"Oh."

She knew of him? "Your turn."

"Vanity Baker."

Ah, her friend from Cali. Wondering how much Yvette had told her, he said, "Nice to meet you, even if only via cell phone."

"The pleasure is all mine." She made a whistling sound, then said, "Is Yvette there listening?"

"Right here, yeah." About as close as a clothed woman could get.

"The thing is...I have news about her a-hole ex, so do me a favor and stick around, okay?"

Cannon liked her protectiveness, but not her timing.

Or maybe that was spot-on. too, considering he'd just told himself to move more cautiously, which sure as h.e.l.l didn't include banging her against the wall with very little finesse.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told Vanity.

"Yeah? Good to know."

Yvette watched the exchange with minimal interest. Of course, she straddled his lap and was still breathing hard, so...he cupped her breast and watched her eyes sink shut.

She was every bit as turned on as him, evidenced by the way she kept squirming on his erection.

But, d.a.m.n it, he didn't want to leave her fractured with need. With regret, he arranged her shirt so that it fully covered her again.

Yvette groaned again.

"So, Cannon," Vanity said. "My girl tells me you're some bada.s.s fighter or something."

He smiled. "Or something."

"You're also heroic, right?"

Yvette was starting to look suspicious, so Cannon suggested, "Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind, Vanity?"

"Let me talk to Yvette first."

"Hang on." He held the phone down against the couch. "It's your friend Vanity."

Yvette started to move off his lap, but he wasn't ready to let her go just yet. With a hand on her hip, he stayed her, then caressed. "I like holding you."

She bit her lip, took the phone from him and lifted it to her ear. "Hey, Vanity."

"Why didn't you answer last night?"

Since she'd accidentally just put the phone on speaker, Cannon heard Vanity loud and clear.

Blushing, Yvette said, "I was..."

"What? What were you doing? O. M. G. You did the nasty, didn't you?" She squealed. "Tell me. Details."

"Vanity-"

She gasped. "You're in bed with him now, aren't you? That's why he answered?" Another squeal. "Was it hot? Have you been converted? Are you now among the musthave-it crowd?"

Yvette looked so fl.u.s.tered that Cannon grinned. Clearly Vanity knew some of the details.

"His voice is dreamy," Vanity continued before Yvette could get a word in edgewise. "Tell me the bod matches."

Yvette rolled her eyes. "He's ripped."

She said, "Yes!" like a victory yell.

Rushing on, Yvette said, "But we aren't... We haven't..."

"Well, d.a.m.n. Why not?"

"Mostly because you interrupted," Cannon said. "But I'll forgive you just this once."

Closing her eyes, Yvette said, "You're on speakerphone, Vanity."

Silence. Then in a scandalized whisper, "He was listening the whole time?"

"Yup."

"Well." Shaking off the awkwardness, Vanity said, "C'est la vie. I refuse to blush. In fact, jump his bones, I say. He sounds worth it."

"Vanit y."

"That's her warning tone, Cannon, just so you know."

Cannon liked Vanity more by the moment. "Thanks."

"And now here's mine-be good to her."

"We already worked that out, didn't we?"

"Maybe. Yvette wouldn't let you near her if you weren't one of the good guys. Which is why old Heath got booted. But I meant s.e.xually. She deserves-"

"Vanity!"

Fighting off a laugh, Cannon said, "Agreed."

"I might visit."

"You'd be more than welcome to stay with us."

"Us?" More silence, and then, "Yvette, you hussy. You moved in with him? Why haven't you called to tell me that?"

"We're sharing her grandfather's house," Cannon explained.

"Tell me there's only one bed, one shower-"

"I'm going to kill you when next I see you." Yvette s.n.a.t.c.hed up the phone to take it off speaker.

Vanity said quickly, "Wait! I want Cannon to hear this."

"If it's advice-"

Vanity snorted. "If he needs it, then you should move on."

Though recent actions couldn't prove it, Cannon said, "I don't."

