"I tend to buy matching bra and panties, so I realized some pieces were missing."

"He sounds sick and desperate."

That about covered it, which was why she refused to take his calls. "He gave everything back."

Incredulous, Cannon glanced at her. "Are you making excuses for him?"

"No! It's just...well, it was kind of pathetic. Desperate, like you said." And she had to admit, to herself if not to Cannon, she'd felt guilty for hurting him so much.

"I'm guessing he didn't do any time?"

"He was never arrested."

More squeezing of the steering wheel. "Why not?"

"I knew when I saw the mess that it was Heath. I was so furious that I called him and set him straight."

Cannon grunted at that, making his opinion of her tactics for handling it understood.

Defending herself and her decisions, she forged on. "He fessed up, apologized profusely, gave back my stuff and for the most part has left me alone."

"For the most part?"

She hated how the day had gone sour, especially when it had started with that amazing kiss and the promise of more.

Against a wall.

Pinned there by Cannon's hot, hard body.

She got tingly all over again just thinking about how urgent he'd been. She wanted to have s.e.x. She wanted to know it all.

And instead she was stuck talking about stupid Heath.

She needed the day to improve.

She needed...Cannon.

Distractedly wrapping two fingers in a long lock of hair, she tried to defuse his mood. "As you already know, he's started sending the occasional resentful text. I plan to ignore it. To ignore him. I hope you'll do the same."

Cannon pulled into the driveway of his family's modest house, now his sister's home, put the truck in Park and turned off the engine. The seconds ticked by in silence before he took out the keys and shifted toward her, his blue eyes impossibly bright in the morning sunshine.

"I'll think about it." He gently untangled her hair from her fingers, then lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. "Unless he shows up here and tries to ha.s.sle you. Then all bets are off."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

a rmie Couldn't believe he'd been summoned to Rissy's house. d.a.m.n and double d.a.m.n, he didn't want to see her again. Not this soon.

No matter that he'd gotten to the gym early, that he'd lifted weights, done cardio and pounded the heavy bag until he'd been drenched with sweat, he hadn't yet recovered from that close encounter with her last night.

When he pulled up to the curb, he saw Cannon, Yvette and Rissy all standing beside Cannon's truck. Rissy wore shorts, so his attention snagged on her until he caught himself. Never mind that the temps were nudging upward of the mid-nineties. He knew why he was suddenly too hot, and it didn't have a d.a.m.n thing to do with the weather.

When he got out, Yvette approached. "Hi." "Hi, Yvette." He struggled not to look beyond her at Rissy. "What's up?"

Pinched with worry, she gestured to the truck. "Van dalism."

All four tires were flat.

Cannon crouched down by the back pa.s.senger tire.

"Nails in all of them."

With a long whistle, he joined Cannon on his haunches. "You drive through a d.a.m.ned construction site?"

"Nope."

"Huh." The look Cannon gave him spoke volumes- he thought someone had f.u.c.ked with his truck. Alarm took Armie back to his feet. "That happen here, or at Yvette's?"

"I'm guessing at home." Cannon stood, too. "If the nails were fresh, the tires wouldn't be flat already. But we got here for breakfast around ten, so..." He shrugged. A couple of hours ago, then, since it was now high noon. "Still," Armie said. "I'm thinking it might be a good idea to load up on some security here."

Cannon strode over to the other side of the truck, away from the women.

That suited Armie perfectly. f.u.c.k if he couldn't feel Rissy right there, only a few feet away. The more distance he put between them, the easier he'd breathe. He looked at Yvette. "Mind grabbing me something cold to drink?"

Yvette said, "Oh, uh..." She glanced at Rissy. He did not.

"They want privacy," Rissy said with a huff. "He knows better than to send me off on a made-up errand, but I guess he figures you're easier to dupe."

"Or just nicer," he heard himself say. Then he cursed under his breath.

From the other side of the truck, Cannon tried to play referee. "Play nice, Rissy."

She feigned innocent confusion, making an O of her mouth and batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated way.

"But I thought you wanted Armie's help? And if I'm nice, won't that scare him into next week?"

"Rissy," Armie warned, with no effect at all. "He's liable to scream in terror and run away, then how can he a.s.sist you?"

"Actually," Cannon said, saving his a.s.s from saying something he'd later regret, "I'm thirsty, too. So how about a couple of cold ones?"

"For you, sure." She hooked her arm through Yvette's and dragged the poor confused girl along with her. Armie watched them walk away-until Cannon gave him a shove, half knocking him into the side of the truck. He hadn't even noticed Cannon coming close again.

"What the h.e.l.l?"

"You were picturing another threesome, and s.h.i.t like that just might get you killed."

Appalled, Armie straightened with knotted fists. "The h.e.l.l I was! One is your sister." And never would he involve her in anything that sordid, not even in makebelieve. When he thought about s.e.x with Rissy-and yeah, he did-it was only the two of them. "The other is your girlfriend. I'll admit I'm a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but I'm not that low."

