Page 20 of Never Wed an Outlaw

We took the long way through town, heading for the outskirts, where I had my big, beautiful home just past the gate. Funny to think Huck and Cora shared it not so long ago, back when they were in trouble, enjoying more passion there than I ever had.

Dust pulled up to the gate before he helped me off, his engine still rumbling, making words difficult. At least, the kind of words I wanted to say, whispers about how fucking hard it was to step away without so much as a goodbye kiss.

“Take care of yourself, darlin'. We'll see each other at the clubhouse or some shit soon enough. If you're ever in a bind again, you've got my number.” He smiled, all southern gentleman behind his smug lips and savage exterior.

“Dusty...” For a second, we stopped and stared, as soon as I said his name.

There was only one way to tell him what I'd wanted to say the last fifty miles home.Fuck it.

I leaned forward, dragging my fingernails through his short, dark hair, catching the tightest hold I could while I brought my mouth to his.

Forget the lightning when we'd kissed before.Thiswas a hurricane, straight plasma hitting my system and igniting every single nerve. Probably the pent up want, the need coursing through me, the insane, unworkable desires I'd fought like hell to suppress.

It was the knowledge that this couldn't work, however badly we wanted it to. It was our bodies in full on mutiny with our hearts and our heads.

If he'd picked me up, thrown me back on his bike, and driven us to some secluded place, I wouldn't have stopped him.

But he pulled away, a familiar glint fading in his grey eyes like embers dying in burnt charcoal. “Darlin', you need to go. Now. Kiss me like that again, and I'm following you inside.”

We exchanged one last smile before I turned my back, heading through the gate.

If we couldn't do what we really wanted, then at least I could thank him for the ride. I'd given him a real kiss goodbye.

I must've held my breath the whole way through my gate, across the long driveway leading to my home, and didn't let it out until I was inside. Then I collapsed against the wall, my chest rising and falling in shallow waves, rapid as my heartbeat.

We'd just had our last real kiss as a couple never meant to be. It gave me a shred of relief, sure, but it also tangled up my stomach into pure grief now that I was finally alone.

I'd see him again, no doubt about it. But we wouldnever, ever lock lips like that.

It ended today.

I had to let this go, for my good and his. Didn't mean it wouldn't sting like an utter bitch. Worse than the hot, bitter tears sliding down my cheeks, whenever I finally let everything I'd been holding for several hundred miles come pouring out.

Four Weeks Later

My phone rangand I picked it up. Whenever I sawUnavailableon the screen, every hair on my body stood on end. I was probably the only person in the world praying for a telemarketer.

“Hello?” I answered, drawing in a breath.

The man was quiet for the first thirty seconds, before he slowly, angrily cleared his throat. “You got our shit loaded yet, or what?”

“Dom.” Just saying his name turned my blood cold. “I'm not in front of my screen right now. If you want all the technicals, I can take a look. I –“

“Nah, peach, you know I fuckin' don't. I pass all that along to Brandon, who understands what the fuck you're saying when you talk about algorithms and structures. I want you to tell me it's done, and nothing about it's gonna be a problem.”

I bit my tongue to stop everything I wanted to say from coming out. “You know I asked for more guidance when Isent you that text last week. I said there might be a security loophole that's a little beyond my means to figure out. You want this rushed, without giving me the right time and resources? Then I'm telling you mistakes will happen that could put us all at risk.”

“Excuse me, bitch. Are you trying to tell me I'm wrong?”

Obviously, you stupid fucking jackass,I thought, seizing every fiber of willpower I had to keep from mouthing off to a monster.

“No,” I said quietly. “I'm saying I need you to run this by your own technical team, see if maybe they can fix the vulnerability. I don't know how to approach it. I'm stumbling around in the dark.”

“You're putting me on.” Dom paused.

About two tense seconds ticked by before the explosion hit me in the ear, so loud and sudden I had to hold my phone away.

“After everything we've done, you're putting me the fuck on! Probably setting me up for a goddamned fucking sting, thinking I'm a chump!”

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