DEWAYNE
Micah had visited my parents’ house both afternoons this week, Monday and Tuesday. Momma had called to tell me everything he said and everything he did while he was there. She was fascinated by the kid. I was pretty damn thankful for him myself. I hadn’t seen my mother this happy in a long time.
Momma had called me this morning to let me know that she had to take Dad in for his routine exam at his cardiologist and wouldn’t be home this afternoon. She was worried about Micah not getting to come visit. I had assured her he would understand, but she hadn’t seemed too convinced. So I’d told her I would take dinner over to Sienna’s and eat with them. That had pacified her.
I was eventually going to have to talk to Momma about this. She’d smother Sienna if she kept this up. Sienna had been great about letting Micah go visit for a couple of hours every afternoon, but I was expecting her to limit this soon. It had been just her and Micah for five years. She wasn’t going to let my momma take her boy away all the time. I expected Momma to convince her to let Micah start coming to her house after school. It would help Sienna save money and I was sure she’d like the idea of him not having to go to after-school care. I just didn’t know if Sienna was ready for that yet.
Pulling my truck into Sienna’s driveway, I winced at the sight of her beat-up car. We were going to have to talk about that. I didn’t like Micah riding around in that piece of shit. It was dangerous. Sienna’s pride would be a hurdle. It was the only reason I hadn’t brought her a new car home already. I knew she wouldn’t accept it. I had to find a way to make her accept it.
The front door swung open, and Micah came running out onto the porch, waving at me with a big grin.
When I had called Sienna and asked her if I could bring dinner and visit with Micah, she had seemed reluctant at first. She was keeping her distance from me, and I understood that. I was okay with it. Hell, I needed it. Getting close to her would be a huge mistake. I was going to take care of her and the kid, but I wasn’t going to get too close to her in the process.
I reached over and grabbed the two large pizzas in my passenger seat. Micah would be coming after me if I didn’t hurry, and I didn’t want him to see the six-pack on the floor. I stepped out of the truck and made my way to the porch.
“You brought pizza! I love pizza! I love mac ’ n’ cheese better, but I love real pizza. It’s better than the bread kind,” Micah said, grinning. Then his smile fell, and he glanced back at the house with a concerned frown.
I started to ask him what was wrong, when he swung his big eyes back to me. He looked upset. “Don’t tell Momma I said that ’bout the bread pizzas. It’ll hurt her feelings. She makes ’em ’cause they’re cheap.”
The boy was protecting his momma again. Made my chest fill with pride and an ache at the same time. He was just a baby, but he acted like the man of the house. He shouldn’t have that kind of responsibility on his little shoulders.
“It’ll be our secret,” I assured him, lowering my voice.
He looked relieved, and a smile replaced his frown. “Momma said you were getting me one with lots of cheese,” he said, excited again.
I realized that pizza like this was a luxury for these two. Which pissed me off all over again. Why the hell had Sienna’s parents done this to her and Micah? Sienna and Micah shouldn’t have had to suffer so much. My parents would have made sure they had everything they needed, and a f*cking pizzeria pizza wouldn’t be a treat.
“Momma made some sweet tea, and Mama T brought over a whole basket of cookies this morning. But Momma said we gotta wait until dessert to eat ’em.”
I started to respond, but then Sienna filled the doorway and my tongue suddenly stuck to the roof of my mouth. She was dressed in a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a fitted George Strait T-shirt from a tour nine years ago. She had only been thirteen then, and I knew the Roys hadn’t let her go to the George Strait concert at the Wharf that year.
“Nice shirt,” I said, needing an excuse for looking at her curves. Perfectly delicious curves. Ones I wanted to run my hands over and brand with a trail of bites. Marking my path . . . Stop! No. I couldn’t do that.
“Dustin got it for me. I used it as a sleep shirt for years because it was too big. He went with friends, and you took them, I believe,” she said with a small smile.
