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bring Kimber‟s brother with me.”

“Which one?” Luc swore under his breath. Neither had approved of his

brief relationship with their sister and his cousin—and made no effort to

hide it.

“Hunter.”

Luc swore again. Logan, the younger, was a mean bastard with a

temper a mile wide, but he could be reasoned with . . . eventually. Hunter

was cold, calculating. Crafty. And as communicative as a brick wall. There

would be no talking him out of his dislike.

“Jack and I are trying to convince Hunter to leave the navy. We could

use someone like him on our team.”

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“What can he do here? I need someone able to investigate who‟s

behind these threats.”

“Hunter is one of the best. Trust me. You don‟t have to like each other,

just know he‟s going to solve the issue.”

From everything he‟d heard, when Hunter was on a mission, he was

relentless and cagey. “Whatever keeps Alyssa safe.”

“We‟ll be there before noon so you can brief us.”

Luc disconnected the call. Alyssa would not like this; Deke, Jack, and

Hunter would insist on controlling her surroundings and restricting her

movements, but Luc wanted her safe. Period.

When he returned to the little office, Tyler was reaming Remy a new

asshole on the phone. Luc almost liked him for it.

Alyssa looked up at his return. “Make him release me.”

She held up a wrist shackled to a desk drawer by handcuffs.

Luc turned to Tyler. “You carry those on you?”

The bouncer smiled. “She was going to ditch out and say good night to

her guests, then head to Sexy Sirens.”

“Like hell!” Luc exploded. Did she have no concept of the fact that if

this sick bastard got his hands on her, he‟d likely rape her at best, or

perhaps torture and kill her?

“I was going to take Tyler, at least until he turned traitor on me. But I

have to get to the club. Sadie called and one of the girls showed up stoned.

No one can fire her but me. Besides, it‟s Saturday night, our busiest night

of the week. The girls can handle things for one night, but not two in a row.”

Luc saw her point, but her business wasn‟t as urgent as her safety.

“The only place we know this freak hasn‟t invaded is your house. You need

to be there. Call the girl who‟s using and fire her over the phone. Tyler can

head over there, be your eyes and ears, but you‟re not putting yourself in

danger.”

“It‟s my club. I can‟t afford to shirk my responsibility because you don‟t

like it.”

His eyes narrowed. “You‟re
not
going.”

If Alyssa had had both hands free, Luc had no doubt she‟d tear his

head off. “You‟re not my husband or boyfriend. You said yourself that we‟re

just fucking, so you‟re not going to stop me.”

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“I‟m not arguing this. What did Remy say?”

Tyler filled him in on a conversation that was a whole bunch of blah,

blah, blah as far as Luc was concerned. Bottom line: Legally speaking,

other than some vandalism and a little B & E, the culprit hadn‟t done

anything arrest-worthy.

Luc couldn‟t contain his curse. He‟d deal with the lazy sheriff later. For

now, he had about twelve hours to keep Alyssa safe. Then Deke, Jack, and

Hunter would show up and nail this psycho, and he could concentrate on

proving to Alyssa they were more than fucking . . . even if he didn‟t yet

know what.

“Typical Remy.” Alyssa shrugged. “Since you pea-brained men are

going to sideline me from running my business tonight, will you at least let

me hit the bathroom before we leave? I need to change out of my dress.”

Luc looked at Tyler, who looked back at him. The silent communication

on both parts seemed to ask where she could possibly go without a car.

Certainly, she wasn‟t dumb enough to walk the six blocks to Sexy Sirens

near midnight with a stalker chasing her.

“Sure.” Tyler finally got to his feet, fished the cuff key out of his pocket,

and released her. “Nothing funny.”

Alyssa shook her wrist and glared at them both. “Wait here.”

FIVE silent minutes passed. Luc grew antsy, but women and changing

clothes . . . He knew from experience that wasn‟t always a short process.

Especially someone who wore stockings and garters and those fuck-me

shoes. It all took time. Besides, he and Tyler hovered near the restaurant‟s

front door with an eye on the bathroom hallway. Alyssa had nowhere to

else to go.

But Tyler started tapping his thumb on one of the chairs, looking as

jumpy as Luc felt.

“If you break her heart, I‟ll fucking kill you,” Tyler proclaimed suddenly

into the silence.

“What‟s between Alyssa and me is none of your business.”

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Tyler stood, rising to his full height, perhaps a half inch taller and thirty

pounds heavier. “Yeah? What‟s between Alyssa and me is none of your

fucking business, either.”

Luc gritted his teeth, loath to admit that the other man was right.

“And when you‟re gone,” Tyler went on, “I‟ll still be here. With her.

Every day. Every night. You may be the shiny new toy now, but she‟ll get

over you. I‟ll help her.”

Though he wasn‟t surprised by Tyler‟s words in the least, they were

like a stab in the heart. To hear his suspicions—fears—about the bouncer‟s

relationship with Alyssa all but spelled out hurt like hell.

He swallowed Tyler‟s assertion, digested it. In another few minutes,

Sunday would begin. Luc had to leave no later than Thursday morning so

he could be in L.A. on Friday to conclude final negotiations for his cable

cooking show. He also had a cookbook past due, and his editor was

probably wondering why the hell he wasn‟t answering his e-mails.

