“Look, the three of you have your love lives all straightened out. That’s great. But I can’t get involved with anyone,especiallynot that redheaded devil out there.”
“All right then.” He gives me a knowing smile as he turns to leave. “We’ll see.”
I stalk over and slam the door behind him. “Fuck!” I bang my forehead on the wood panel.
This is ridiculous. I have to snap out of it. A turn around the lodge will help me. Checking the perimeter out in the cold might also do something to help the fucking hard-on that plagues me whenever I get a glimpse of that red hair either in real life or in my mind.
I head down the hall toward the living area of the lodge, then slow as I hear voices in the kitchen.
“—can’t stay here forever.” It’s Daphne.
“You can stay as long as you need.” One of the other women is in there. I think it’s Aurora.
I ease closer and flatten myself to the wall just outside the door.
Daphne sighs heavily. “When the piece I just published hits the blog, it’s going to explode.”
“Shit. Did you name names?” Aurora’s voice is almost a whisper.
“If I said yes, would you think I’m crazy?”
There’s a long pause before Aurora says, “No, I’d think you’re brave as hell.”
“But you’re also in danger,” Bells adds from farther away, perhaps in the pantry. “The men you outed for being predatory assholes? They’ll come for you. And I’m not talking lawsuits or cease and desist letters. These men have empires to protect. Hell, one of them has his own island where he keeps his own personal brothel of barely-legal girls.”
“I know. That was in the piece. The drugs he feeds them, the conditions, the things they’re expected to do. I’ve been inside and out of all of these monsters, seen their wives who look the other way, the spoiled children who don’t know half of the evil their fathers commit, the women and girls they all leave in their wakes. That’s why I did this. The victims. For them. No one stood up for them. But I will.”
Fuck, she’s got backbone. Daphne speaks with such conviction that I find myself leaning closer, wanting to be near her. If she’s published an article with names and facts she can back up with evidence, she’s created a shitstorm of epic proportions. The men she’s talking about aren’t the sort to take this lying down. Hell, back in my youth when the tabloids came after me, I paid some visits of my own. Solved the problem with violence, the only language I knew. I know better now, but there are plenty who don’t. And those men will be sent to hurt Daphne.
I run a hand through my hair. As much as I want to keep her away from me, to get her out of here and erase the temptation, I know I can’t. Because if she leaves, she’s a walking target. And if she stays, my whole world could crumble. Did I mention fuuuuuuck?
“God, that’s so brave.” Bells is closer now. “What are you doing for security? I know some guys.”
“Yeah? I know a few outfits, too, but I’ve never liked having hired guns around me.”
“You need a body man,” Aurora says. “For sure. Someone close.”
A body man? Close to Daphne? Fuck no. Not a chance. Some asshole on a salary won’t keep her safe, not when it counts. She needs someone who cares about her, who wants to keep her safe for reasons other than money.
“A hot body man doesn’t sound so bad.” Bells giggles. “A big guy with muscles and—”
“You can stay here.” I stride into the kitchen like I haven’t just been listening in to their entire conversation. “Just stay here.” I swipe an apple off the counter and take a bite as nonchalantly as I can.
Daphne turns to me, her eyebrows high. “Youwantme to stay?”
“I mean …” I take another bite of apple, stalling.I want you in my bed, screaming my name as I fill you up and make your legs shake. Instead of that, I go with, “You can stay if you want. No skin off my back.” I turn away from her, even though I want to pull her to me, and walk from the kitchen.
Bells drops her voice. “Now that’s exactly the kind of body man you need, girl.”
Aurora giggles, and I don’t hear the rest because my heart is beating in my ears while I simultaneously cuss myself for putting my ass on the line for the sassy, nosy, infuriating, sexy-as-all-fuck redhead who I can’t stop obsessing about. Even now. Still obsessing. Fuck.
3
DAPHNE
Isit on the kitchen counter, swinging my legs back and forth. We’ve already had dinner along with dessert and cleaned everything up. Now we’re all sitting around chit-chatting. I think one of the things I’ve loved about being here at the lodge is that there are always people around. That and how close all the girls are.
They’ve slowly been letting me into their little circle. I think it’s because Bells likes me. I’ve noticed they all usually look to her for direction. She’s the matriarch of their little group from what I can see. I don’t think she knew how much everyone around here needed her until she thought about leaving. That did not go over well.