"You're just in a piss-poor mood because I made you get up and go Black Friday shopping with me, so piss off." Max.

"Will you two guys just shut up? You're gonna wake up Addie."

I grinned, hiding my lips behind my hand. Lordy, Collin was sweet-respectful and always thinking of others. It's just one of the reasons I was so attracted to him. Yes, he did suffer from an occasional case of dickhead-itis when he got all domineering on me, but it wasn't something I couldn't handle.

Not to mention that just looking at the guy made me hotter than a sauna in the middle of the desert. With the simple bunching of his shoulders as he hovered over his white instruction manual, he stole the air from my lungs. Dressed in black boxers, no shirt, and... Oh hell, were those scratch marks down his back? I cringed.

"I don't get you, man." Max sat back on his heels. His eyebrows were drawn together in concentration, and he had on a pair of dark glasses, making him look one half sexy nerdy and the other half naughty sinister. Short, spiky, black hair stuck up all over, but it was still coated with gel from the night before. He was dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of black gym shorts. "You have this hot-ass woman in your bed, yet you still sleep on the couch and choose to wake up early on a Saturday to put furniture together." Max sighed, lowering his chin to his chest. "You're making my cock hurt just thinking about it."

"Don't." It was one word, nothing more. But the second Collin said it to Max, I knew he meant business.

Confusion pulled my brows together. He hadn't slept in the bed with me? How had I not noticed him getting up to leave?

"It's called respect, you idiot. She was exhausted, and I couldn't ask her to go home so late." Collin sighed.

"Well, shit. I'm thinking you need to get on that before-"

Collin slammed his tool on a piece of wood. "For God's sake, Max. She's Chloe's fucking nanny. Leave it alone."

My jaw clenched, anger at the forefront of my emotions. I took a step back into the hallway and leaned my shoulders against the wall, stealing the quickest, sharpest breath I could inhale. There, in the narrow, empty space, I tried to pretend Collin wasn't actually denying me. It had to be more of a mistake with his words is all.

Benefit of the doubt, Addie. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

"But didn't you say the two of you-" Gavin.

"Can we put this thing together and just stop with the chick talk? My head hurts, and Chloe isn't gonna last much longer in her high chair." I knew the sound in Collin's voice. I could hear the exhaustion and annoyance too. I just wished I knew why. Was it because of me? Of what happened between us?

I turned to go back into his room, get dressed, and leave, thinking I'd overstayed my welcome after all. But before I could get too far, Gavin's words stopped me short. "What's on your back, man? Nail marks?"

I shut my eyes, hands clutching the bottom of Collin's shirt.

Chloe's squeals grew louder, her toys clattering on the floor at the same time. My head snapped in her direction, and her eyes, wide and gleaming, were locked onto my face. In all her baby excitement, she threw her arms out toward me, and I cringed and waved in response. It was pretty much a safe bet that three ex-military men would catch on to my spy tactics, but then again, what did I have to lose?

I looked around the corner once more, finding Gavin behind Collin, who was now standing.

"Nail marks?" Max narrowed his eyes and moved in closer to see. "Where?"

"His back." Gavin grinned, pointing down at the marks.

"Well, hell. Now it all makes sense."

My stomach dipped, nerves eating at my insides.

"What?" Collin circled around to face them both, rubbing the back of his neck at the same time.

Max tapped a thumb against his smug smile, while Gavin scrubbed his hand up and down his face.

"Do you guys mind?" Collin's shoulders bunched and stretched as he reached forward to grab a shirt off the end table.

"Well, well, well. The dirty dog fucked her after all." Gavin looked up at the ceiling. My stomach coiled even tighter, and I pressed both hands against my throat.

Were they mad? Disappointed? I held my breath, not realizing how much I wanted their approval until that moment.

Collin moved toward Chloe, eyes narrowed as he picked her toys up off the floor and set them back on her tray. "Didn't fuck anybody. I don't plan to either."

Max folded his arms over his chest. "You're lying."

"Come on, man." Collin laughed, the sound eerily distant yet again.

Gavin stabbed a finger in Max's chest, the testosterone between the three of them going up about a thousand notches. Surprisingly, Max moved to stand next to Gavin.

"Don't shit where you eat, man. I've told you that. Meant it more so with her." Gavin.

Collin took a step back, away from the wooden planks used for whatever they were putting together. One thing was for certain: I didn't want to be a part of this. If Collin was having regrets over what happened, there was no way I could continue with whatever charade he was playing with me. I was already in too deep. If I sank any lower, I knew I'd drown. Not just because of Collin, but because of Chloe and his friends-his sister too. These people had become my family, and if I lost them all, I...

No. I couldn't think like that. Wouldn't was more like it.