I had taken them, but I’d forgotten. Dustin hadn’t wised up yet and made sure everyone knew Sienna was his, and she was changing back then. Guys were noticing her. He’d bought her a shirt, though, when I’d pointed out to him that she’d probably hear he had taken Victoria Harris to the concert. Victoria hadn’t been as pretty as Sienna back then, and she wasn’t anywhere near the looker Sienna was now. My brother had been obsessed with Victoria’s tits. That had been it.
So he had bought that T-shirt for Sienna. Funny how that was a memory I had pushed away. But seeing Sienna in that shirt brought it all back.
“I remember taking them. It wasn’t a great concert. You didn’t miss much,” I told her.
She laughed, and everything around her lit up. The sound of her laughter made all that was wrong seem right. “I know that’s a lie. But thanks for trying. Victoria Harris made sure I knew just how amazing that concert had been. She also made sure I knew that although I got the T-shirt, she got the guy.” Sienna smirked. “That was all before, though.”
Before. Before I forced my brother to wake the hell up and see what was right there for him to take. Sienna had worshipped him and he had loved it, but he hadn’t been ready to do anything remotely exclusive. Until I had lunch with her and until she caught the attention of every male at Sea Breeze High. That had lit a fire under Dustin’s ass.
“Come on in with those pizzas. I’ve already got the table set.” She stepped back so I could walk inside.
“Do I need to fill the cups with ice?” Micah asked her.
“That would be very helpful,” she told him.
He hurried off around me and into the kitchen. I set the pizzas down in the center of the table while he tugged a chair over to get cups down. I moved to go help him but Sienna’s hand touched my arm.
“Don’t help him. Let him do it,” she said in a whisper.
This was why he was so responsible for his age. Sienna let him feel important. I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of him not getting a chance to be a kid or if this was good training. Maybe she was raising a better man than me or my brother had been. God knows I loved my momma, but she waited on me and my brother hand and foot. Can’t say it helped either of us much.
SIENNA
I silently ate my one slice of pizza while listening to Micah tell Dewayne everything Dewayne could possibly want to know and then some. I enjoyed savoring the pizza. It was delicious, and I was being careful to take small bites. There was no way I could eat two slices in front of Dewayne. I didn’t normally care how much I ate in front of men. But knowing that Dewayne would be thinking how much I didn’t need a second slice would make it hard to eat.
Besides, Dewayne had eaten five slices, and Micah was on his second slice. They were doing a fine job of putting the pizzas away themselves. Watching Micah enjoy the cheesy pizza was worth sitting through this with Dewayne.
When Dewayne had asked if he could bring dinner and visit Micah tonight, I had wanted to make up an excuse. I wanted to relax after work, and being near Dewayne was not relaxing. But I knew how much Micah would love this, so I had said okay. And now here I sat, taking the world’s smallest bites of a slice of pizza while my stomach growled from missing lunch today. When Dewayne left, I was going to eat a piece of leftover pizza. Maybe two.
“Isn’t that right, Momma?” Micah said, and I snapped back to attention and blinked, focusing on my son.
“Uh, is what right?” I asked, feeling like an idiot.
“Don’t you have a date tomorrow night?”
What? Why was he talking about that? I had asked him if he cared, and then I’d talked to Tabby, who had been thrilled that I was going on a date with Vice Principal Dodge. However, this wasn’t Dewayne’s business.
I simply nodded and shoved a larger bite of pizza in my mouth.
“He’s a principal,” Micah added with pride. He had taken the idea of me dating much better than I’d anticipated.
“Principal?” Dewayne asked, his eyes now completely focused on me. I swallowed the pizza and took a drink of water. Then I nodded and forced a smile.
“Where?” Dewayne asked, not looking happy about this at all. “I thought you said you didn’t date. You had Micah and that was enough.”
Whoa . . . wait a minute. Anger simmered in my blood, and I sat up straighter and leaned forward, glaring at Dewayne with a warning I hoped he understood. “Cam Dodge. He’s the vice principal at the high school, and if I get asked out by a nice man who doesn’t think I’m average, that’s my decision. I did ask Micah how he felt first, and then I spoke with Tabby before agreeing to this date. Your mother was thrilled.”
