Page 93 of Disavowed

Gone was his short cop haircut, although a light stubble shadowed his handsome face. Hair that was normally a light sandy brown was now sun-kissed and golden, brushing the collar of the unbuttoned, light blue shirt he wore. She resisted the urge to tousle the strands she knew were soft and silky to the touch. Even in sleep, his tanned and bronzed forehead creased. For that matter, his chest was equally tanned, telling her wherever he’d been for the last four months he’d been out in the sun.

His chest rose and fell rhythmically with slow, shallow breaths. A light dusting of sun-bleached hair curled over hard, rounded pectorals. Just below his left shoulder was a small scar, pink and puckered, where a bullet had ripped through his body. The ridged muscles of his abdomen led to a thin line of hair that disappeared below the waistband of faded, worn-out jeans. His feet were bare, and she noticed boots lying on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Daisy wrapped her arms around herself, moving closer. Her stomach clenched, and her head pounded with anger that he’d left her so callously without a word, to worry for four long months, not knowing whether he was dead or alive. But it was her heart that betrayed her by beating furiously with joy. Joy that he was not only very much alive, but that he was here. In her bed.

Taz pranced around her legs, panting, demanding more attention, so she leaned down to pet the puppy again. The little dog was a reminder of how she’d just begun to get her life back on track and make positive changes. Now Dom was here, kicking her legs out from under her yet again. She was happy that he was seemingly okay, but she didn’t have the emotional fortitude to handle the way he materialized into her life any time he chose, then zoomed out of it—literally and figuratively—with the ease and mystery of a secret agent.

Where had he been all this time? For that matter, how had he gotten into her apartment?

Duh. Once a cop, always a cop. Plus, since the Piazza, she’d heard through the grapevine that he’d once been some kind of covert super-soldier, conducting all sorts of dangerous undercover forays in the Middle East. Picking a simple lock on her apartment had probably been child’s play for him.

Be strong. This has to end now.

She let her arms fall to her sides and clenched her fists. Taz uttered a discontented snort and jumped back onto the bed, snuggling against the side of Dom’s bare chest. He woke with a start, bolting upright. Taz leaped back to the floor, eyeing him warily. Dom’s forearms tightened as he looked around the room, his abdominal muscles clenching as he breathed heavily. When his gaze landed on her, his body instantly relaxed.

His eyes were even bluer than she remembered, contrasting starkly with his tanned face. But what struck her was the utter exhaustion she read in his expression. He was still gorgeous, perhaps even more so, yet he seemed to have aged since she’d seen him last. Tiny lines she hadn’t noticed before darted from the corners of his eyes and mouth.

“I’ve missed you.” His voice was low and gentle. He swung his legs over the bed and stood.

She automatically took a step backward. Not because she was afraid of him physically but because she was petrified of what he could do to that weak-willed muscle inside her chest. Her heart ached for him, and in that instant she knew the truth. No matter how much time passed, she’d never be able to fully eradicate him from her soul. She could manage to live without him, but he would always be the one. Unfair didn’t begin to describe it. That she would be permanently scarred, useless to any other man, suddenly angered her beyond belief.

Hands still fisted, she inhaled a shaky breath. “Where have you been?”

“California.”

“Guess you needed a vacation.” Without her.

He shook his head. “Not a vacation. I was crewing on a fishing boat. I needed to clear my head. There’s no better place than on the water, and no better way than doing hard work.”

“It would have been nice if you’d let someone know you were okay.” Let me know. Fearful that he would glimpse the pathetic longing in her heart, she looked down at Taz sitting patiently by her feet.

“I’m sorry.” He took another step toward her, extending his arm, reaching out to touch her. “Seems like I’m always saying that to you.”

Needing a buffer, she picked up Taz, holding the puppy to her chest. No way could she allow him to touch her. “I’m glad you’re okay, but that doesn’t give you the right to break into my apartment.”

He let his hand drop. “I was tired. I drove nonstop from the West Coast, and I needed to crash.”

“What about your own apartment?”

“Didn’t want to go there.”

“Why not?”

“I like your place better.” A hesitant smile twitched at his lips.

“Why?”

“You’re here. Didn’t realize you had a roommate.” He tipped his head to where Taz wriggled in her arms. “That little thing about bit my face off the second I stepped inside.”

“Good girl.” She kissed the puppy on the top of her head.

Dom smiled fully this time, and damned if it didn’t make her knees weak. His expression sobered. “You have every right to be mad at me. I deserve it.”

Something inside her snapped. She set the puppy down and jabbed a finger in his direction, being careful not to touch him. “You’re goddamned right you deserve it. You can’t keep drifting in and out of my life any time you choose.”

Over his shoulder, she glimpsed Taz leaping to the bed.

“I’m sorry for that, too.” In a lightning-fast move, he grabbed her extended finger and hand, tugging her against him. “But I don’t regret a single moment I ever spent with you.”