"What the h.e.l.l were you doing with Mindi Jarrett?"

"Nothing."

He looked serious, prompting Cannon to snort. "That's a first for you, then." Armie didn't do second dates, unless he got what he wanted and more on the first.

"Well, I'd been planning all kinds of fun s.h.i.t, but she booked on me."

Heavy unease sank onto Cannon. "She wasn't with you last night?"

"You know she wasn't. h.e.l.l, I was out in front of the bar with you, remember?"

He waved that away. "After that, I mean. When Yvette and I left."

Armie started to answer, but he got a text. "Give me a sec." He settled back again, reading the message on his phone.

Knowing it could be anything from business with the rec center, his upcoming fight or a woman, Cannon went back to fixing the coffee. a.s.suming Armie would want some, too, he got out two mugs and was just pouring it when he felt two small, soft hands come around him, going unerringly to his junk.

That was startling enough, but then he felt naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s on his back.

He d.a.m.n near dropped the carafe, but managed to set it quickly in the sink.

At about the same time, Armie's chair hit the floor. Cannon twisted in time to see Armie turning his back.

Finally realizing they weren't alone, Yvette screeched, jumping behind Cannon.

One palm braced flat on the wall, the other rubbing the back of his neck, Armie said, "Hi, Yvette."

Yvette muttered, "Oh, my G.o.d, oh, my G.o.d, oh, my G.o.d."

"a.s.shole," Cannon told him while reaching back to her-and realizing she was completely nude. "Keep your nose to the wall!"

"Yeah, sure." Armie's shoulders moved. "Already saw it all anyway."

Cannon snarled. "Shut up, d.a.m.n it."

He started to snicker.

To Cannon's surprise, Yvette did, too. In between heartfelt "Oh, my G.o.d" laments, she groaned and laughed, and even cursed a little.

"Come on." Keeping her tucked behind him, one eye on Armie, he led her back to the hallway. To Armie, he said, "Don't budge! I'll be right back."

"Sure you don't want me to get out of here?"

"Stay." He had a dozen questions for Armie.

Still keeping his gaze averted, Armie saluted him.

Soon as they were out of the kitchen, Cannon pulled Yvette around in front of him so he could shield the back of her.

And what a beautiful backside it was.

She was still giggling, so he gave her a swat on that delectable tush.

She jumped, put both hands there and started roaring with laughter. It got Cannon's mouth twitching, too.

In the bedroom, he closed the door and leaned back on it. Could a man be more divided?

His best friend had just seen Yvette naked.

Yvette had wanted him enough to come to him, in the kitchen, naked.

He wasn't sure what the h.e.l.l to do.

Arms now around her middle, she dropped to sit on the bed and tried to get a grip on her hilarity.

d.a.m.n, she looked beautiful. Her long dark hair hung smooth over her shoulders, around her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, playing peekaboo with her pretty pink nipples. The hair between her legs was just as dark, a striking contrast to her pale belly and inner thighs. She looked sweet and soft all over.

Clearly, she'd hoped to get him off track from their talk.

Cannon crossed his arms. "Armie just saw you bucka.s.s."

"I know." More giggles racked her. "He almost fell out of his chair."

His smile went crooked. "Neither of us is ever going to hear the end of it."

Wiping her eyes, she smiled up at him. "You could have told me we had company."

"I figured you heard us talking."

"I was brushing my teeth and washing and using my blow-dryer to smooth my hair." Her smile teased. "And thinking of everything I wanted to do to you."

He couldn't wait to find out what that might be.

Though she was still pink cheeked over getting caught, she stood, arms at her sides, and let him look at her body. "I was hoping to derail you a bit."

"I know." But he wouldn't let her.

"Want to know how?" She slowly came toward him, that s.e.xy little smile still in place.

"You're naked. You made a grab for my d.i.c.k." He lifted a brow. "Pretty sure I can guess."

When she reached him, she ran her hands up his body. Sighing brokenly, she whispered, "Last night, the way you were..."

Crazed with l.u.s.t. "Yeah?"

"I really loved that." She leaned in and kissed his chest. "I was going to make you a deal."

"All right. Let's hear it." Better now, with Armie waiting so he couldn't easily give in. Having a buddy in hearing distance pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't let her twist him around her little finger.

Still kissing him, brushing her nose over his chest hair, lightly touching her tongue to his right nipple, she said, "I'll stop trying to...to be so private-just with you-if you'll stop treating me like fine china." She took a love bite of his pec muscle, then looked up at him with her big green eyes warm and hungry. "How can I get past that scared little girl I used to be if you can't?"

Was that what she thought?

Was that how he'd been?

From down the hallway, Armie yelled, "I was willing to wait for you two to grab a quickie, but if you think I'm hanging around for extended foreplay, forget it."

