“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.

What the hell? DeVries stared. Why would she throw away her phone? No…wait…it hadn’t been her red smartphone. Had she just tossed a burner phone? The cheap, cash-bought cells were often used to avoid being traced…by people who worried about being traced. Something wasn’t right here.

He stepped forward, deliberately scraping his foot on the flat stones.

She jumped and spun around. “Oh! De—Zander!” As he walked over, she gave him such a fake smile he wanted to shake her. “Uh, hi.” Her voice wavered before she firmed it up. “It’s nice out here, isn’t it? Xavier has a gorgeous view of the bridge.”

“You missed a tear.” With his thumb, deVries swiped away the dampness on her cheeks. “You running from the law, babe?”

Her eyes rounded. A second later, her chin came up. “Do I look like a criminal? Lordy, what a question.”

Great nonanswer. If she wasn’t a felon, who was she avoiding? Fake identity. Burner phone. Twitchy about being in the open. Definitely on the run. Forestalling her retreat, he put a hand on the railing on each side of her, trapping her.

She still smelled like the pumpkin pies she’d baked. Edible. With grunt of exasperation, he kissed her cheek, her soft hair with the new glints of red and green, and the curve of her neck.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “This isn’t the time.”

“There is only now.” Unable to resist, he snuggled her against him. Despite her firm body and lush ass, she seemed far too fragile. “Wish you’d tell me what’s going on. Let me help, Tex.”

The stiffness melted from her, and she leaned her head against his chest. Finest feeling in the world, taking a woman’s weight like that.

“I can’t…Zander.”

Hearing her say his name was good. Very good. Didn’t make up for her refusal, though. “Why not?”

Her fingers clenched, wadding his shirt, before she pushed him away. “I can’t.” She looked into his face, shook her head, and walked toward the house.

Too pissed off to try to continue the non-discussion, he let her escape. “Can’t,” huh? He was seriously regretting he’d stopped his computer search on her. At the time, he hadn’t felt right about investigating a bedmate.

Now? Now, Miss Nonexistent Adair had just won herself a free ticket to a full-blown background investigation. When he finished, he’d know the color of panties she’d worn in college.

His lips quirked. Probably a bright red.

Once he knew the story, he’d do what needed to be done to fix her life.

And if she didn’t think he should get involved? Well, that would be a shame, since he had no intention of backing off.

Pacing the patio until his annoyance decreased, he felt his phone vibrate.

The display showed Blevins. “What?”

“Job came up. South America. Need you on a plane ASAP.”

Through the French doors, he could see Lindsey talking with Rona. Smiling valiantly. He admired the little submissive’s strength. Admired a lot about her. Wanted more from her.

Needed to know what trouble she was in.

“Iceman?” Blevins prompted.

But if he stayed the relationship course, it wasn’t fair to offer her a body that might return home riddled with bullets. “I’m done, Blevins. Remove me from the list.”

“Shit.” After a brief silence. “I figured you were getting close to this point. I get it. All the same, can you take this one last job? It’s a kidnapping, Iceman. The boy’s not even ten.”

Fuck. Blevins knew he wouldn’t refuse. DeVries watched joy fill Lindsey’s face as she played with the pup. He wanted her sweetness. “Last one. After this, I’m out. Completely. No calls; no contact. Agreed?”

“Your choice.” Blevins hesitated. “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Hopefully he wouldn’t get blown away before he could come back and claim his woman.

***

On Friday, Lindsey dropped into the chair at the small desk in a corner of her living room. Hanging out in the kitchen at the Thanksgiving dinner, she’d missed the football game, and after Zander got her all upset, she’d not even asked the guys about the score.

With high hopes, she called up an online newspaper. Scowled. Her fingers twitched with the urge to slap the numbers right off the monitor.

The Cowboys had lost to the Saints because of some stupid fumble. Seriously, what was with that? C’mon, guys, you can do better. Perhaps it was best she hadn’t been able to watch the game yesterday; Zander had threatened to gag her last time.

And—the nerve of the jerk—he’d said since she lived in California now, she should follow the 49ers.

When hell freezes over.

With a frustrated grunt, she switched the papers to the San Antonio Express-News. Half breathing, she waded through the articles. Muggings. Drug busts. Immigrant woes. Murders. Nothing new.

That was good news. At least they hadn’t announced her arrest—LINDSEY RAYBURN PARNELL CAPTURED IN SAN FRANCISCO. Visualizing the imaginary headline sent a chill up her arms.

If only something would go wrong for Parnell and Ricks. Why didn’t someone catch them?

She shivered. Ricks’s voice was always sliding into her nightmares. “Be a while before Parnell can pick you up. Enough time to do you. He doesn’t care if you’re damaged.” He’d ripped her shirt, shoved her to the floor, and unbuckled her belt. She’d fought, but he was twice her size and weight. When his fist had slammed into her cheekbone, her face felt as if it had broken in half. Eyes blurring, she’d battled to scratch him, hit him—and he’d snickered. He’d been excited by her struggle. And then he’d punched her over and over until she was retching and crying as he’d unzipped her jeans.