And screw the tears burning my eyes and the fact that my hips and body were deliciously sore from last night too. No way would I let Collin decide what happened between us without my input. I was done standing down to appease the people I cared about. Bending to their will just to make peace I'd never be happy with. I did it growing up with my parents, at least until college came along. Meek me was over. And if Collin didn't want me, then I wouldn't want him either.

Or I'd pretend not to want him, at least.

"You know..." Shoulders back, head high, I cleared my throat and stepped into the room. Three sets of eyes flashed my way, every one of them perusing my nearly naked body at the same time. Let them be made powerless by my womanly wiles. God gave me boobs, an ass, and long legs for a reason. It was time I used them for evil.

"When I was a kid, my dad used to struggle for hours trying to put stuff like this together." I whipped the instructions out of Collin's hands, clicking my tongue. "And every time, I asked if he wanted my help." Avoiding Collin's gaze, I moved to sit on the floor. "But every time, he'd tell me that women were only good for cooking and cleaning and breeding children."

Somebody hissed at my words, another sighed. It didn't matter what they thought. My father was in my past, and his sexism would stay there too.

"There was this one time when I was around sixteen, I think. I got so angry at him for telling me no that I stayed up all night to put something like this together anyway." I reached across the one and only drawer they'd managed to piece together and grabbed the set of screws to go with the flat head I'd jerked away from Gavin's hand. "And do you know what he said to my mother when they found me asleep on the floor the next morning?"

"What?" Collin.

Shrugging, as though the memory didn't sting, I grabbed the two panels of wood labeled A and lined them up, screwing them together.

"He told her I was a disgrace. That any girl who used tools the way a normal girl would use makeup and curling irons was no daughter of his."

Pride radiated through me as I grabbed the next panels and did the same thing. For the first time in almost ten years, the memory didn't make me cry. Instead, it made me angry and bitter. It also proved I wasn't going to let anybody get me down, especially not Collin. Because whether he knew it or not, I wasn't a woman he could string along at his discretion.

I was Addison Booker: a bitch when she wanted to be, and a lover when she needed to be.

Chapter 30.

Collin I had no idea how long she'd been standing there. The two things I did know? She looked sexy as hell in my T-shirt and was also on some sort of feminist rampage, which made her look even sexier. Her hair was down, stuck to the side of her face and neck, and her legs-good God, they were ball-breakingly gorgeous.

No way did I like the fact that Gavin and Max could see so much skin, but they knew better than to ogle her too long. I might have denied them her at first, but doing so was also guy code for "I ain't ready to tell you shit yet, so leave it be."

"-so if you even so much as think about telling me to leave, then back off, because I'm not going anywhere until I finish this thing. You hear me?" Screwdriver high, she jabbed it in the air at each one of us-me the longest.

My throat went dry, but I nodded, not wanting to tear my eyes away from her. Had no intentions of making her leave. She'd know that soon enough.

"Shit. Give me your father's address. I'm gonna go kick his ass myself." Gavin rubbed his hand over his forehead.

"Nah." Addie scrunched up her nose. "The man's not worth the wasted energy. Just wanted to let you guys know I'm not necessarily just some Suzy Homemaker. I may adore Chloe, do your dishes, and occasionally fold your underwear when I see it lying around-"

"You fold my underwear, Short Stuff?" Max asked. Addie's cheeks turned pink, her unspoken answer in that look alone. Max groaned and pressed his palm against his chest. "Then you stack it and put it on my dresser, don't you?" Max moved over the cardboard spread across the floor on his knees until he was crouched in front of her.

"Well, someone has to. Seriously. You guys are like barn animals when it comes to laundry. You'd think after going through boot camp and then being marines, you'd know better." She frowned. "Poor Chloe. When she learns to walk, she's going to be buried alive under all the piles you have stacked up."

"Marry me." Max pressed his hands to her cheeks. "Have my baby boys, and do my laundry, and I will make you the happiest woman alive. I swear to God."

Her eyes widened. Mine narrowed. And deep in my throat, I growled like a rabid wolf.

Gavin hooted really loud and grumbled, "You got a death wish, Maxwell?" Then he laughed harder when he met my glare, slapping his thigh as he went to the kitchen.

When I turned back to tell Max to shove his pussy words up his ass, I saw it-a nightmare come to life. Max had his hands around Addie's waist and was kissing her.

"The hell?" Lunging forward, I grabbed the neck of his shirt and yanked him back. He landed on his ass, face red, licking his lips-and that smile? I was gonna slap it right off his face.

"Aww, man." Max shut his eyes and blew out a slow breath. "Those lips. Just as tasty as they look." His eyes reopened, meeting mine in a wink as he stood and moved toward Addie again.

Addie, on the other hand, turned pale and glanced my way. Max had made her speechless.

