Patting his chest, she said, "Okay, sure."

Denver rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Now you're placating me."

"Yes. Because you're being silly."

"Silly?"

That made her outright laugh. And once she did, Denver's lips twitched, too. Seeing how quickly she regrouped again made him proud.

God, the things she made him feel, most of them nice, some of them disturbing as shit. But he wouldn't trade any of it. In fact, the feelings were growing on him.

In direct contrast to the humor, he said, "When I get hold of Carver, I'm going to rip him apart." He needed her to know that.

Instead of replying, she gestured at the door. "I can't go back out there just yet."

Denver held her to him. "You don't have to."

Merissa opened the door and stepped in with Armie right behind her, his arm around her shoulders, the two of them in low, intimate conversation.

Together, Denver and Cherry stared.

With a sigh, Merissa stepped away from Armie, but immediately wrapped her arms around herself. Her gaze sought Cherry's. "I am soooo creeped out."

Cherry nodded. "Me, too."

"I'm going to put on coffee." Merissa started for the kitchen. "Then I'm going to pack. Until that jerk is gone, I'll be staying somewhere else."

Denver leaned down to whisper to Cherry, "She'll be staying with Cannon. He insisted."

Looking even more shamefaced, she joined her friend. "Rissy, I am so sorry."

"Why?" Merissa got the coffee from the cabinet. "You didn't invite him here."

"But it's because of me-"

"No, it's because he's a certifiable lunatic." Merissa looked at Armie, then pulled Cherry close to whisper. The two women stayed like that, huddled in close conversation, occasionally glancing at the men.

Denver nudged a mesmerized Armie toward the door. "Let's go."

With a lagging step, Armie went. "I'm fucked," he muttered low enough that the women wouldn't hear.

"Or," Denver said, "you could just go with it."

But Armie wasn't listening. He was too busy trying to ignore what he felt. Denver could have told him that wouldn't work, but he figured it was something Armie would have to work out for himself-hopefully before it was too late.

HOURS LATER, DENVER and Cherry finally got to bed. Neither of them said anything for the longest time. The evening had been grueling. The animal control specialist agreed it'd be safer to have the car towed before inspecting it for other pests, especially since, as Armie had said, at least one of the snakes had been venomous. Given the ability to hide up under seats and other nooks and crannies, it was determined that the interior might need to be dismantled to some degree.

Denver had already decided she needed to replace it. Somehow he'd talk her into selling it, and letting him help with a new ride. That was a topic for another day, though.

The cop had tried suggesting an elaborate prank, but he didn't sound convinced, especially when they explained about Cherry's foster brothers being in town. It helped that Cannon gave Lieutenant Peterson a call.

Surprising Denver, the lieutenant showed up and then stuck around to talk to everyone. Cherry promised her that she'd let her know if any of them contacted her again.

They couldn't prove the brothers had anything to do with the latest harassment, but the lieutenant was more than willing to call it probable. Knowing she was on the case offered a little more reassurance. But since no one knew where to find the bastards, there was only so much the cops could do.

Once they were stretched out in the bed, Cherry asked, "How's your head?"

"Fine. Don't worry about it." He wanted her, but he also wanted her to know it wasn't just about sex. "You?"

She tipped her face up to see him. "I'm okay."

"You're beautiful."

A smile flickered over her lips. Lifting up to one elbow, she inadvertently left her bare breasts close enough for him to lick.

He fought temptation.

Stroking her fingers through his hair, she tortured him. "Thank you for asking me to stay with you."

What he'd asked was for her to move in. Big difference. But she looked too exhausted to argue semantics. "Thank you for agreeing."

Her gentle fingers moved down his jaw. "I'm relieved to be here, but I need to figure out a few things."

"Like?"

"It's not right to just leave Merissa alone there. I know she's staying with Cannon for a while. But that won't last. She's not the type to impose."

"How could she ever impose when he wants her there?" It was a message he wished Cherry would apply to herself.

"This is my fault. Carver is here because of me. The least I could do is-"

"No."

Denver tumbled her down in the bed and moved over her, pinning her in place. "You already agreed to stay."

She searched his face, and he saw so many questions reflected in her dark eyes. Questions about the future. Questions about them as a couple. He couldn't answer them all just yet, so instead he made a suggestion.

After he gently kissed her. "I know things are moving fast and we both have a lot on our plates already. I'm training, you're working."

"And my past is closing in, mucking it all up. I'm so sorry about that."

"I'm relieved that you're not dealing with those fucks on your own." When she started to speak, he touched a finger to her soft lips to quiet her. "I know you're independent, girl. It's one of the things I love about you."

Going utterly still, her eyes darkened and her face flushed.

Knowing he had her attention, Denver tried for a little leverage. "But being independent doesn't mean you have to do everything on your own. Trust me when I say that I want to be here for you." Now and always. "Trust Cannon to look out for his sister, and trust Merissa to understand the situation for what it is."