Smiling, Cannon put his forehead to hers. Unable to stop himself, he ran his hands over her body, down the indent of her waist, over the rise of her hips, back up to cup her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He needed to touch her at least once to carry him over.

"Cannon," she whispered, sounding scandalized. "I'm not going to do anything now, not with Armie out there!"

The smile turned into a grin. "I wouldn't ask you to. After he's gone, though..." He drew her up and took her mouth in a deep, tongue-stroking kiss. "Then you can pay up on all these promises you're making." He stepped them both away from the door. "Get dressed, okay?"

She swatted at him. "Now that I know we're not alone, you can count on it!"

He kissed her once more, a firm, smacking kiss, and left her, closing the door behind him.

In the kitchen, Armie leaned against the sink, downing a cup of coffee. As soon as he saw Cannon he started grinning again. "My heart d.a.m.n near stopped. My eyeb.a.l.l.s are still singed."

"Shut up." Giving up on the idea of juice, Cannon poured his own cup of coffee. He'd need the caffeine to clear his head.

"You have my sympathies, dude."

Lost to his meaning, Cannon shot him a look.

Smooth and sultry, Armie crooned, "She is fine."

She was, but, d.a.m.n it, he didn't want to discuss her nude body with anyone. "I told you to shut up."

"And here you are, stuck in the kitchen with me." Only half hiding his amus.e.m.e.nt, Armie sipped the coffee. "You sure you don't want me to haul a.s.s out of here?"

"No, I don't." Indicating the table, he said, "Take a seat."

Nonchalant, Armie straddled a chair. "Your priorities are d.i.c.ked, man. I would sooo be on that."

"You're pushing your luck."

"Yeah, I meant if you hadn't already locked it up, ya know?" He set the mug aside. "Given she just tried to molest you in the kitchen, I'm guessing things are on track?"

To stop his needling, Cannon sat across from him and gave him a level stare. "So you weren't with Mindi last night?"

Having some sense left in him, Armie let it go and dug his teeth into a new topic. "Fickle b.i.t.c.h was all about it, right up until she wasn't there anymore. Left me without a word."

New suspicions broke up old theories. "Where do you think Heath took off to last night?"

The switch didn't faze him. "My bet is he went straight to a doctor. We both know what a dislocated shoulder feels like. How the miserable f.u.c.k drove away..." Armie shook his head. "Not that you or I couldn't, but he's not trained. Big, sure. Looked like he hit the gym often enough. But I doubt he's ever broken anything or been hit like that before. He looked stunned stupid when you hurt him."

Like the gathering of a storm, the tempest twisted through Cannon once more. He rolled his shoulders, fighting off the ugly grip of rage. "You don't think he'd be up to causing more trouble?"

Snorting, Armie said, "h.e.l.l, no. If he found someone to put his shoulder back, well, that hurts, too. And if not, he was probably curled up somewhere crying. Why?"

Cannon tipped his head toward the kitchen window. "You're not real observant today, are you?"

"I saw it," he defended. "I just figured you boarded it up to be extra secure, her being so jumpy and all."

Face hot and gaze on her bare feet, Yvette walked in. "I am not jumpy."

She wore a white sundress that hugged her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then hung full from there down to her knees. The material swished around her legs as she came to the table. She looked soft and f.u.c.king virginal and he wanted her more than ever.

Smile settling into place, Armie relaxed more in his chair. "Hi, Yvette."

Shoulders curled, her head down so that her hair half hid her, she said, "Be quiet, Armie."

"But we're...b.u.t.t buddies now, right?"

She groaned.

"Want me to show you my a.s.s, just to make it even?" She peeked up. "Is that all you saw?"

"Nope."

Groaning, she folded her arms on the tabletop and dropped her head. Face m.u.f.fled, she asked Cannon, "Can you shut him up?"

"Sure, if that's what you want."

Leaning close to her, Armie said, "He can rip out my tongue, but the image is forever emblazoned on my brain."

Cannon started to intercede, but Yvette beat him to it. She planted a palm in Armie's face and shoved him back. "Brat."

"Hottie."

"Gawd, give it up, Armie." She squared her shoulders in that now familiar way. "We're both adults."

"And we've seen plenty of naked people?"

She drooped again and in a small voice asked, "Did you really see everything?"

Laughing, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Honestly, honey, soon as I realized what I was seeing, I turned so fast I d.a.m.n near ran into the wall."

"Promise?"

"It's all a blur." Lifting his brows, he added, "A redhot, s.e.xy-as-h.e.l.l blur, but still-"

She s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away. "New topic!" Then to Cannon, "So you think Heath was too hurt to be here breaking windows and scaring me senseless?"

"You weren't senseless," he said absently, distracted by what he'd just witnessed. "You kept a cool head and did exactly what you were supposed to."

"Right after I screamed."