Dewayne clenched his jaw and didn’t flinch. “Where did you meet Cam Dodge?”
I was done. This was over. I stood up and threw my napkin on the table. “None of your business,” I informed him, and began clearing off the table.
“She met him in the bread aisle at the grocery store. He was really nice to her,” Micah offered since I wasn’t talking. That kid didn’t know when to keep information to himself.
“The bread aisle?” Dewayne asked, as if he was horrified by the idea.
I took several deep breaths before turning around to face him again after setting dirty dishes in the sink. He was welcome into Micah’s life, but he was not welcome into mine. I didn’t need his approval.
Just looking at him made me crack just a little. I hated that he affected me like this. I placed my hands on my hips. “Yes, Dewayne, the bread aisle. We discussed white bread and its healthy alternatives. He was nice to me. It felt good. Six years, Dewayne. Six very long years. I think I’m due a dinner date.”
Dewayne flinched this time. I smiled at him, although it didn’t reach my eyes. I was angry. I wanted him to leave. But he was here for Micah. It was time I gave them some alone time.
“I’m going to soak in the bath while you two play. Come get me when Dewayne leaves,” I told Micah. Then I forced my gaze back to Dewayne. “Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
I turned and walked toward the hallway.
“You barely ate any of it,” Dewayne called out to me.
“Don’t want to gain any weight and dip below that average line I’m walking,” I replied, then slammed my bedroom door behind me.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I took several calming breaths, then began to strip. I was ready for a long soak in the tub with the new bath salts Hillary had given me to try out. She wanted her employees to sample products she carried at the salon so we could recommend them. I loved that idea because I would never let myself splurge on things like bath salts.
Micah’s laughter in the living room reminded me why Dewayne was here, and I let my anger and frustration with him go. He had come to see Micah. He was protecting Micah. As insulting as it was for him to question my choices, I was glad he wanted to be a part of Micah’s life. I needed to learn to take the bad with the good.
From now on when Dewayne came to visit Micah, I would just take really long baths. I could eat more in here too. It was a win-win situation. The good thing about Dewayne being a jerk was that at least I wasn’t going all silly around him. His beautiful body and face didn’t get to me anymore.
Well, almost.
* * *
“Momma, I’m taking Dewayne outside to show him Daddy’s star. Okay?” Micah called through the door a long time later.
I had gone outside with him last night to help him find the biggest star we could see. He believed it was Dustin. So I let him believe it.
DEWAYNE
When Sienna had called out good-bye to me last night through her closed bedroom door, I knew I’d really screwed up. For starters, I was going to have to explain the ‘average’ comment to her, because it was bothering her. She kept bringing it up.
Then I needed to remember that she had done a damn fine job of raising Micah on her own. Trusting her was important. I did trust her. It was this Cam Dodge I didn’t trust. I was going to fix that, too. I would talk to him. See what I thought about him. If he was a good guy, then I’d encourage this dating thing with Sienna. If he wasn’t, I’d make sure he stayed the hell away from her.
Last night when Micah took me outside to see the star he believed was Dustin, I should have had a moment with him. It should have been the only thing on my mind. But it wasn’t. I’d been planning this visit to Cam Dodge. F*cker messed up my night. I had to make sure he was worth it. Sienna deserved the best.
Pulling my truck into the visitor parking at the high school, I decided this was the best idea. The man couldn’t ignore me if I showed up at his job. I’d ask for a meeting with him and then we’d talk. Sienna wouldn’t know about it, and I could hopefully step back and let her date.
Maybe she’d smile at me again. And f*cking eat something around me.
I stepped into the school office, and Mrs. Quinn looked up at me. She broke into a smile as she stood up. The short little secretary was older than my momma, and her white hair was always curled up tight, her bangs pinned back with a bow like she was seven instead of seventy. Couldn’t help but love the woman.
“Well, if it ain’t Dewayne Falco come to pay us a visit. I’ve heard that you cause less trouble these days now that your buddies have all been tamed by their women.”
