Page 30 of Disavowed

The truck double-parked in front of Daisy’s apartment building, and Dom was lucky enough to find a spot a few cars down on the same side of the street. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of the truck’s passenger door. He parked quickly and killed the engine.

Schneider came around to the passenger side of the truck, then opened the door and held out his hand. The next thing Dom saw was Daisy’s shapely leg as her skirt caught on the seat. When Schneider’s head dipped down, a low growl rose in his throat. He wanted to rip the guy’s heart out just for looking at her, let alone touching her.

On the sidewalk, she and Schneider talked for a few seconds, then Schneider placed his hand at the small of Daisy’s back and followed her up the stairs and into the building.

Goddammit.

Dom resisted the urge to punch the window. Was she sleeping with the guy?

He squeezed his eyes shut, tormented by the image of Schneider’s hands on Daisy’s naked skin, his mouth on her—

Don’t do this to yourself.

How the fuck is this happening? His instinct to storm in there and save Daisy warred with the facts.

Despite the huge coincidence, his brain told him she wasn’t in any immediate danger. But Schneider was in her apartment. The idea of her sleeping with another man—let alone Jack Schneider—tore up his guts. He had to be sure she was okay, but rushing in there would only put her even more at risk.

He yanked his cell phone from his belt and punched in Gray’s number. When Gray answered, he summed up the situation as succinctly as possible, telling his partner to have Alex call and make sure Daisy got home okay.

A few minutes later, Gray called back to say that Daisy was fine. Dom ended the call and let out a heavy breath. He lowered the window and looked up at the second-floor windows he knew were part of Daisy’s apartment. He also knew which window belonged to her bedroom.

While he sat there alternately clenching his jaw and praying like hell that her bedroom light didn’t turn on, he had to figure out the answer to one tactical question.

Would telling Daisy who and what Schneider really was put her more at risk, or save her life?

Chapter Eight

Daisy sat on her favorite overstuffed armchair, sipping a glass of Cognac. Across from her on the sofa, Jack tipped his beer and took a swallow. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing strong, muscled forearms. Like Dom’s. No, not quite as muscled as Dom’s.

Stop comparing.

Jack was nice, and he was interested in her.

So why don’t I feel overly excited? Because I can’t open myself up to anyone, or because he’s my employee?

Deep down, she knew it wasn’t either one of those things. It was because she hadn’t been able to get Dom off her mind since dinner last night. But she had to. Jack was here, and he was the first man she’d been remotely interested in since that fateful night a year ago. With Dom.

On the one hand, she liked Jack and was attracted to him enough to invite him in for a drink. On the other, she wasn’t ready to sit beside him on the sofa. More to the point, she wanted it clear as rain that her invite didn’t include a stroll down the hallway to her bedroom.

“So how long have you been a commercial truck driver?” she asked.

Jack smiled, revealing a nice set of even white teeth, although he didn’t have that Thor, surfer-dude thing going on.

Stop it.

“My dad was a UPS driver, and he used to take me on deliveries when I was a kid.” He laughed, and she liked the sound. “I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license and wear that brown uniform. That was my first job before I went into the service.”

“The service?” She raised her brows. “What branch?”

“Army.” He took another sip from the bottle.

Like Dom.

“Driving the big rigs in the army seemed like a natural fit, and when I came back home all I wanted to do was drive.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. His gaze swept her living room, every corner and ledge of which was filled with potted ferns, ficus, hanging ivy, African violets, and a multitude of other plants. “What about you? How did you get into the flower business? You definitely have a green thumb.”

“My mother loved flowers and taught me everything I know.” She sighed as she always did when reminded of her parents. “I’ve been in the floral biz since I was a kid.”

He smiled across the coffee table from her, and she waited for that zing, that wonderful feeling of floating and flying in the air she got when Dom smiled at her. But it didn’t happen.