No one was around when they got back from taking Jonathan home. Ryan had probably gone to Emma's, and Brandon would definitely be out partying with his friends. She suspected her dad, though, was waiting up for her.

Dylan surprised her when he took her wrap and hung it on the hook in the closet. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well, now the dickhead's got nothin' on me."

Ah, so he'd noticed when Jonathan had gotten it for her. "He never did." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry this night was so terrible."

"I'll bet we can make it better. Where can we go to just hang out alone? Do you have a finished basement or something?"

She felt the restraint in the arms he'd wrapped around her waist, hovering just over her ass. It made her smile because she knew where he wanted his hands. "Why don't you go up to your room for right now? I need to talk to my dad, okay?"

He seemed wary.

"Give me a few minutes with him." She didn't bother explaining herself, in case she couldn't convince her dad. Heading up the stairs, she heard canned laughter and found her dad on his bed, reading glasses on, newspaper spread out before him, and a late-night TV talk show on the flat screen.

She sat beside him. "Hey, Dad."

"You're home early. Have a good time? Where's your fella?"

"I had a terrible time. Dylan's downstairs."

He lowered the paper, hit the mute button. She loved Gina to pieces right then. Not just because her dad had tuned everything out, but because he no longer looked uncomfortable talking to her. "Things go bad with you two?"

"Jonathan got drunk. We just dropped him off at home."

"Ah. Well, you got to give that boy a break. Hard for him to see you wrapped around a guy like Dylan."

"What does that mean?" She hadn't told him anything about Dylan, other than that he was from Gun Powder, Colorado and had a full-ride to Wilmington.

"He's damn good-looking. Quite a build. He could probably be a line-backer for Yale. Or anything he damn well wanted to be."

She smiled. "That's true. But, lucky me, he's just a student at Wilmington."

Her dad's humor faded. "He said some things tonight."

Oh, no. "Oh, God, Dad, what did you say to him?"

"All I said was, So, you're dating my little girl."

"Okay...? And what did he say?"

"He said you weren't dating-"

Her spirits toppled. Weren't dating? What did that mean?

"He said it was more than that. When I pointed out you were just freshmen in college-I mean, come on, kid, you're eighteen, who meets Mr. Wonderful at eighteen?-he said you two hadn't meant to fall for each other but now that he had you, he was 'in.'"

If she hadn't been swooning at that very moment, she might've found her dad's confused expression comical. "He said that?"

Her dad shrugged. "You're not gonna run off and elope are ya?"

"Of course not. But he's right. Neither of us had any intention of getting involved with anyone this year. But he's got some...issues at home, and he's not sure he can stay at Wilmington." She took a breath. "He's not sure we can stay together...because of his mom."

"Doesn't sound good."

She shook her head, holding his gaze, and they shared an understanding of what she'd gone through with her own mom. "I think he wanted to give you a good answer."

"He did."

"Yeah. So, that's kind of what I want to talk to you about. We are more, Dad. I don't know how to explain it, but from the moment I met him, I felt this connection."

"Well, sure, anyone can see that between you two."

"You can?"

"You bet."

"So, I guess that's as good a segue as any because I'm going to ask you something. Dylan and I, we don't get much alone time. Between school, work, and his mom-"

"His mom lives in Wilmington?"

She might as well. "No, but she's...a lot of trouble for him."

"Uh huh. Go on."

"I don't want to disrespect you or your rules, but it would mean a lot to me if you'd let Dylan stay in my room."

His lips pressed together in disapproval.

"We just...need to be together."

His brow shot up.

"I don't mean like that. I'm not Brandon." She wasn't doing a good job of presenting her case. "I love him, Dad. And it's not small. It's not...some kind of freshman fun-times crush."

He smiled. "No freshman fun-times crush, huh?"

"We'll be respectful-he's a really great guy. Jonathan was awful to him tonight, goading him, and when I was ready to leave the club, Dylan insisted we bring Jonathan home so he wouldn't get into any trouble."

"Good guy."

"Really good guy. So, would you mind? Can he stay with me? I know it's not fair to Brandon, but it would mean everything to me."

He looked away, thoughtful. "You know, if he hadn't answered me the way he had tonight, I'd probably say no. But he sees you...well, let's just say he's pretty taken by you."

Happiness expanded inside her chest. "Thank you, Dad. We won't gross you out, I promise." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran out of the room.

"I'm gonna hold you to that." His voice boomed down the hallway.

Nicole entered the guest bedroom to find Dylan on the floor doing crunches.

She knew he exercised every day, but she'd figured he'd allow himself a day off every now and then. He'd been traveling all day. "Good news. We have a gym in the basement."

He smiled and got up. "Well, now, that is good news. I wondered what I'd do with all my time out here." The guy wasn't even out of breath, as he settled on the bed, back to the headboard.

She kicked off her heels and crawled toward him. "I've got lots of ideas to keep you from getting bored. And they're aerobic, too." Quickly unbuttoning his shirt, she pushed the material aside, baring his hard, chiseled chest, and pressed kisses along his collarbone, down the valley between his nipples, and down to his belly button. "Guess what?"