Leave it to Mrs. Quinn to know about everyone’s lives. She may be stuck sitting behind that desk and dealing with teenagers all day five days a week, but she when we graduated, she didn’t forget us. People like her were who we needed in education.
“I came to see that pretty smile of yours,” I told her, then winked just to watch her blush and bat her eyelashes.
“Still a charmer, I see,” she replied, beaming at me. I was sure she didn’t get flirted with often, given that she was as wide as she was tall. Still, she deserved some attention.
“Yes, ma’am. I always think a pretty woman needs to be told just that.”
She waved me off and giggled, which was hilarious coming from someone her age. When she retired, it would be a sad day for Sea Breeze High.
“I know you didn’t just come here to flirt with me. Now, what can we do for you, Mr. Falco?” she asked, still smiling.
I nodded at the door I knew belonged to the vice principal. Back when I was in school, the vice principal had been Old Man Warldo. He was grumpy and mean as hell. It was good news for kids in Sea Breeze when the man retired two years ago.
“I need to see Mr. Dodge,” I told her, trying to be as respectful as possible. If I could get through Mrs. Quinn, then I was home free.
She looked unsure, then picked up her phone and pressed a button.
“Mr. Dodge, are you available to meet with Mr. Dewayne Falco, sir?”
The man wasn’t going to know who the hell I was. “Tell him it’s concerning Sienna Roy,” I told her. That would pique his interest.
Mrs. Quinn’s eyes went big, and I knew she recognized that name too. My brother’s death had been a tragedy this whole school had suffered. And Sienna’s leaving had shocked everyone.
“Uh, it’s concerning Miss Sienna Roy,” she added, studying me while she said it. “Yes, sir. I’ll send him right in.”
He was curious. Good.
She hung up and raised her eyebrows. “Is Sienna Roy back home?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she is.”
Mrs. Quinn let out what looked like a sigh of relief. “Well, glory be. It’s about time. That sweet girl was shipped off, and I knew it wasn’t right. Worried me sick. Glad she’s been able to come home. Reckon her father’s passing made that possible.”
How this woman knew so much, I didn’t know. But she did. She seemed to know a lot. I just nodded.
She waved her hand toward Cam Dodge’s door. “Go on in. Mr. Dodge said he would see you.”
I thanked her and headed for the door before he could change his mind.
Cam Dodge stood up from behind his desk when I opened the door. He was young. I was expecting someone older, and that had bothered me. But he was young, and f*ck it all if that didn’t bother me more.
His button-down shirt and pressed slacks were part of the uniform, but he looked like he was comfortable in that fancy shit. He was smiling, but his smile was very unsure. The name Sienna Roy had been the reason he’d agreed to see me. So now he wanted to know why.
Well, he’d have to wait. I had some things I wanted to know first.
“How old are you?” I asked, not sitting down but standing on the other side of the desk, crossing my arms over my chest and meeting his curious gaze. I liked that I had to look down at him. He was a good two or three inches shorter than me.
“Excuse me?” he said, his forehead wrinkling.
“I asked how old you were,” I repeated. If he wanted more information from me, he’d need to answer that first.
“Twenty-eight,” he replied, still watching me with an unsure expression.
“You normally pick women up at the grocery store?” I asked.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “No,” he replied. “Who are you, exactly?” he asked, clearly being careful.
“Mrs. Quinn told you who I was. You ever been married?”
His eyes went wide with surprise, then he narrowed them in agitation. “I don’t see how that is your business, seeing as I don’t know who you are. I was told your name, but all I know is you are someone connected to the woman I have a date with tonight. I’d like more information from you if you intend to grill me.”
He spoke like a principal. I watched him fiddle with his tie and stick his hands in his pockets while he stood tall. The dude was a nerd. He wasn’t anywhere near Sienna’s league. What was she doing with this guy?
