Cherise Sinclair - Edge of the Enforcer

The corners of his mouth rose as he tugged her up and into a long embrace.

Resting her face against his wide chest, she inhaled the fragrance of his woodsy masculine soap. When his cheek rubbed her hair, the feeling of being treasured shook her. Even knowing she was heartsore and vulnerable, she melted right into his embrace.

With reluctance, she lifted her head. “DeVries. What are you doing here?”

“I finished early and caught a ride down with a friend.” He brushed his mouth over hers in a light, affectionate greeting and whispered, “Each time you call me deVries from now on will be rewarded with something nasty. Got that, little girl?”

The threat in his voice sent goose bumps down her arms. “I—right.” Her gaze dropped. He’d asked her to call him Zander more than once. But darn it, she didn’t want to be sucked into caring for him. She mustn’t.

“Good.” As if they were a long-standing couple, he tucked her against his side as he walked over to greet Simon and Xavier.

As Simon glanced from her to de—Zander, his brows drew together. “Zander. Good to see you.”

When Lindsey looked up, Zander only smiled slightly and squeezed her closer. Unlike a few previous boyfriends who’d tried to display ownership, he didn’t grope or kiss her neck. He merely kept his arm around her, showing the others he considered her to be his date.

She shouldn’t be his date. Shouldn’t encourage him.

“Have you been shooting this week?” he asked Simon. “Got a new GLOCK you might like.”

As the men talked, Lindsey stood stiffly and…the hell with it. She didn’t want to think about the future or having to leave or dying or hurting her friends. Not now. Today, there was nothing more she wanted than to be right where she was. With a sigh, she slipped her arm around his waist and snuggled against his side.

He stopped midsentence, bent to kiss the top of her head, and continued with his conversation.

She’d surprised him, she realized, and pleased him. The knowledge set up a sweet glow inside her.

After a few minutes, she noticed Rona had disappeared—probably to help Abby. She pulled away slightly.

He looked down. “Babe?”

“I need to help in the kitchen.”

He nodded. “Those pies yours?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Any chance you saved one at your place?”

Criminy, did he know her so well? She had. Despite her attempt to smother her smile, she saw the knowledge in his eyes.

“Good girl.”

When he let her go, she hesitated, wanting only to snuggle back up against him; however, both Xavier and Simon were watching her. Studying her.

Jeez.

In the kitchen, Abby was putting a pot of potatoes on the stove and talking with Rona.

“Hey, y’all. Need help?” Lindsey leaned on the creamy-colored granite-topped island. With ample windows and golden-oak cupboards, the high-ceilinged kitchen seemed filled with light despite the gray sky outside. She moved a bouquet of dark red roses off to one side and noticed they matched the hand-painted backsplash tiles.

“You can dish something up—and I’m talking information.” Setting rolls on a baking sheet, Rona raised her brows at Lindsey. “Last I heard, you thought Zander was an asshole. Now Abby says I missed part of the story. I’d say a lot of the story. Like when did he get elevated to teddy bear status?”

“Teddy bear?”

“Huggable.” Rona put the last roll on the pan, picked up her wine, and gestured with the glass. “Talk fast.”

As heat filled Lindsey’s cheeks, Abby gave her a sympathetic wink.

“Uh, okay. I ran into him when he was setting up security for a battered women’s shelter where I was doing interviews, and we talked. Then he came to my house, but he pissed me off, so I picked on him at the club, only he…kind of gave me a lesson in manners…but that upset me, so he took me home with him.”

Rona choked on her wine.

Giggling too hard to speak, Abby made a continue gesture with her hand.

“And he kept showing up at my place with food without calling first or anything. I have no clue why I even let him in the door.”

From the way her friends were snickering, they were jumping to all kinds of ideas.

Probably pretty accurate ones. She flushed.

“Oh right,” Dixon said behind her. “Like anyone in their correct mind would close a door on the Enforcer.” He fanned himself. “Ooo, BFF, that’s megalicious hot!”

She pointed at him. “ You are not helping.” Unfortunately, he was right; Zander could simply look at her, and she got damp. “So, Dix, what’s the story with you and Tad? I thought you said”—she dropped her voice—“he only wanted sex, and you were going to kick him to the curb.”

Dixon’s happy smile faded, making his face gaunt. “He does. I was.”

Leaning across the island, Rona patted Dixon’s hand. “Why did you bring him to the dinner?”

Dixon shrugged. “I’d asked him to Thanksgiving before, and he was looking forward to hanging out with the San Francisco big shots.”

Simon and Xavier were rich and well-known. Lindsey wrinkled her nose. Tad was using Dixon; she knew exactly how the realization could hurt.

“Oh honey.” Abby walked over to give Dixon a hug. “That really bites.”

He sagged into her. “Kinda. But I saw we weren’t going anywhere. He’s not even a top, let alone a Dom.”

And Dixon wanted—needed—a Dom, preferably one with a touch of sadism in his soul. “Honeybunches, don’t you worry. You’re going to find someone wonderful. This guy is just a li’l stepping stone on the way there.”

Even as his face brightened, Lindsey was considering. They could rearrange the seating at the dinner table, so Tad would be seated at the other end from Simon and Xavier. Once there, she and Rona would draw the jerk out…and the Enforcer could flatten the smarmy piece of bull-pucky.

***

Leaving the men in front of the football game, deVries took his beer and went in search of Lindsey. Dinner had been great, the company—with the exception of Tad—lively and intelligent.

But his woman had seemed more sad than normal.

In the kitchen, Rona and Abby were seated at the island, quietly chatting and cleaning off the turkey bones.

With a yark of excitement, Abby’s half-grown dog dashed toward deVries, floppy ears bouncing as it skidded on the smooth floor. The little body hit deVries’s boots with a thump, and the pup gave an embarrassed whine.

“Sorry,” Abby said. “Blackie hasn’t grown into his feet yet.”

“No problem.” He bent and ruffled the soft curly fur. “You’ll get there, buddy. Give it time.”

Blackie’s fluffy tail dusted the floor with the pup’s enthusiastic agreement.

“Looking for Lindsey?” Rona asked.

“Yeah.”

She pointed to the French doors leading outside.

“Thanks.” As the pup returned to his job—cleaning up dropped tidbits—deVries went out onto the wide stone patio. After the warmth of the house, the cold briny air was a welcome wake-up call.

Leaning on a railing, Lindsey was looking out at the bay and talking on a black cell phone.

Black? Wasn’t her cell phone red?

“I miss you too, sissie.” Her voice broke, and she wiped her hand over her cheek. “Maybe someday I can come home. Until then, y’all have to be careful. Okay, honeybunches?”

Seeing her cry put an ache in his chest. Why hadn’t she gone home? And what did “sissie” need to be careful about?

He and Lindsey needed to have a long talk—but not during a party. He silently backed a step to return to the house.

“Bye.” Still sniffling, she pitched the cell phone in a high arc past the cliff and into the roiling water of the bay.