"Didn't think so. But anyhoo, I wanted to tell you about Heath."

Cannon sat a little straighter, one arm going around Yvette. He had a very bad feeling. "What about him?"

"He hopped a plane last night and, sadly, he's headed your way."

"No," Yvette said. "That's...nuts!"

"Which describes Heath perfectly. He posted on Facebook that he was going, then did a status update at the airport. And get this, he said he's going after what's his. In case that's not clear enough, he means you, toots."

"He means me," Yvette repeated, looking dumbfounded.

"Figuring time difference and flight times, I'm thinking he's probably already there. So you might want to keep an eye out. You remember what an a.s.s he was before you left-"

"Thanks for telling me," Yvette interrupted as she scrambled off Cannon's lap.

Which made Cannon wonder just what Heath had done, and why Yvette didn't want him to know.

One hand in her hair, Yvette said, "I blocked him from my Facebook and from my phone, so I had no idea."

"He's seriously unhinged. I'll keep watch and if I see anything else I'll text you."

"Do me a favor," Cannon said. "If you see anything over-the-top, copy it and send it to me. I'll give you my contact info."

"Will you kick his a.s.s?"

He had no idea what the right answer might be, so he said, "I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

Yvette propped her hands on her hips. "Stop it, both of you. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

The silence following that statement only infuriated her more. She gave a low sound of frustration. "Vanity, thank you. Seriously. You know I love you."

Vanity made kissing sounds into the phone.

"But it might be best if we just ignore Heath-"

"Oh, h.e.l.l, no. Tried that last time and look where it got us."

She scowled, probably because she realized Cannon would insist on knowing now.

Thanks to Vanity, he didn't even have to ask.

"He broke in," Vanity stated. "He rifled through your stuff. He's an unbalanced perv, Yvette, and you shouldn't forget it."

t heY didn't get to run, not after Vanity blabbed about Heath. But Cannon got in his exercise by following her around the house and grilling her in great detail.

He paced around her while she drank her coffee and ate a m.u.f.fin, leaned against the sink as she brushed her teeth, didn't budge when she got out clean clothes, but at the shower, he relented and gave her some privacy.

When she emerged, dressed and slightly refreshed, Cannon was on a laptop checking out everything he could find about Heath. "I can't see much since we aren't Facebook friends," he said, "but I connected with Vanity."

Which meant he could now see her photos, and he'd know just how gorgeous she was. "And?"

"And what?" He closed the laptop and stood, his gaze going over her in that heated way.

"Did you look at her photos?"

"I saw a few of you with her." Moving closer, he said, "Including one with you in a bikini."

That was what he'd noticed? Next to Vanity, she all but faded away, or so she thought. "Vanity was in a bikini, too."

He cupped her face and bent to her mouth for a soft kiss. "I'm sorry I rushed things again."

The sudden change in topic had her shaking her head. "What?"

"Earlier. Before Vanity called." Another kiss, this one a little longer but also restrained, as if he held himself in check. "I hope you're still hungry."

How did he mean that? "Umm..."

Smiling at her, he kissed her nose and stepped back. "My sister called this morning. She wants us over for breakfast."

Oh. Knowing he meant hungry for actual food instead of s.e.x left her deflated, proof that Cannon had turned her life upside down.

"I'd enjoy that." She and Rissy had known each other through school, had been casual friends back then, but hadn't been close enough to stay in touch.

"Good. On the drive there, you can tell me more about Heath breaking in."

Within minutes they were on the road, but it'd be a short trip so she got right to it. Hoping her private business could stay private, she wanted to finish up this discussion before they reached his sister's. "I'm not sure what else I can tell you, Cannon, but I'll try."

"You said you came home and the place was trashed. You had stuff missing."

"Not cash or anything valuable. All of my electronics were still where I'd left them, but someone had been going through my emails and my Facebook. My, um..." Knowing how Cannon would react, she decided to just get it said. "My panty drawer had been dumped."

His hands tightened on the wheel but he said nothing.