Cannon considered him, then hitched his shoulders and rolled his head as if trying to loosen his coiled muscles. "Sorry."

Taking pity on him, Armie lightened his tone. "Actually, I was kind of amused at the differences. I mean, with Rissy so d.a.m.ned tall." So leggy. "And Yvette so pet.i.te. Other than the long dark hair, they're as mismatched as can be."

"Yeah." Cannon ran both hands through his hair and paced away.

Crossing his arms and leaning back on the truck, Armie read his agitation. "So what's really going on?" "Her f.u.c.ked-up boyfriend might be in town." "No s.h.i.t?"

"Her girlfriend called last night and said Heath had hopped a plane. He posted some nonsense on his Facebook about reclaiming what's his."

"You think he's already here?" He nodded at the tires.

"You think he did this?"

"No idea, but I don't like it."

"What can I do to help? Besides giving you a ride today, I mean."

"Would you mind helping me put up that extra security here that you mentioned?"

Oh, h.e.l.l, no. He swallowed. "Here?"

"Yeah." Cannon watched the door. "I don't want to alarm Rissy or Yvette, but I've got a bad feeling about things."

"Her ex is that bad?"

"Maybe. From what Yvette's told me, he's the stalker type. But I swear, it feels like more than that." Rissy worked during the day. He could get Stack or Miles to cover things at the rec center and come by then so that he didn't have to b.u.t.t heads with her.

So he didn't have to resist her.

"Yeah, sure. Glad to help out. You know that." Armie figured they could wrap it up in just a few hours. Surely he could keep it together that long.

"Hey, guys."

They both looked up to see a sleep-rumpled Cherry Peyton approach with two dewy cans of c.o.ke. Her dark blond hair bounced as she walked and mascara was smudged under her brown eyes.

"Cherry." Now, there was a woman he could l.u.s.t after, Armie thought. "Did we wake you?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Rissy did. Slamming cabinets and cursing you."

He drew back. "Me? What'd I do?" But yeah, he knew. All teasing and flirting, she leaned in. "Now, Armie, what haven't you done?"

The grin slipped in on him. "You got me there." He took a c.o.ke from her.

She handed the other to Cannon.

"Thanks." Cannon popped the tab. "Late night?" Covering a jaw-stretching yawn, she nodded. "We got in late," she said around her hand. "Then I couldn't get to sleep. I tossed and turned and finally pa.s.sed out this morning."

Charmed by her, Armie grinned. Yeah, he knew Denver was sweet on her so he wouldn't overstep. But he could have some fun all the same. "A drink might've helped."

"Tried that, actually, with a gla.s.s of wine." "Then maybe it was a man you needed."

Cannon cautioned him with a scowl.

Laughing, Cherry smacked his arm, then admitted, "Maybe," before sauntering off again.

Her snug sleep shorts and a clingy tank top looked s.e.xy enough to keep his thoughts occupied watching her walk.

As she disappeared through the front door, Cannon opened his mouth-and Armie said, "Save it. It's too late. I already have that fantasy locked away." "Armie," he warned.

"f.u.c.k off, Cannon." Without any real animosity, he said, "She's not your sister, not your girlfriend, and my imagination is not under your purview. I can d.a.m.n well fantasize about her if I want to."

"Listen to you talking all fancy."

Armie froze, winced and turned to see Rissy standing there. Eyes narrowed. Arms crossed. One foot tapping. d.a.m.n, she was hot. "Hey, Stretch. Way to sneak up on a guy."

After a burning glare, she dismissed him. "I have to take off," she said to Cannon.

"You're working today?"

"No, I don't start back until Monday, but I got a call from Steve. He was supposed to pick me up last night and was a no-show. Took Cherry and me an hour to catch a cab."

"Why didn't you call me?" Cannon asked. "I did, remember? You didn't answer." Grinning, she waved away his automatic apology. "We made it home safe and sound, no biggie. Anyway, Steve just called.

He said he's laid up. Something about getting jumped and beat up."

Wasn't easy, but Armie managed to keep his face blank, even when Cannon stared at him. Steve was a d.a.m.ned liar, but whatever.

Rissy didn't look real concerned over her boyfriend's plight, he noted. "You're going to go play nurse, huh?

Sounds kinky."

Cannon shoved him again.

But Rissy forestalled her brother's temper by saying, "Actually, I'm mostly just going there to tell him we're over."

While Armie staggered, at least figuratively, Cannon asked, "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing, really. I just realized I didn't miss him while I was in j.a.pan. I had more fun with Cherry than I would have if Steve had gone along. That's pretty telling, don't you think?"

Always the supportive big brother, Cannon said, "I think you're smart enough to know what you're doing." She shrugged. "Hope so, because there aren't any other prospects currently on the horizon."

Armie worked his jaw. Was she hinting? For his benefit?

Ha. Not happening. He wasn't a dope. And she d.a.m.n well knew how he felt about- "I hate to run off." She fretted with her purse strap.

"Do you still have a key?"