“Sienna’s son is my nephew. Since she met you in the bread aisle of a grocery store, I’d like to know more about you before you take her out tonight. I’m also going to make sure you understand that her safety is really f*cking important. You hurt her, and you won’t live long enough to regret it.”
The man flinched. At least he believed me. He took in my tattooed arms and the piercing in my lip before meeting my gaze again. He cleared his throat. “You’re her son’s uncle . . . but you aren’t her brother? Does that mean you’re the boy’s father’s brother?” he asked.
I nodded.
He studied me a moment. “Is the boy’s father still in her life?”
I shook my head. “You don’t get to ask questions. You asked her out. I’m asking the questions. Have you been married? I’m assuming you don’t have a record, since you’re a principal. The school board would have checked that shit. But do you have a girlfriend? Or a drinking problem? Drugs?”
Cam held up his hands and laughed nervously. “Whoa. Okay. Wow. No to all of that. I’m completely clean and unattached. I was engaged five years ago, but she had cervical cancer, and she didn’t make it.”
His slight wince when he mentioned his fiancée’s death didn’t go unnoticed. He was a man trying to move on. He had a good job, and he seemed pretty damn sincere. This was not enough for me, but I’d ask around and find out more about him. My gut was telling me he was safe.
“Don’t hurt her,” I repeated. “That means touching her in ways she doesn’t want, or touching at all. Remember, I’ll know and I’ll come after you. I’ve got a f*cking record, and I’m not scared of prison.”
I turned and walked out of the small office, and waved good-bye to Mrs. Quinn before leaving.
I had some more poking around to do about the guy, and only eight hours left to do it.
SIENNA
I wasn’t ready to introduce Cam to Micah. I wasn’t sure if I would ever go out with Cam again after tonight. There was always a chance it wouldn’t go well. I hardly knew this man. No reason to introduce him to the most important person in my life. That would be for later, if I liked him and wanted to spend more time with him. Tabby agreed, and she’d had Micah come over an hour before Cam was supposed to show up.
It also gave me time to change clothes five times and worry with my hair. Micah would have been right under me, asking me why I was changing clothes so much and messing with my hair. He would then tell Dewayne, which would be humiliating. I already knew he didn’t think there was much that could be done with me.
Fortunately, Cam disagreed with him. That eased my mind some, and I put back on the skirt I had tried on first and slipped on my wraparound blouse. This was casual but nice. It would work for anywhere. I slipped on a pair of black pumps and fought the urge to go pull my hair back up again. Letting it hang loose had been my last-minute decision, but now I was questioning it.
The doorbell stopped me from doing anything more. I gave myself a quick pep talk in the mirror and then headed for the door. It had been a very long time since I’d been on a date. And I’d only dated one guy. I didn’t know how to do this. Dustin had been my best friend. I‘d known everything about him. I had never dated someone I didn’t know.
“You can do this,” I said one last time before opening the door.
Cam was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt. I had dressed appropriately. One worry off my list.
“Hello,” he said with a grin. “You look gorgeous. I feel like I need to go back home and try to make myself look like it’s actually believable that we’re out together.”
Yes, he was doing wonders for my self-esteem. “Thank you, but you look very handsome yourself. I don’t think anyone will question that we are together.”
He chuckled, then shrugged. “I’m not sure how you’re that blind, but I’m just counting my lucky stars.” He held out his arm to me. “Ready?”
I nodded and stepped outside onto the porch, then locked up behind me before sticking my keys in my purse. I’d had a key made for Tabby this week and given it to her, so if she needed to get inside to get Micah anything, she’d be able to.
“I made reservations at Le Cellier. I hope you like steak,” he said with a smile. I had heard of Le Cellier, but I’d never been there. “I love steak,” I told him. And I intended to eat a filet, which felt nice. I wouldn’t have to pick at my food because I was worrying about what he was thinking. This was going to be a good night. I could already tell.
* * *
Two hours later I was ready to go back home and put on my pajamas. Cam was really nice, but I was a little bored with him. He talked about work and asked me about myself. He did everything right, but there was something missing. I wasn’t sure if I was just being picky because my last relationship had been with someone I was already so close to.