His hips pushed up, stomach muscles tightening. Watching him, she unbuttoned his jeans and reached in to grip his erection. She smiled as she stroked him, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"What?" he said on a gusty exhalation.

"I talked to my dad. Explained our situation. Guess where you're staying?"

"In a hotel? In another state?"

"No." Pulling him out of his boxers, she licked him from the base to the tip.

His hips shot off the mattress, and he groaned.

Letting go of his glorious erection, she straddled his thighs. "I asked him if you could stay in my room."

"And then he put a hit out on me?"

She smiled. "Do you want to talk or can I get busy?"

He stroked the hair off her shoulder. "Sunshine, we're going to get busy no matter which room I stay in. But I don't want to cause any problems or make anyone uncomfortable."

His erection thickened, and she couldn't resist giving it a firm squeeze. He jackknifed up.

"I want you in my room. What do you want?"

He captured her ass in his hands. "I'll tell you exactly what I want. From the moment I came downstairs tonight, all I could think about was that little bow behind your neck."

She lifted her hair. "This 'ole thing?"

He reached around the back of her neck. "I was imagining what would happen if I did this." He tugged, the knot slipped free, and he lowered the top of her dress slowly. He sucked in a breath. "Look at you." Peeling the top down to her waist, his chest expanded, his eyes widened, as he took her in. Her nipples beaded under his rapt attention. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so pretty."

Her skin pebbled, and she trembled deep within.

With reverence, he gently cupped her breasts, drew them together, and then licked one nipple. "So sweet."

Oh, God, he made her feel so freaking good. She sighed, reaching for his erection. She gripped him, and he surged into her hand. So hard, so thick, and so hot. His warm, wet mouth closed over her breast, his tongue slowly licking the nipple. She pulled him closer, never wanting this delicious pleasure to end.

His phone buzzed and bounced on the nightstand. He pressed his forehead to her collarbone in defeat. "I have to take this."

"Is it your uncle?" She couldn't think of any other call he'd take just then.

He shook his head, scowling when he saw the caller ID. He punched the button to answer. "What?"

Nicole waited, figuring he'd tell the person he'd get back to them. Unless it had to do with his mom. She hoped nothing was wrong.

No, it was a girl's voice, and she talked a mile a minute.

"Goddammit, Kels, that was the whole point. That she wouldn't have someone to call."

Nicole scampered off his lap. His ex. Great. She tied her dress back up.

Whatever. She tossed his duffle bag on the bed, then started throwing his clothes in. He'd showered earlier, so she headed into the bathroom and grabbed his toiletries, stuffing them back into the plastic freezer bag he kept them in. She should've gotten him a nice leather toiletry bag for Christmas, but they'd agreed not to give each other presents, and she hadn't wanted to make him uncomfortable. Maybe for his birthday.

"She has to stay in, Kels."

Quickly, she threw the bag into his duffle. Then she motioned to the door and mouthed, My bedroom.

He nodded, barely focusing on her.

Hot water pummeled her skin, steam swirled around her, and Nicole couldn't stop wondering what Kelsi had done. Knowing the lengths his ex would go to keep him-giving him a hand job while he was sleeping, ew-she couldn't help but wonder if the girl would do something to undermine his mom's care just to force him to come back.

That would be awful.

And completely messed up. No one knew better than Nicole that you couldn't make someone love you. She'd learned the hard way, and she'd never fight someone's demons again. Nope, they had to do it themselves.

Stepping out of the stall, she patted herself dry with a fluffy towel and then smoothed her honeysuckle-scented lotion all over her body-wishing it were Dylan's hands on her instead of her own.

Murmurings from the bedroom let her know he'd found her room. She wrapped the bath sheet around her before heading out to find some nightclothes. However nice it was of her dad to let them sleep in the same room, she wasn't going to be naked. What if he knocked? What if her brothers barged in? She crossed to the door and locked it.

"Of course it's hard for her." He used his handler voice.

Inside her closet, she dropped the towel, found an old pair of navy sweatpants and a plain white tank top.

"No. That's the worst thing I could do. She has to believe I'm not there for her. She has to know there's nowhere for her to go." He paused. "Of course she's out of her mind. She's getting the shit out of her system."

After hanging the towel on the rod, she switched off the bathroom light and crawled into bed.

"Stop. Just...stop. Look, she can make all the threats she wants, I don't believe she'd go back to Jeff after he cracked her ribs." He cut a glance her way, and she saw him stiffen.

She shut off her lamp and turned away from him, giving him some privacy. She appreciated that he talked in front of her but understood how much he hated sharing such ugly bits about his life.

"No." He listened. "Because it won't help."

The duvet whisked off her shoulder, as Dylan got out of bed. "Dammit, Kels, no. It's not your call. We're giving this a try."

She closed her eyes, anxiety buzzing through her. She wished she could help him.

"She has nothing to do with this. It's about making the best decision for my mom. What we've been doing hasn't worked, so we're going to try this. Now, I'm getting off the phone. But I'm telling you, Kels, next time she calls, don't answer."