It seemed to take forever, but his breathing finally evened out, his big body leaning heavier on hers. She waited another twenty minutes to make sure he was asleep, then started to edge out from under him.

Her phone beeped on the other side of the bedroom, where she’d dumped her purse earlier, and Deke stirred beside her. Crap. The girls would be wondering how her date was going. She’d told them that much, so at least she could explain the late night.

If they had any idea she was screwing around with their brother or knew about this insane deal, both women would be pissed as hell. Deacon and his sisters loved one another to bits. The last thing she wanted was to cause a rift in their relationship. Deacon and his father had parted ways when he’d decided on business school instead of the business of cars. Jacob West had wanted his son to take over one day. And he’d let his son know time and again how much the betrayal had hurt him. Eventually, Deacon gave up trying to make him understand that he wanted something different out of life. They’d never had the chance to make up before he’d died. Since then, the only family he had was his sisters.

Alex understood the pain of not getting to say good-bye firsthand. Her heart squeezed. She knew Deacon struggled with it.

Stop. She pushed the tender feelings down deep, where they belonged.

Suddenly his weight became suffocating. She needed to leave. Now. Edging out from under him, she climbed to her feet and stood motionless by the bed for a few seconds, making sure she hadn’t woken him. When he didn’t move, breathing still slow and even, she grabbed her dress and bag and, on silent feet, hurried to the living room. She quickly pulled on her clothes, then realized she’d forgotten her shoes. No way was she going back into that room and risking waking him. She got the feeling he wouldn’t appreciate her skipping out on him again.

But this time was different, right? She’d told him she couldn’t stay. So how could he get mad?

As soon as she hit the elevator, guilt swamped her, but she squashed that, too. Digging around in her purse, she found her phone and called a cab on the way down to the foyer. The doorman didn’t comment on her disheveled appearance when she walked out, or the fact that she had bare feet as she moved toward him. She smiled weakly and thanked him when he opened the door for her.

“Would you like me to call a cab, miss?”

“One’s on the way. Thanks, though.”

He motioned behind them to one of the overstuffed couches. “Why don’t you wait in here? I’ll tell you when it arrives.”

The idea of standing on the street, looking like she did right then, was not an appealing prospect. “Um…sure. Thanks.”

She was texting Rusty back when she heard the doorman greet someone. She glanced up. A couple walked in, both slick in their designer clothes. Their eyes landed on her, with her bare feet, mussed hair, and more than likely smudged makeup, and she inwardly cringed. The guy smirked, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a knowing way that made her skin crawl. The woman’s eyes zeroed in on her ink, and a look of disgust covered her heavily made-up face.

As they passed, she heard her say, “Are they letting prostitutes in here now?” She didn’t hear the guy’s reply as they carried on to the elevator.

Assholes. God, she hated this, had never felt so small in her whole life. She didn’t belong here among the rich and up-themselves, never would.

“Your cab’s here, miss.”

“Thanks.” The door guy gave her a kind smile, more than likely feeling sorry for her.

She ran out, and the cab driver turned to face her when she climbed in and slammed the door. “Where to?”

“Axle Alley. Do you know West’s garage?”

“Sure do.”

As they drove away, she released a shaky breath. The closer they got to home, the more her panic began to subside. She had just slumped into the seat and closed her eyes when her phone started ringing. Rusty. That woman was relentless. But when she checked, it was Deacon’s name flashing on the screen, and the tension returned full force. She let it ring until it stopped. Coward.

She slumped back, but her phone started up again moments later.

He wouldn’t stop until she picked up; she knew him well enough to know that. Plastering a fake smile on her face, so he’d hear it in her voice, she answered. “Yo.”

Silence.

“Um…hello?”

“You left,” he growled down the line. “I woke up and you were gone.”

“I told you I had to go.” She was still angry and humiliated from her encounter in the foyer, and her fake happy drained right out of her.

“Where are you?”

“In a cab on my way home.”

A rough exhale. “Jesus, Alex. Don’t do that again. I was worried. I don’t like you wandering around on your own late at night. If you need to leave, tell me and I’ll drive you.”

His words simultaneously pissed her off and gave her a warm fuzzy feeling in her belly. Not a lot of people had worried about her in her life. Still, she decided to ignore the warm fuzzies and go with pissed off. “For fuck’s sake. You’re not only acting like a sexist pig, you’re being completely unreasonable. And what will your sisters think if they see you dropping me off in the middle of the night, huh? Think about it.”

“I don’t care what—” He cut himself off abruptly, and she heard him take several deep breaths. “Please. Just…next time you decide you have to leave, wake me first. I’ll wait downstairs with you, yes?”

“I’m twenty-five years old. I’ve been looking after myself most of my life.”

Silence, then. “Well, now you have me to do that.” His voice was so low, almost gentle, and it sent a shiver across her skin, dread spiking through her belly. “Promise me, Alex.”

She didn’t understand what was going on here, why he was being like this, but she didn’t have much choice but to agree. “Fine.”

“Thank you, baby. Now go get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll call you tomorrow to make plans.”

She hugged herself. The way he said “baby,” all soft and deep, did funny things to her, things she didn’t want to think about right then, or ever. “Where are we going? How should I dress?”

“I’m thinking maybe we should stay in.” More with the gentle voice, but now with a hint of amusement that was sexy as hell and had her happy places tingling. “If I get my way, clothes will be optional.” Then he hung up.

Shit.

Chapter Six

“They’re here, Alex.”

“Don’t make me go, please. I promise I’ll be good. You won’t even know I’m here,” she said, backing up several steps.

Mr. West’s usually warm brown eyes looked sad when he shook his head. “They won’t let you stay. I’m sorry, honey. I’ve tried, but they don’t think it’s best for you to live here with us.”

She sobbed uncontrollably now. Rusty and Piper clung to her, crying as well, their grip almost painful.

“Please don’t make me. I don’t like it there. I don’t want to—”

The door opened and a woman with blond hair and small blue eyes walked in. “That’s enough now, Alex. You know you have to go back.”

“Maybe she could just stay tonight,” Mr. West said.

The woman shook her head. “No. That’ll just make it harder in the long run.” She held out her hand. “Come on now, Alex. It’s time to go.”

She shook her head again and spun around, panic and all kinds of other feelings swirling in her belly, making her feel sick. Without thinking, she ran, ran from the woman trying to take her away, straight through the living room. She saw the window but didn’t stop, had to get away. She wasn’t going back.

Alex shot up in bed, her screams dying in her throat when she realized it was just a dream. The only dream she ever had. She ran shaky hands across her face and pushed her sweat-soaked hair off her face.