady. They'd left an hour ago, and besides, they both had keys and absolutely no care for Dell's privacy whatsoever. They'd just barge in.

Dell glanced at his watch. Two in the morning. Frowning, he shoved Gertie off him and headed to the door, glancing out his living room window as he did.

Jade's car was in the driveway.

What the hell? Gertie peeked, too, and gave a bark of wild enthusiasm.

Speeding up his pace Dell pulled open the door, reaching down to grab Gertie's collar just before she could launch herself at Jade.

"Gak," Gertie said, back paws on the ground, front paws in the air as Dell held her back.

"Were you sleeping?" Jade asked, her hands tightly clasped together. She sent a quick look over her shoulder as if the dark night was unnerving her. "You were totally sleeping, right? Never mind." She started to turn away, but Dell used his free hand to snare his second female of the night, catching Jade in the back of her jacket and reeling her to him. Because it was cold, he pulled both woman and dog into his house and shut the door.

Gertie shoved her face into Jade's palm, blithely demanding a rubdown, which Jade granted. Everyone seemed happy with the momentary distraction, especially Gert. After a moment, the dog shuffled back off to her spot on the couch.

"I-" Jade let out a breath. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"I wasn't sleeping. I was just sitting here thinking of how broke I am."

She smiled, and he felt the usual reaction in his chest. And south. "Not that I'm complaining," he said. "But what are you doing back here?"

She hesitated. "Remember how when you were a kid and you knew something was a really bad idea, but you wanted to do it anyway, even when everyone from your nanny to your best friend told you it was stupid?"

He'd been moved around too much for best friends. Adam had fit the bill, but if Dell had gone to do something stupid, Adam had most likely been the ringleader. "Never had a nanny."

She nodded with a little grimace. "I knew that. I didn't mean . . . I just . . . The stupid thing. I'm trying to tell you about the stupid thing I want to do."

"The thing your nanny and best friend would try to talk you out of."

"Yes. But they're not here. And you . . ." She shook her head and walked into his living room and looked around.

"Forget something?"

"No, I was just sort of hoping to find your Adopt-a-Farm-Animal type of secret thing you do when you're alone."

"Guys have . . . different alone-time activities than women. Very different."

She laughed and dropped her coat to his couch. Okay, that meant she was staying, for at least a few minutes.

Or maybe not.

He'd long ago given up trying to read her mind. She'd changed out of her gambler's wet dream outfit and was now in a snug black sweat suit. The bottoms were contoured to her body. The hoodie was unzipped to just beneath her breasts and beneath was a lacy white number that fucked with his head. She entwined her fingers and looked at him.