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“Where are you staying?” asked Jillian softly, grasping the situation. “Let’s go there and talk. I’ll take the rest of the day off.”

“No,” I said, and it didn’t come out friendly. Everything would not be on her terms like before.

“No?” she asked, our gazes locked, and it was pure enigmatic seduction.

There was something dangerous about her, it had always been there. One pointed look from her was like a weapon bared. She was transformed in a blink from a beautiful woman then suddenly you knew you were really in bed with a tiger. It was a special sort of rapture for me to view it again after all these years.

“It won’t be all your way this time,” I told her gruffly, taking her hand. “We’re going to your place. I want to see where you live.”

On our way out, I saw Cam was still waiting in reception. If I knew anything about Jillian’s sister it was that he would be waiting for a very long time.

“You can call this one off,” I told him. “I’ll work on the roster myself; do all the paperwork. If anyone asks about it, have them report directly to me.”

His eyes went from my hand, locked with Jillian’s, to studying the woman herself. I saw swift recognition in his eyes, then deep disapproval.

I had a thought and felt disloyal for even having to ask, but I couldn’t seem to keep the question in. I had to know, to see his face when he answered. “Someone turned her in last time, it’s why she had to run. Do you know who did it?”

He looked appalled, and I was instantly assured. Cam was volatile and headstrong, but loyal to a fault, and what you saw is what you got. “Of course not. I would have told you right away. I know how you feel about her. How could you think it? I don’t like her, but my loyalty is and always has been first to you. I would never betray your trust.”

“I apologize. I know that, I’m just a bit… overcome at the moment. Listen, I’m going off the radar for a few days. Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you at our next assignment.”

We took her car, an unassuming black sedan, and I left Cam the rental we’d picked up at the airport. He’d have a lot of questions later, but I’d deal with that reality later.

Her house wasn’t far away, a small attractive one story, white house with blue trim on the edge of downtown. It was just the sort of idyllic spot I’d once fantasized about sharing with her.

She unlocked and opened her door and I followed her in. I took in the place. It was nice, neat but sparse and practically nothing was out of place.

That made the large signet ring, obviously a man’s, laid out casually on a side table catch my attention right away.

I froze. My whole body zoned in on this little thing like a hound on a scent.

She caught on to something in the air and followed my eyes until we were both looking at the same thing.

“I don’t want to know the details.” My voice was cold as a grave, and it took restraint for me to be even that civil. “But you need to end it. Never see him again. He won’t survive it, whoever he is.”

“Oh, Dom, no,” said Jillian. “Stop that. It’s not anything like you’re thinking.”

She looked half-amused which calmed me a bit. She wasn’t into games.

“Not a boyfriend,” she amended, “or anything like that. Just a friend.”

“A male friend. One that gave you a very expensive, personalized ring. Care to explain?”

“I don’t care to, no, but I will to get that fatal look out of your eyes. I won a bet with a friend, and that was his wager.”

“Must have been some bet.”

“It was. That’s all I’ll say about it.”

“So there’s no one?”

I didn’t think she’d answer when it took her so long to respond. The strain of waiting had the tips of my fingers trembling, and it wasn’t only rage. Fear was in there too. The thought that she could have moved on from me, that she could prefer some other man, weakened me greatly.

“I’m not seeing anybody,” she finally said.

The dark tension slid out of me like a sickness being purged, and I moved, crowding her now, everything back in its proper place. “Except for me,” I corrected.

“What are you trying to get out of me?”