“You want to stop in Live Bay and listen to Jackdown play? I hear they’re good. I haven’t been to see Jackdown yet, but Live Bay seems to be the place to go to hear live music and dance.”
For the first time all night, something sounded exciting. I hadn’t been dancing in forever . . . since the prom, and I wasn’t sure that counted. I danced with Micah all the time around the house, but live music and actual dancing sounded like fun. Maybe it had been the stuffy fancy restaurant he had taken me to that had bored me. If he liked to dance, he couldn’t be completely boring.
“Sounds like fun,” I said, trying not to bounce in my seat like a kid.
He pulled his Volvo into the parking lot. The place was packed. I soaked it all in. This was a world I didn’t know. One I wanted a taste of. Live Bay had been around when I was sixteen, but I hadn’t been old enough to get inside. Now I was getting to see what the fuss was all about.
“Isn’t that your . . . uh, son’s uncle?” Cam asked.
I swung my gaze over to where he was looking and immediately wished I hadn’t. Seeing Dewayne pressing some girl up against his truck while attacking her face was not what I wanted to see. I was sure she was gorgeous. Surprisingly enough, she had red hair. That’s all I could see of her. Maybe my hair needed to be a lighter red for Dewayne. She also looked tan. I didn’t have time to get tanned. I should make time. I could play outside with Micah and get a tan.
Wait . . . How did Cam know who Dewayne was?
I tore my gaze off Dewayne and the lucky female to look at Cam. “How do you know Dewayne?” I asked. Had he researched me? If he had, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It seemed creepy.
Cam pressed his lips together as if he was thinking hard about something. Crap. I needed to get away from this man. He could have stalked me! “Dewayne paid me a visit at work today. He wanted to check me out before you went out with me.”
I didn’t have any words. None at all. Cam was telling the truth. I didn’t have to ask Dewayne to know that Cam was telling the truth. It was something Dewayne would do. He didn’t trust me to keep Micah safe, so he was doing that for me. I understood that to an extent, but he had crossed the line. I wasn’t going to let him walk into my private life and stick his nose where it didn’t belong. Maybe I should find out who that woman was who currently had his tongue down her throat. If he was going to be around Micah, I deserved to know if she was suitable.
“Stop the car,” I ordered, and Cam didn’t argue. He put the car in park, and I jumped out without an explanation and marched over to Dewayne’s back, letting my anger burn brighter with each step. I hadn’t thought this through, but in the moment I was so mad I didn’t care.
I slapped him hard on the back without thinking that he could knock me across the parking lot with one swing. Luckily, I’d had the forethought to take a step back as Dewayne spun around and reached out to grab my arm. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was pissed. His grip on my arm made my knees buckle because it seriously felt like he was about to snap my arm in two. But I fought back a cry of pain and tried to keep the angry glare on my face.
The moment his eyes focused on me, he dropped my arm like it was on fire. “F*ck! Sienna, what the hell are you doing?”
I would not cradle my abused arm in front of him and the bimbo behind him. Yes, I called her a bimbo, because now that I could see her, she looked like one. Seriously way too much makeup, and her breasts were bare.
“You,” I said, pointing at Dewayne with the hand that was attached to my good arm. “You went to Cam’s office today! How dare you question my decisions? When you’re out here with”—I glanced at the female who had thankfully pulled her shirt up over her chest—“her.”
The girl frowned at me. “Who is this?” she asked in a pouty voice, and I realized her lips were pumped full. Ugh.
“I was protecting you. Someone needs to. You agreed to a date with a stranger at the grocery store, Sienna. I was making sure he wasn’t a psycho.”
“You had no right! I’m not bringing him around Micah. Not until I know him. So that means he is none of your business.”
Dewayne raised his eyebrows and took a step toward me. His expression darkened. “Yeah, it is. I want Micah’s momma safe.”
Well, crap. I would not melt because he was being a protective, possessive bear. Just because I hadn’t known what it felt like didn’t mean I had to like it. Dang it.
