Morgan doubted a deaf woman would have missed the mockery in Deke’s voice. “You
don’t think it’s possible to find someone?”
She felt sad for him. The regret in his eyes told her how badly he wanted just that.
“What woman in her right mind wants to live with a temperamental chef and a
former drill sergeant? Alone, either of us would drive a woman to drink. Together…” He
shrugged. “It works for a night or two. It’s enough.”
Deke was lying. To her. To himself. His wants had cost him a chance at happiness,
too.
“And right now, it’s irrelevant.” He busted in on her thoughts. “We were talking
about you and Jack…”
Clearly, Deke didn’t want to talk about himself any more than she wanted to talk
about herself.
“You’ll have to accept your own desires to be happy. And you shouldn’t settle for
less. Jack will come around and he’ll help you. I can’t tell you when or how it will happen
or what will make you okay with your needs. I just know you’ll manage.”
Morgan tried to rein in her frustration. Why did everyone keep insisting that the
answer was inside her, was as simple as accepting herself? Clearly, if Jack was going to
curse her and tear out of a room as if the hounds of hell were at his back, it wasn’t that
simple.
Damn it, she’d been feeling so good about her choice to come to Jack’s playroom. The
way he’d touched her, the pleasure in his touch, the praise in every caress, made her feel
so accepted, like everything transpiring in his playroom between them was right. And
then…then, he’d disparaged her wants. That had to mean there was something wrong
with her, right?
Damn, had she ever been more confused?
For Deke’s sake, she just nodded. “I… Thanks.”
A mere word of appreciation seemed inadequate, given that he’d seen to her physical
comfort, treated her without lust…but still like a woman. Tried to answer her question,
but bared his soul instead. His gentle attention made her feel feminine and cared for,
and was a balm to Jack’s rejection.
Smiling, Morgan sat up on her knees and reached for the broad planes of his cheeks.
“It’s not much, but thank you.”
Then she settled her mouth over his, a light dusting of feminine sighs, warm lips, and
thanks before pulling away. It was odd, really, this…bond of understanding sprinkled
with a light dusting of desire. Morgan didn’t understand it any more than she
understood him. But suddenly she was grateful for both.
“You’re welcome.” He stepped away, smoothing a broad palm down the cascade of
her fiery hair. “Try resting now. You should be able to with some assurances, by the way.
Hard to believe after everything that’s happened, but I came out here because no one
answered the phone. I wanted to tell you two that your stalker appears to have left
Louisiana. Tell Jack, because I’ll be too busy beating his ass, that the creep trashed your
fiancé’s house three days ago and tried to set fire to your house in L.A. yesterday.”
“Oh my…” Poor Brandon. He was so proud of that house, and hadn’t asked for any
trouble. He’d merely been trying to help. And her own house… “Damn it!”
“I know,” Deke soothed. “It sucks, but the good news is, with anger like his, if the
bastard knew where you were right now, he’d be out here hunting you down, not
hopping all over the country trying to draw you out by destroying property.”
Deke had a point, and it seemed to solidify the rationale that Reggie was her stalker.
She hadn’t called him in days, and he’d been one of the few people who knew she’d
made it as far as Louisiana. And he’d never had a good temper on the best of days. Was
he disturbed? Obsessed? Probably both of the above. She sighed.
Until now, she’d been safe because she’d been staying with Jack. But today,
everything had changed. Given Jack’s rejection— yet another man who had snubbed her
after hearing her fantasies— and Deke’s information, she was ready to take action.
If Reggie had made his move, maybe…maybe it was time to make hers.
#
Jack had predicted Deke would make his way onto the wraparound porch, where
night was settling over the swamp and the cold February air twisted over his bare skin.
After a long shower, he’d wrapped himself in the robe Morgan had left on the back of the
bathroom door. Damn thing smelled like her and gave him another fucking hard-on.
Trying to blot out both the feel of her tight ass around his cock and the stark pain on