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“You don’t want him here, honey, he doesn’t stay. It’s that simple.”
I had to smile, though it was probably a weary grin. I was fucking tired and emotionally drained. “With Wylde, nothing is ever simple.”
“I’ve got a forty-five in the glove box that says otherwise.”
“No, Henry. I’ll be fine. If nothing else, Lemon will protect me. Between the two of them, my money is on Lemon every single time.”
That got a bark of laughter out of Henry. “You make a good point. I’m still going to walk you to your door. Stay inside and I’ll come around. That way you’ve got a buffer as long as you want one.”
I shouldn’t have let him do it, but I took the coward’s way out. Henry opened the door on my side and helped me down from the big truck. Wylde stood next to us not saying a word. Henry kept himself between me and Wylde, his arm around my shoulders as he escorted me to the door. Lemon took it from there.
“Heard you had a rough time with Asshole over there.” She jerked her head in Wylde’s direction. “I can kick his ass if you want me to.”
“How’d you know about that?”
She shrugged. “Word gets around.”
“It’s fine, Lemon. Go on inside.”
“You go with her, Dani,” Henry said. “Pretty sure Wylde was just leaving.”
“Not leavin’ till I talk to Dani.”
“I think everything that needed to be said was said.” I didn’t look at Wylde. Couldn’t. If I did, I’d lose what little composure I had. I’d thought the time away from him would lessen the impact, but I was pretty sure even years away would bring this same aching need in my heart I felt now.
“Five minutes, Dani. That’s all I’m asking.”
I wanted to give in. God knew I wanted to. My heart wouldn’t hold up under the strain if I did. Instead, I shook my head before opening the door and urging Lemon inside.
“No, Wylde.”
Then I met Henry’s gaze. He nodded for me to go on inside.
“Lock your door, honey,” he said as he turned to face Wylde. “I’ll see he leaves.”
Again, like a coward, I did what Henry said and shut and locked the door. I couldn’t help but peek out the peephole and watch as Henry confronted Wylde. I could hear them arguing. Wylde insisting he was going to talk to me before he left. Henry telling Wylde I didn’t want to talk to him.
I was seeing a side of both men I’d never seen before. Henry had always seemed mild and quiet. Even-tempered to the extreme. Now, I was seeing a strong, alpha male determined to get his way against an equally strong alpha male. And I wasn’t entirely sure Wylde would win that fight.
For Wylde’s part, he looked half crazed. His hair was all over the place where he kept running his hands through it. He argued with Henry for several minutes before finally throwing his hands up in the air and stalking back to his bike.
That fucking bike.
I doubt I’d ever be able to look at another motorcycle without remembering what I’d done with Wylde on his. He might have done it so many times it didn’t mean a thing to him, but that had been my first time. I’d done it willingly. I couldn’t say I regretted it. At least not all of it. I’d never known such pleasure existed. But giving myself to him when I’d expressly told him I couldn’t do casual sex shamed me beyond measure. Wylde had proven to me I could, indeed, do casual sex. With him. Now, I just needed to convince my heart. And that wasn’t happening.
“I’ll kill him for you if you want, Dani.” Lemon laid her hand on my shoulder and squeezed.
“No, honey. It’s as much my fault as his. He’s just trying to make himself feel better and I’m not ready to let him yet.”
“You better never be ready.” Lemon pulled me away from the door and to the kitchen table where Apple had made me a plate of whatever she’d made for dinner. I was too distracted to figure it out just now. “What’d he do?”
“Nothing, Lemon. We just had a falling out is all.”
“Bullshit.”
I sighed. “Lemon…”
“No, Dani! He doesn’t get to hurt you. Not for any reason or in any way.”
