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But then my mind returns to the way Kayley looked at me, the glinting hate in her eyes. I don’t know how this is going to end. That’s the sad truth. Before Kayley found us asleep together, I felt certain that nothing could tear Lola and me apart.
I still feel that way, deep down in my soul, in that warm full-of-emotion place I never even knew existed before.
But I also know that Lola values Kayley’s opinion more than anything.
If Kayley digs her heels in and decides to make this an issue where Lola has to choose between us, I don’t know what decision she’ll make.
Hell, I don’t want her to even have to make a decision.
I finally turn into my estate, typing a few keys on the access pad, and wait as the gate grinds open.
I drive toward the snow-shrouded house.
Snow laces the air, dancing, and whirring.
It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, the party at Hidden, and something twists in my gut when I think about attending the event without Lola on my arm.
I want the whole town – the whole damn world – to know that Lola Fitzgerald belongs to me, and me alone.
I can’t stand the thought of her running back to college and leaving everything we’ve built, all this crazy and perfect closeness, to melt away with the snow.
I drive into the garage and climb from the car, stretching my arms and throwing a couple of shadow jabs. I need to get in the cage and do some light sparring. Slipping and dodging punches always makes it easier to think.
I walk through the house, suddenly aware of how huge and empty it feels without children running up and down the floorboards. As I pass a glistening suit of armor, I imagine my son tugging on my hand. Smiling up at me with Lola’s eyes.
“Daddy, can I wear the armor, please?”
I’ll laugh and sweep him into my arms, telling him he can wear it when he’s older. We’ll wrestle all around the house, ending up in the kitchen where Lola and more of our children are baking a cake together. We’ll get into a food fight, of course, laughing, content, brimming with love as we coat the kitchen in snow-like flour.
I shake my head, emerging from my reverie when I find that it’s just Lola and Hunter in the living room.
She sits on the couch, her legs curled beneath her. Hunter draped over her like a blanket.
“Hey,” she says when I walk over to the couch.
“Where’s Kayley?” I ask, dread in my gut.
Maybe they had a fight. Maybe she stormed out. Maybe this is the end of it all.
“She went to see Ryan,” she murmurs. “They’re going to see if they can work this out, whatever it is.”
I nod and sit down next to her, stroking my hand up Hunter’s body and then tucking a lock of Lola’s hair behind her ear. Her smile lights me up inside, making me feel soft and humane.
And yet the beast is always lurking under the surface, teeth bared, ready to rend and cut and roar if I need to defend my woman.
“When will she be back?” I ask.
Lola shrugs. “I don’t know. She didn’t say. What happened at the club?”
“Some punks decided to graffiti the place,” I say. “It’s happened before and it’ll happen again. It’s no big deal. But Crest Fall is a pretty peaceful little town. The sheriff doesn’t like anything spoiling that.”
“I guess as its biggest business owner you have to keep the sheriff sweet,” she murmurs, sitting up.
Her dress rides up, showing more and more of her thighs. I’m glad that Hunter is curled up between us, the big wolfish dog making it difficult for me to leap on her. I would, I know, without a moment of doubt.
I’d jump on her and claim those thick juicy thighs.
But I also know that she wouldn’t want to do anything else before we get Kayley’s blessing.
“What do we do now?” Lola says quietly.
“Breakfast?” I offer.
She shoots me a look, all sass. Her lips pout and her eyes go wide and spunky. My hand trembles with the need to grab her, to kiss her, to take her.
“I mean about Kayley,” she says.
“What can we do?” I sigh. “We’ll have to wait for her to come back. Hopefully, things will go well with Ryan. It might cheer her up. I’ve never known that kid to treat her poorly.”
“The mystery of the bedside drawer,” Kayley murmurs. “I wonder what he was hiding.”
“I’ve got an idea,” I say. “But I could be wrong.”
Hunter yawns and jumps down from the couch, padding over to the unlit fireplace and curling up. I shuffle down the couch and drag Lola into my lap, needing to be close to her. I feel her body get hotter as I clasp her to my body.
