Page 112 of Unguarded

She gasps. “You think I was putting your life in danger? Really?! Now, I know you’ve really lost it. I had nothing to do with that, and I even told him—” She stops herself before going further, biting down on her lip. Her eyes fill with tears. “Look, I’m not perfect, but I really didn’t do any of this. Please believe me.”

My heart shatters inside my chest. “I wish I could”—I suck in a ragged breath—“but I don’t.”

I turn away, unable to watch her sitting there, crying crocodile tears and denying the clear evidence. Fidel tells her she’s fired and to turn in her iPad. I don’t give her another look as she exits the room before I burst into tears.

40

CASH

“After the shit day she’s had, I just want to make her feel special so she can relax. She deserves to recalibrate before we take off on the US leg of the tour next week.”

“You’re a squishy little sweetheart deep down. Who would’ve known?!” Dolly is helping me pack a charcuterie picnic in a basket.

Monroe’s plane landed an hour ago. She’ll be getting here with Brooks at any minute now. I hate being away from her now, but I know she’s safe with Brooks and Mike, who’s turned out to be incredibly focused and damn good at his job. I knew he would be, being ex-Special Forces and working for Griffin’s security company. I needed to wrap some things up at the ranch to prepare for another three months away while she did a last-minute search for a replacement assistant.

“How’s your heart been feeling lately, Doll?”

She rolls her eyes. “My thumper is thumping along just fine,thank you.”

Duke and Sam stalk into the kitchen, both filthy from working the cows out in the pens all day with Holden and the ranch hands. Dolly straightens.

“You made an appointment though, right?” Duke asks.

She nods. “Just to appease all you hovering mother hens.”

Sam snickers, but doesn’t say a word. Dolly looks up at him through her dark eyelashes, pink spreading through her cheeks.

What the fuck is that?

Duke doesn’t seem to notice. He pops a grape into his mouth from the bowl of them on the island. “What’s this for?”

“He’s taking Monroe on an overnight picnic near his new house site.” She packs in a few slices of some fresh cinnamon bread she baked.

“Aww.” Duke punches my shoulder. “Look at you, turning into a romantic little bitch. That’s adorable.”

A smirk spreads across my lips. “It’ll be your turn someday soon, little brother.”

He shakes his head, punching Sam in the gut. “Not for us. We’re loners till we die. One woman sounds like a trap—a really boring one. I like variety.”

Sam doesn’t react. Dolly purses her lips and closes the picnic basket.

“Here.” She hands it to me.

“Thanks, sis.” I lean in to kiss her cheek right as the sound of the front door squeaks open.

“Is anybody home?” Brooks calls out.

My heart skips a beat. I’m ready to see my baby. I turnaround right as she enters the kitchen on Brooks’s heels. Her face lights up when she lays eyes on me. I walk up to her, my entire body feeling lighter as soon as I wrap her in an embrace. I grab her chin, planting a kiss on her lips. She giggles into my mouth.

“Well, hello there,” she says.

“Hi, gorgeous. How was the flight?”

She sighs. “It was fine. I missed you a lot, so I wrote a song about it.”

I nuzzle her neck, tingles spreading down my back as she rubs her hands over my T-shirt. “I can’t wait to hear it. I have a surprise for you.”

She kisses my shoulder. “What is it?”

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