BUTCH DIDN’T LIKE sleeping alone.
Regina found that out after a long night of listening to pitiful howls that finally broke her down. At two in the morning she gave up, retrieved Butch from his pen in the warmest corner of her kitchen, and carried him to bed.
He did a reconnaissance of the perimeter, sniffing every corner of her bed, her pillow, the sheets, before crawling under the covers. She watched the lump move here and there, then finally settle close to her. He dug—endlessly. She had no idea what he thought he was doing, but he ignored her pleas to stop and finally curled up behind her knees. She couldn’t move without making him grumble.
For a four-pound dog, he was sure bossy about his comfort.
At six, when her alarm went off, Butch scampered out, yawned hugely in her face, then wanted to play. When Regina only blinked at him, he reared back on his haunches, barked and nipped her on the nose. She groaned, which he took for a sign of life and started bouncing around the covers like a tiny rabbit. He could stop and start so fast, darting this way and that, it was comical. Even half-asleep, she grinned as he raced up to her, gripped the edge of her pillowcase in his teeth, and began tugging.
“Okay, okay.” It was a sorry truth, but she wasn’t a morning person. She’d tried over the years to become one, only because it seemed like the thing to do. Good, honest people went to bed at a decent hour and rose early to begin their day. They didn’t lie around for hours, being lazy.
Well, she was decent and honest, but she just couldn’t force herself to be alert first thing. It took her at least two hours and a pot of coffee to get her head together. Before that, she didn’t want to face the world. And with the way she looked in the morning, she doubted the world wanted to face her.
Moving around in the dark, she made a quick trip to the bathroom, turned on the coffeepot, which she’d prepared the night before, and put Butch out on his lead so he could potty. Because the morning was damp that late July day, he finished in a flash.
With only a dim light on over the sink, she slumped at the table in her cozy cotton jammies, nursing her first steaming mug of caffeine. Butch curled in her lap, content just to be with her—until a knock sounded on her door.
She froze.
Butch did not.
In what she now considered typical Butch frenzy, he leaped from her lap and ran hell-bent for the door. He made so much noise, she knew any thoughts of ignoring her early-morning caller were shot. Through the peephole, she spied Riley standing impatiently in her hallway, and she ducked away as if he might see her, too. Good God. What was he doing at her door so early?
“Open up, Red. I can hear Butch, so I know you’re up and about.”
No. A thousand times no. Still plastered to the side of the door, her heart racing, she croaked, “What do you want?”
“You,” he said with a discernable smile in his voice. “But I’ll settle for conversation.”
Eyes closing in mortification, she shook her head. “Not at six-thirty, Riley. Go away till eight.” She could be ready by eight. It’d be rushing it since she usually didn’t leave for work till eight-thirty, but under the circumstances— “Not happening, Red. Now open the door.” And then he tacked on, “I have a gift for Butch.”
“You do?” She chanced another peek out the peephole and saw that Riley held up a stuffed Chihuahua toy. It looked almost like Butch, but bigger and not as cute. She covered her face with her hands. The man had brought her dog a present. She groaned, undecided.
Beside her, Butch continued to encourage her with barks and jumps and circles. She pressed her forehead to the door. “If I let you in, will you not look at me till I’ve had a chance to get down the hall?”
Riley laughed. “Why?” And then in a throaty tone, “What are you wearing, Red?”
Regina looked down at herself. Sloppy, blue-
flowered cotton pajamas hung on her body. Her loose, tangled hair fell in her face. Even without a mirror, she knew that her eyes were puffy and still heavy from sleep.
“I’m waiting.”
This was ridiculous. Half her neighbors would hear him if she didn’t do something quick. She flipped on the entry light, turned the locks and cracked the door open. “Riley?” she said in a harsh whisper.
“Yeah?”
“You can come in, but I mean it, don’t you dare even think to look at me. I’m a mess and I don’t like it when people see me a mess.”
“All right, honey, calm down. I promise.”
She could hear the laughter in his tone. “The door is unlocked, so just give me thirty seconds to—”
Behind her, the shattering of glass disturbed the early morning quiet.
Screeching, Regina whirled around to see the devastated ruins of her patio doors. Shards of glass glittered everywhere. “Oh my God.” She snatched up Butch, who had tucked in his tail and darted behind her before yapping hysterically.
Riley stormed in, moved her to the side and took in the mess in one sweeping glance.
“Close and lock this door, then call the cops.” He tossed the stuffed toy dog on the couch, and sprinted across the floor, through the broken patio doors and, to her amazement, right over the balcony.
“Riley.” They were only about eight feet up from the ground, but still... Regina slammed her door shut and started after him, but she was barefoot and there was glass scattered everywhere, all over her floor, some atop her furniture. Her heart hammered so hard, it hurt.
Cautiously, she stepped up onto the couch, Butch clutched in her arms. “Ohmigod, ohmigod, damn you, Riley, ohmigod...” She stepped off the other end of the couch nearest to her kitchen. Being careful to avoid any sharp shards of glass, she went to the phone and dialed 9-1-1.