“What about her? You’re in Micah’s life. Is she safe?” I asked.
Dewayne didn’t even glance back at her or explain. He had been about to screw her right here in front of everyone, but now he was ignoring her. “I don’t even know her name, Sienna. This is just fun, baby. I’ll never see her again.”
“Excuse me,” the girl said, now more than annoyed.
My heart had decided to do a little flippy thing from him calling me baby. Which was ridiculous. He thought I was average, and now I knew why. I didn’t wear enough makeup or show enough skin for him.
“It’s what I do, Sienna. I don’t do relationships or dates. You were going on a date with the guy. I had to make sure that he was a good man.”
Okay. I didn’t understand this world at all. Dewayne was still a man whore, apparently. I had never seen him in a relationship with a female. Which was a shame because the territorial thing he did and the way he called me baby was pretty amazing. Even in his barbarian way he made me felt special. He was good at that.
Cam cleared his throat behind me, and I realized I had forgotten him in the car. I turned back to him and gave him an apologetic smile. “Cam, you know Dewayne,” I said, then glanced back at Dewayne. “So, did he pass inspection?”
Dewayne didn’t move his eyes off me. He held my gaze for a moment too long. The female with him said something, but I was completely lost in his eyes. I had always loved his eyes. “Yeah, Little Red, he’s safe.”
He hadn’t called me Little Red in so long I had forgotten about the nickname. But that wasn’t what struck me the most. It was the way he said “safe.” As if he’d been let down by me. Hadn’t he wanted me with someone safe?
“Take care of her,” he said to Cam, then turned around and took the girl’s arm, and they walked back to the club.
Cam touched my sore arm, and I jerked. Crap, I had forgotten about that. It was still throbbing. “It’s dark out here, but this looks like it’s gonna be a helluva bruise. Let’s get you home and get some ice on it. Unless you can’t move it and you need me to take you to the hospital.”
I made myself move it, and I could easily enough. I just winced and teared up.
“I’m good. I just need some ice,” I assured him.
We didn’t talk much on the way back to my house, and I figured this would be the end of Cam. Not that I could blame him.
* * *
The knocking on the front door broke me out of my thoughts as I stirred the sugar in my coffee. I walked to the door, wondering if Micah had already woken up and wanted to come home. I wanted to see him. When Tabby had told me he’d fallen asleep and asked if he could sleep over, I hadn’t wanted to say yes. I had never been apart from Micah at night.
But the way Tabby’s eyes lit up with hope made me give in, and I went home alone. Without Micah sleeping in his room beside mine, I hadn’t slept well. I missed him. I wasn’t sure how he would feel about waking up without me.
I opened the door to find Dewayne instead. Not who I wanted to see this morning. Not at all.
“We need to talk,” he said, stepping inside like he owned the place. He may own a lot of things, but this house was mine.
I left the door open because I didn’t like the idea of being closed up inside with him. I was mad at him. My arm had a black-and-blue bruise on it in the shape of his massive hand. I had taken ibuprofen last night and kept my arm on ice. Didn’t seem to help. It hurt and it looked awful.
“Last night—” he said, then stopped as his eyes zeroed in on my bruised arm. I watched as he went pale, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to pass out. It was ugly, but it wasn’t that ugly.
“Holy f*ck,” he swore, walking over to me and taking my wrist gently in his hand so he could lift my tender arm and look at it. “I did this,” he said.
I just nodded. Who else did he think had grabbed me like he wanted to break me last night?
“I need to be shot,” he said as he gently touched his fingertip to the marred skin. It was like a feather and, instead of hurting, caused me to shiver. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’d never hurt you. Know that. I would never hurt you. I didn’t know it was you last night when you slapped me, and I had drunk too damn much. My mind was slow, and it took me too long to register that it was you. God, Sienna, I’m so sorry.”
His voice sounded so pained that I had to fight the urge to comfort him. Maybe slapping a man his size with his temper from behind had been a bad idea. . . .