"It's all good, Short Stuff." Max rubbed her shoulders with his hands and kissed the top of her head, like I hadn't just tossed him onto the floor. "You know where to find me when my best friend fucks up." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him for a hug. Addie's pale face regained some color as she looked at me from over his shoulder. I was surprised she hadn't kneed him in the nuts herself.

A movement from the left caught my eye-lucky for Max. When I looked, I found Gavin standing next to the high chair, Chloe held out in front of him, giggling. Awkward as hell couldn't even begin to describe the man as he transferred her to his hip.

"Max," he grumbled. "Get your ass back in Chloe's room and teach me about diapers." A small, sideways smile played out on Gavin's lips.

I knew what he was doing. He was giving me the time I needed to talk to Addie, to see what she'd heard and figure out what kind of damage control I had to do. My buddies had their own ways of making things happen for me, and damn did I love them for it-even though their tactics weren't always conventional.

Max stood and walked toward Gav and Chloe, stopping to squeeze my shoulder and whisper in my ear, "You fuck her over, I'll fuck you up, capeesh?"

And then he was off, dancing like a monkey-literally with his hands under his armpits-toward my daughter.

"A monkey, moron? Really?" Gavin handed Chloe to Max, who took her without a second thought.

"Don't knock it, Gavy-Gav. Getting the sillies out every once in a while does wonders for the libido."

I slapped my hand against my forehead. Jesus Christ. What the hell kind of friends did I have anyway?

Once they were out of the room, I didn't waste another second and went straight for Addie. She had her back to me, shoulders tense as I approached. I wrapped my arms around her waist, nuzzling my face against the side of her neck.

"Turn around and face me." She stiffened and slowly did as I asked. Her lips were pursed in what was probably annoyance, but I didn't care. I had to kiss the memory of Max away, and I had to do it right then and there.

No man would ever touch these lips again as long as I was around.

At first she was stiff, mouth unmoving and hands at her side. But I worked my lips over hers, licking the seam and begging for entrance with my tongue. Seconds later, she melted against me, tucking her arms around my neck, opening wide. I shuddered, wanting nothing more than to wrap her pretty legs around my waist and take her against the sliding glass doors at her back.

Thinking like the smart man I didn't know I had in me, I pulled away, only to kiss her chin, her neck... "Wanna be inside you again." Had to at least tell her.

But then she shoved me. Not some gentle love pat or passionate, let-me-get-you-in-position push either. This was fire and ice, anger and hate. And out of all the looks she'd ever give me, this one scared me to death.

"So...what part of Chloe's fucking nanny did you mean just now, huh?" She crossed her arms under her tits, pushing them up even more.

"What?" Couldn't keep my eyes off her nipples. Seeing them poke against the material made me rock hard.

"Do you really think I'm stupid?" She took a step back.

Shit. She hadn't just heard a little of my conversation with the guys; she'd heard all of it.

"Did you think I needed a pity lay? Because there are lots of men out there who'd have pity sex with me."

I jerked my head back, stopping in place. "Pity?" And with another guy? The fuck was she talking about?

She glared at me, her dark eyes furious. But I held her gaze with my own, refusing to be pushed away. "The only thing I consider a pity is that I couldn't have you sprawled out naked beneath me all night like I wanted to."

Now I was just plain pissed. After everything we'd done, the shit I said to her, she was suddenly thinking I was some sort of douche bag who felt sorry for her?

Hell no.

"Well, I'm not deaf. Can hear perfectly out of both ears." She rolled her eyes-always rolling her pretty eyes at me. "And I heard exactly what you said to Gavin and Max."

"What'd you think you heard?"

She scoffed, tossing her hands up between us. "That you didn't...you know. With me."

Another step, then another, and I had her against the glass doors. Her chest moved up and down, like she was struggling to breathe, but I didn't touch her. Couldn't yet, especially when I knew it'd be all over if I did.

"What's that? You're stuttering."

She motioned her hand lower, and I licked my lips. A nervous Addie was my weakness. Any more of this, and I'd do exactly what she thought I'd said I didn't do last night.

"I've got aches in places I haven't used in years, so unless I have a ghost lover who visits me in my dreams, then I know we most definitely...ya know...did it last night." Her cheeks turned bright red, the cutest color I'd seen on her face yet.

I pressed my hands against the glass on either side of her face and held her in place with my chest and arms. "Say it, sweetheart. Want to hear the word come out of your mouth." I licked my lips again.

"I don't want to say-"

"Please?" She loved manners, and I'd give them to her if she said the words I wanted to hear.

She huffed. "Fine. We f-fucked, and you said we didn't." Innocence captured her eyes, making her look far younger than she was. It also made me want to corrupt her, dirty her up again. Obviously she wasn't afraid of sex. If anything, I knew she had a wild side. So what made her so afraid to say fuck?