"You shock me," she admitted in a mere breath of sound.

"Back atcha."

Merissa freed herself and turned to face him. "Is that a joke?"

Shaking his head, he tracked his gaze over her. Unlike his lady friends, she was fully dressed in jeans and a sleeveless baby-blue blouse.

Almost unwillingly, he grated, "Every f.u.c.king time I see you."

Her jaw loosened. "My G.o.d! You have two women waiting inside for you-"

"Probably not waiting anymore." His smile taunted her. "They're the impatient sort."

"-and still you flirt with me?"

His bare shoulders bunched. "I wasn't."

Oh. Her confidence suffered, but she faked it, flipping back her long hair and staring him in the eyes. "I thought-"

One big stride brought him chest to b.r.e.a.s.t.s with her. He radiated hot anger-and so much more. "You came to me, little girl."

She didn't quail, not from Armie. In a whisper, she asked, "Why are you mad?"

His gaze searched hers, and he jerked away with a curse, turning from her, his hands on his hips, his head dropped forward. Muscles twitched, locked. His chest repeatedly rose with slow, deep breaths.

Merissa stared at his long back, his sun-darkened skin in appealing contrast to his fair hair. The deep furrow of his spine bisected all that firm muscle and without even thinking about it, she followed it down to the paler skin of his taut backside displayed by the loosened, drooping jeans.

Catching herself, she pulled her gaze back up to the tattoo of a winged heart wrapped in barbed wire that rested between his shoulder blades. No color. Just stark black and...sad.

The tats on his arms were different-simple, colorful tribal designs that backed up his bada.s.s rep. She doubted they meant anything. But that heart...

He rubbed the back of his neck and muscles shifted everywhere, igniting a secret heat inside her.

"I'm sorry for dropping in," she said softly.

Over his shoulder, he scowled at her, then slowly faced her again.

"I was looking for Cannon, but obviously he's not here." She couldn't imagine her discriminating brother ever partic.i.p.ating in a menage a trois. If he did, no one would ever know about it-and it definitely wouldn't be with such extroverted women who might kiss and tell.

Armie's deep brown eyes watched her with a sizzling sort of menace, and she cleared her throat. "I tried calling him, but he didn't answer, and he's not at the hotel. I thought maybe-"

"He's with Yvette."

Why did Armie always keep her at a distance? And why, for the love of G.o.d, did that only make her want him more? "Yvette who?"

"Sweeny. You knew her, I think. She's-"

"I do!" Wow, she'd wondered if Yvette would ever return. A million questions went through her mind, but she settled on one in particular. "Why is Cannon with her?"

Armie c.o.c.ked a brow.

"Oh." Wow again. Cannon and Yvette? Still? It had to have been...what? Three years. In rapid order, she went through the timeline, recalling how Yvette had always crushed on Cannon and how Cannon had helped to rescue her-and how he'd gone off to fight in the SBC and she'd gone off to live in California. "I see."

"I have company waiting, so Cannon can fill you in on everything, but he's at her family home with her. Living with her, actually."

The surprises kept coming. "Since when?"

"Since the get-go, far as I can tell." For the first time that night, Armie gave her a sincere smile. "She arrived and he moved in."

"That was fast."

"Slow, if you ask Cannon."

When Armie smiled, he was the most devastatingly handsome man she'd ever seen. "Slow?"

"Seems he's been waiting on her for a while."

The door opened yet again, and this time the redhead and blonde each wore only their panties.

"Oh, for the love of..." Merissa turned away, anxious to avoid any more embarra.s.sment.

From behind her, she heard hushed words from Armie, whining words from the women, and thought about sticking her fingers in her ears. Instead she concentrated on her retreat.

She'd gotten down ten steps when Armie grabbed her again.

"Hold up, d.a.m.n it."

"What?" she asked as she turned to face him.

Her temper apparently cooled his. He turned patronizing. "I'm walking you to your car."

"Ha! No way." She started off again.

He didn't argue, but d.a.m.n him, he followed all the same. Mostly naked. Those worn, faded, open jeans riding low on his lean hips.

Using both hands, Merissa slammed open the wide double entry doors and stalked out into the humid evening air. Security lights warded off any imagined danger, except for the danger of Armie at her back.

Danger to her peace of mind. "Go away, Armie."

Mocking her, he asked, "Why are you so mad?"

"I'm not."

He snorted and tugged on a lock of her hair. "You have steam coming out your a.s.s."

Gasping, she rounded on him. "I do not!"

He scrutinized her. "Maybe your ears, too. And just where the h.e.l.l did you park?"