"It's-"

"Not your fault," he emphasized.

"Not directly because I would never, ever deliberately hurt my friends. But it's a fact that Carver is here because I'm here."

"I'm glad you're here-with me."

She relented enough to say, "I'm very glad about that, too."

To convince her, he gave her a different way of looking at it. "Blaming yourself because he's a psycho punk who needs to be committed is like blaming me because Pamela was an unhappy woman stuck in an unhappy marriage of her own making."

Her arms came around his neck and she held him to her, her hold...protective. "That was not your fault."

Touched, amused and loving her more by the minute, Denver eased her back. "And what Carver does isn't yours."

He felt her gearing up, knew he wouldn't like it, and leaned back to see her.

"I'm sorry, Denver, but I can't just wait to see what he'll do."

"Eventually he'll screw up and we'll have him. But no way in hell will I let him hurt you."

"I need to call him."

"No."

"I need to-"

"I'll call him.

She hugged him again, tighter this time, her face against his chest. "He doesn't want to talk to you."

"He'll fucking well talk to me all the same."

Resolve had her scooting away from him until she sat on the other side of the bed. "You need to understand something, Denver."

Damn, but he felt the loss of her warmth. Assuming they wouldn't be sleeping for a while, he sat up against the headboard and crossed his arms, his own resolve in place. "I'm listening."

"Carver isn't a man swayed by logic. You can't just warn him away. Threats will mean nothing to him. He thinks he's invincible. He thinks he can always do as he pleases because usually he can."

"Then he'll have to come to grips with the fact that this time he can't." Because he can't have you. "He needs to know you aren't alone."

She sucked in a breath. "If you do that, if you try to stress that you're here for me, then you become his target."

Good. "Better me than you."

"No!" Shoving a hand into her hair, she left the bed. "This is bad enough already without you getting-"

"Involved?" Though he tried, he couldn't remove the edge of disgust from his tone.

She whirled on him. "Hurt!"

Well hell, that was even worse. A slow pulsebeat of fury brought him forward with a building scowl. The disbelief emerged as a grated whisper. "You think that mewling punk could hurt me?"

Cherry threw up her hands. "He is not a fair fighter, damn it! He owns weapons. He skulks around in the shadows and...and..."

And he'd done terrible things. To Cherry. Choking on the awful mix of love and rage, Denver rose from the bed. Arms folded and expression shuttered, Cherry turned away from him.

He brought her back around. "Don't do that, Cherry. Don't ever shut me out."

It took her a second, but she got her chin up. "I don't want Carver and his insane brothers going after you full force. I know I'm responsible for a lot-but not that, Denver." She held his gaze, but her voice wavered when she said, "Please."

Carefully, he closed his hands over her shoulders and drew her closer. "What are you responsible for?"

Her lips firmed. "I need to tell you more about Carver. So you'll understand. So you'll know that it's not worth..."

"Fighting for you?" Was that what she thought?

She tried to push away from him, but Denver scooped her up and carried her to the bed, ignoring her struggles and excuses and all the reasons why he couldn't, shouldn't, know her in every way imaginable.

Getting comfortable with his back against the headboard again, but now with a disgruntled bouncy blonde on his lap, Denver said, "Settle down."

That really got her going and he laughed while subduing her. Laughter was the wrong move, apparently, given the killing glare she cut over him.

"We're not going to sit through this, huh? Have it your way." He stretched her out under him, pinning her legs with one of his, drawing her arms up high over her head. He took in the tantalizing sight of her, smiled and shook his head. "Damn, girl, no matter what, you do it for me."

"Damn it, Denver-"

He lightly bit her earlobe. "Shh. It'll be okay. You'll see."

"You don't know that! Carver is not a reasonable man."

"He's not a man at all." To tease her, he kissed a path from her ear to her throat. "Real men don't bully others. They sure as shit don't abuse women." He lifted up enough to see her eyes growing heavy.

Sweet Cherry. It always took so little from him to get her ready. That in itself was a blessing. To be wanted so much by a woman like her...

No way in hell would he ever give that up.

"Anyone who would terrorize a kid is the lowest scum on earth. Now, while I get that you'd rather deal with him on your own, it's not fair to ask that of me, so get over it."

The sensual fog cleared from her gaze. "It's not that easy!"

"It will be if you'll stop hiding from me. If you'll put a little of that effort into trusting me instead." Denver waited. When she said nothing, when her gaze darted away, he went back to nuzzling her fragrant skin. "I've got all night." Hell, he had a lifetime. With her. Sooner or later she'd get it.

He nibbled his way down her chest to the top of her breast.

Even as her breathing deepened, her mouth pinched. "Okay."

He saw the resignation in her gaze, and the belief that things would somehow change between them. He smoothed back her hair, lightly touched his mouth to hers, and rose to one elbow, bracing his head on a fist. "Trust," he reminded her.