“It’s okay,” I told him, then tugged my hand free of his and put some space between us.
“No, it’s not. That isn’t okay,” he said, and his hands fisted up. “That will never happen again. I swear it. I’ll f*cking stop drinking. That shit is not okay. Ever.”
Micah would be here soon, and after seeing Dewayne’s reaction to my arm, I needed to change into something with longer sleeves. Micah would be upset too. I didn’t want him scared of his uncle.
“Why are you here?” I asked, wanting him to get to the point before my son showed up.
“I came to talk about last night. To explain why I went to check out your date. But, shit, I can’t get past your arm. I was worried about Cam, and I was the one who f*cking hurt you. Did he know I did that?”
I nodded.
Dewayne’s face darkened. “F*cker should have hit me. You need a man with some balls, and that dipshit knew I hurt you and didn’t even come after me.”
Was he kidding? Did he think everything should be handled with violence? And why was that so incredibly hot? I needed to seek mental help. Violence was not sexy. Even if Dewayne’s muscles flexed when he was just talking about a fight.
“You need to leave,” I told him before I could say something stupid.
Dewayne started to say something, but I held up my hand to stop him. “I know you didn’t hurt me on purpose. I know you checked out Cam because you were protecting me and Micah. I get it. Now please leave. I need coffee, and I didn’t sleep well last night, and I—”
I stopped talking as Dewayne took two steps toward me until he was towering over me. Then his larger-than-life hands cupped my face, and before anything could register, his lips were on mine.
I reached up and grabbed his arms to keep myself from melting into a puddle on the floor. Dewayne Falco’s mouth was very talented, and the second his tongue slipped along my bottom lip, I opened up for him and was lost. The minty taste of him consumed me as he nibbled and explored my mouth. I just held on. It was all I could do. My entire body was under his command. I couldn’t think coherently. Nothing had ever been like this. Ever.
But then, I had only kissed one other. And we had just been kids then.
Dewayne’s hands slipped down my back and cupped my bottom as he lifted me higher up against his body. His tongue danced along and teased mine, driving me crazy.
A moan came from somewhere, but I wasn’t sure whose it was. He heard it too, and it was like ice water over the fire that he’d wrapped us inside. Before I could steady myself, I was back on the ground and Dewayne was putting the length of my living room between us. I grabbed the chair behind me and hoped I didn’t sway on my feet.
Dewayne’s eyes were wild as he breathed heavily. At least he seemed as affected as I was. Because I was affected. No, I was marked. For life. I may not have been kissed by anyone other than Dustin before this, but I knew that no one was ever going to compare to what I’d just experienced.
“We can’t. I shouldn’t have,” Dewayne said, shaking his head. Then he all but ran out of my house. I stood there and listened to his truck door close and the engine start up. I stood there long after his truck had pulled out of my driveway.
He hadn’t been able to get away from me fast enough. It wasn’t like I had asked him to kiss me. Had he expected me to push him away? Was I a bad kisser? Had that moan been mine, and he had been turned off?
God! I hated being so damn clueless at this.
“Momma? Why is the door open?” Micah’s voice asked, and I snapped out of my daze and turned to see my little boy frowning at me.
“Because I was waiting on you,” I replied, not missing a beat.
He smiled and ran over to me, and I was careful to hide my bruised arm as I hugged him.
“Did you have fun?” I asked.
He nodded but pulled back and looked up at me. “I missed you this morning. Mama T offered to make me biscuits, but I wanted to come home and eat Pop-Tarts with you. I remembered you didn’t have work today.”
Hillary had given me one Saturday off a month, and I was very thankful for that this morning. After what had just happened, leaving Dewayne at my house to watch Micah would have been hard and distracting.
“I can do better than Pop-Tarts. How about pancakes?” I asked him.
He grinned. “How about chocolate chip pancakes?”
“Sounds perfect,” I said. “Let me go change shirts and we will get to work.”
I didn’t let him see me long enough to see my arm before I slipped out of the kitchen and into my bedroom, where I put on a long-sleeve T-shirt.