"Over there." She pointed to her little-and ancient- blue car.

Hands on his hips, Armie stared where she indicated. "In the dark. Away from the apartment building." His gaze slanted her way. "Just where the h.e.l.l is your boyfriend?"

She shrugged. Didn't know and didn't really care. He was supposed to pick her up from the airport, but he hadn't shown. Which was fine by her. He wasn't her boyfriend so much as...convenient. Now that he wasn't so convenient, well, then, she had no reason to keep seeing him.

Knowing she'd have to explain that to him, though, she said, "I'll hook up with him tomorrow."

Both brows lifted. "Hook up?"

"I don't mean that. I mean meet up." She shook her head at him. "Not all of us are overs.e.xed apes."

"I'm not an ape."

She noticed he didn't deny the overs.e.xed part. "Goodbye, Armie."

He followed her. Again. Still.

"You aren't worried that your lady friends will finish without you?"

"If they do, I'll just get them started again. I'm good at that, you know. At revving the engine and-"

When she looked at him, he clammed up, then muttered, "d.a.m.n it."

"What?"

"I shouldn't talk like that to you."

"You talk like that to everyone."

Ignoring her interruption, he added with more heat, "You shouldn't let me. h.e.l.l, you shouldn't even be here."

Another smackdown. In every way imaginable he'd let her know she was unwelcome.

While trying to think of a suitable rejoinder, Merissa opened her car door and got in. Already the interior had gotten stuffy, so she rolled down the window, kicked on the engine and turned up the air.

Suddenly Armie was there, his hands braced on the top of the window frame as he leaned down, his face somber, his mood officious. "Don't ever do this again."

Why the sight of his underarms left her fl.u.s.tered, she didn't know, except that the way he stood and what he displayed emphasized his masculinity in a big way.

"Rissy?" he whispered, sounding pained.

She'd heard the nickname most of her life. It sounded very different coming from him, somehow more personal. Preparing herself for his impact, she met his gaze.

As she stared up at him, his face hardened. "Never again." He straightened. "Lock your doors," he ordered before walking away.

At the curb, he looked back with impatience.

Holding up her hands in apology, Merissa closed the window and hit the automatic locks that secured all doors.

He nodded and left.

And with every swaggering step he took, she wanted him more.

Stay away? She doubted she could.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

j ust inside the building, Armie stood aside in the shadows and waited until Rissy's car went past. Jesus. Letting out a tight breath, he dropped back against the wall. His c.o.c.k hurt and it had nothing to do with the two naked hotties carrying on without him in his apartment.

In fact, now that he'd seen Merissa, he had less than zero interest in either of them. He'd known she was coming home today, and that was the only reason he'd invited Avril over in the first place-as a distraction. It had been Avril's idea to mix things up and invite Kelli to join in. h.e.l.l, the more outrageous he got, the more some women vied to keep up.

But not Rissy. No, she'd looked equal parts appalled, disgusted and embarra.s.sed. For him.

He slammed a hand against the wall.

Nice girls were off his list, and Rissy was nicer than most. Add that to the fact she was Cannon's sister and he had no d.a.m.n business putting thoughts of her in his spank bank.

But he would anyway.

He'd rather jerk off thinking of her big blue eyes and her openmouthed surprised at finding him with his jeans open than be used up by the two nymphos.

s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t.

He looked up the stairs. The women wouldn't like it, but lucky for him, he was enough of a p.r.i.c.k that he'd send them packing anyway. Decided, he jogged up the steps.

For his peace of mind, he hoped Merissa kept her distance.

Because he sure as s.h.i.t couldn't rely on his own control. Not with her.

Not when every d.a.m.n day he wanted her more.

C annon woke with a pounding head and his arms full of soft, warm woman. But not just any woman. Yvette. Her scent did insane things to him; her warm breath on his chest affected him like a b.l.o.w. .j.o.b.

He was already so hard that he hurt.

Luckily, she seemed dead to the world. She didn't even stir when he eased her to her back. Her eyelashes left shadows on her cheekbones. Barely parted lips begged for attention, and because he couldn't resist he leaned down for a b.u.t.terfly kiss. Her long hair poured over her shoulders, making a stark contrast against her pale b.r.e.a.s.t.s. And those small pink nipples...

d.a.m.n, but he wanted to put his mouth on her, to suckle her softly until her nipples tightened and ached.

Until she woke wanting him as much as he wanted her.

When she made a sound in her sleep, his heart thumped heavily, his c.o.c.k twitched.

But she only sighed and slept on.