But even if he could stay, what would he say to Alyssa?

No matter what route he took to fatherhood, he couldn‟t achieve it

without a woman in the picture. Even if Alyssa supported his decision to

adopt or undergo surgery or visit a sperm bank, she‟d have to agree to go

through the process with him, perhaps carry a child. And they‟d have to find

a way to make their passionate, difficult relationship work.

What kind of mother would she be? Certainly not like his own. And that

presumed she even wanted to have children. After trying to warn him this

morning that she wasn‟t on birth control, Luc was fairly sure that

motherhood wasn‟t on her agenda anytime soon. That didn‟t change the

fact the felt something deep and new for her.

So fucking complicated.

Still, he couldn‟t just leave her to Tyler. “I‟ll be doing my best to make

sure she can‟t get over me.”

Tyler growled at him. “Are you that fucking selfish that you want her

heart broken after you‟re gone? Do you like the thought of seeing her

unhappy?”

No. But Luc didn‟t think Alyssa had many feelings for him that weren‟t

tied to orgasm. And he hated the thought that she likely had the same

feelings for Tyler.

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“Where the hell is she?” Luc changed the subject and paced, wishing

he could hold her now. He needed her, like, five minutes ago, couldn‟t wait

to get her back into her big bed, slide into her body, and forget about

everything that was so wrong between them.

Tyler shrugged.

Luc glanced at his watch, then the bathroom door. “Fifteen minutes to

change clothes?”

The bouncer glanced at his watch, too, his anger melting into a frown.

“It‟s been that long?”

Yes
. And he knew precisely why. “Is there a window in the bathroom?”

Tyler hesitated, body still, mind racing. “Fuck!” He broke into the

bathroom with a shoulder to the door. “She bolted.”

Luc ran out Bonheur‟s door. Behind him, Tyler did the same, barely

taking the time to lock up.

“Goddamn her. I swear, she doesn‟t know the meaning of the word

„spanking,‟ but she will when I‟m done with her,” her bouncer snarled.

And when Luc was done? She‟d know better than to ever disobey him

again when he was feeling edgy and protective.

A few minutes later, Luc stormed into the club, Tyler right behind him.

Alyssa wasn‟t surprised they‟d found her quickly. She
was
surprised by

how incredibly pissed Luc looked.

“You‟ve got trouble,” Sadie pointed out, nodding in the men‟s direction.

Though it was hard to take someone seriously wearing a thong and

pasties, Alyssa couldn‟t discount the dancer‟s observation. Her heart raced

as if she‟d danced two hours straight.

“I‟ll be upstairs. If either asks, direct them to my office.”

“Tyler will know better, but okay.” Mouth curling up in a playful smile,

Sadie nodded. “You know they‟re only going to be more angry when they

find you.”

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Alyssa shrugged. “It‟s going to be a screaming match, no matter what.

Thanks again for picking me up at Bonheur so I could let acidhead Jessica

go before she made a mess of her act.”

“Causing mayhem among the male population is always my pleasure.”

Tonight, Alyssa couldn‟t deny she‟d done that, too. Sneaking up the

stairs, she eased herself into her bedroom, changed out of her dress, into a

short skirt, half shirt. She tugged into thigh-high stiletto boots in red,

wondering if they‟d be like waving a cape in front of a bull‟s face when Luc

found her, but she sensed she didn‟t have time for stockings and garters,

so this would have to do.

Before she could leave and make her rounds downstairs, Tyler kicked

in her door. She looked behind him for Luc. But he was alone. So, Sadie

had been right. Luc had believed the other dancer, while Tyler hadn‟t.

Trouble was coming in a one-two punch tonight.

“Goddamn you!” He stormed across the room, and she stood to meet

him.

At the fury boiling in his eyes, she backed up. Whatever this

expression was on his face, it was beyond normal concern and annoyance.

His entire body was taut, wired to explode. A quick dip of her gaze proved

he was hard everywhere.

“Tyler,” she tried to reason with him. “Stop there. You know you

can‟t—”

“
You
can‟t! Don‟t hire me to fucking keep you safe, then run off by

yourself when there‟s danger.”

“Sadie picked me up and drove me over here,” she placated.

Diffusing his anger was critical. And he was having none of it. He kept

coming forward. Prowling toward her. Alyssa stood her ground, refusing to

back up any more.

Suddenly, he was against her, panting in her face. He grabbed her by

the hair and tugged. Fury and desire were stamped all over his face, and

her heart stopped.

“Tyler, n—”

His lips crashed over hers, smothering her protest. She tried to turn

away, but he only tightened his grip on her hair and nudged her lips apart

with her own. His tongue slipped inside, and still she resisted.

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Shayla Black

Air. And sanity. She needed both now. Damn it, she refused to be

mauled by someone she considered a friend. She had to find a way to

pierce his anger.

After examining her limited options, she bit his tongue.

He broke the kiss and backed away. “Fuck me!”

“Not today,” Luc growled and charged toward Tyler. “Get your fucking

hands off her! Are you the one threatening her?”

“That‟s it. I‟m pounding your pansy ass for asking such a stupid