In less than two minutes that seemed like a lifetime, Riley was back. This time he climbed up and over the balcony railing. Regina didn’t have a chance to worry about her appearance because he barely spared her a glance. “I need a flashlight. It’s still too dark out there to see and I don’t want to mess up any evidence.”
Skin prickling with sick dread, Regina pointed to the middle of the floor. “It was a rock.”
Riley nodded. “I know, honey. Where’s a flashlight?”
Flashlight? She felt shocked, disoriented. She hadn’t had near enough coffee.
“Regina?”
One deep breath, and she felt marginally more in control. “In my bedroom, in the nightstand drawer.”
“Stay put.” His booted feet crunched over the remains of her patio door. An early-morning breeze blew the curtains in. The blackness beyond the doors seemed fathomless, sending a chill down her spine.
Belatedly, Regina remembered what else was in her nightstand drawer. Oh no. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she started across the floor in a rush, the glass forgotten.
Riley reappeared. Not by look or deed did he acknowledge anything he might have uncovered beyond the flashlight. He crossed to her and handed her a housecoat and slippers.
“You okay?”
Maybe. “Yes.”
He cupped the side of her face, his touch gentle and reassuring. “The cops should be here any second. Tell them I’m out back. I don’t want to get shot by some overeager hero.”
Shot! “Riley, wait.” She closed her hand around his arm above his elbow. His muscles were bunched, thick with tension. To someone who didn’t know him better, he might almost appear calm. But Regina noted the unfamiliar, killing rage in his blue eyes. He felt warm and strong and secure and she didn’t want him to walk away from her.
As if he understood, he bent down to look her in the eyes and said with deadly calm, “It’s okay, Red. I know what I’m doing. I want you and Butch to wait in the kitchen.”
“No. Don’t go out there.”
Riley scrutinized her. “You should put on more coffee. The officers will appreciate it.”
Coffee? That sort of made sense. At least, with her mind in a muddle, it did. “Oh. Right.”
For one brief moment, his gaze moved over her, touching off a tidal wave of warmth. He paused at her mouth, her breasts, then shook his head in chagrin. “Be right back.”
Butch squirmed to be let down, but she didn’t dare, not with so much glass on the floor. A sort of strange numbness had set in. She blocked the kitchen off with his small pen, pulled on her robe and fuzzy slippers, and went about making more coffee by rote.
This time the knock on her door didn’t startle her.
Holding Butch like a security blanket, his small warm body somehow comforting, she skirted the glass and made her way to the door again. Two officers in uniform greeted her. Young, fresh-faced and eager at the prospect of a crime, they looked the complete opposite of Riley. Regina wanted to groan.
Butch wanted to kill them both.
His rabid beast impersonation was especially realistic this time. Regina tried, but there was no shushing him, so she gave up.
At her invitation, the officers cautiously ventured inside, keeping their eyes on Butch. The first officer removed his hat, then nodded at the dog. “What is that?”
Here we go again, Regina thought. “My dog, Butch.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He doesn’t like you.” Regina closed the door behind them. “Would you like coffee?”
They looked at each other, then her. “Uh, sure.” They had to speak loudly to be heard over Butch’s furor. “Maybe after you tell us what happened here?”
“Oh.” She looked behind her at the devastation. “A rock. Riley Moore is out back poking around with a flashlight. Don’t shoot him.”
“Riley?” The darker-haired officer lifted one brow. “Why’s he here?”
“He was, uh...” Why had Riley dropped in? Oh yeah, a gift for the dog. “Visiting Butch.”
“That right?” The two cops shared another look, this time of masculine comprehension.
Regina pulled herself together enough to fry them both with her censure. “Riley is a friend,” she stated, emphasizing the last word. “He had just knocked on the door when the rock came crashing in.”
At that moment, Riley opened the door behind them and stepped inside. His brows were down, his eyes glittering. “I thought I told you to lock this.”
“I did, but then they arrived.” She gestured at the officers and shrugged.
Riley glanced at both men. “Dermot, Lanny. Thanks for coming over.”
The men looked like little boys next to Riley. Regina allowed herself a moment to appreciate the differences, then said again, “Coffee?”
Riley nodded. “Thanks, babe.” He kissed her full on the mouth, annihilating her previous claims of friendship. “We’ll be right there.”
He wanted to dismiss her? Oh no. She squared her shoulders, but it wasn’t easy with Butch putting on such a show.
Almost without thought, Riley took the dog from her. “Good dog.” He stroked Butch’s back, found just the right spot behind his big ears, and Butch magically quieted. He kept a narrowed gaze on the officers, but the awful racket ended.
Regina turned on her heel and stalked away, muttering under her breath about pigheaded males of both the human and animal variety. From her position in the kitchen, she could hear the men talking in muted tones.
Riley waited, giving the officers a chance to look around. The one he’d called Lanny shone a flashlight over the small balcony—the balcony Riley had jumped from—and shook his head before meandering out there. He came back in and looked around the floor at the broken glass.
“Better call someone to fix that window,” Dermot said. “Damn vandals.”
“The work of kids, no doubt,” Lanny added. “No one supervises them anymore. In my day, my mother would have taken a broom to me for a prank like this.”
By the time the officers entered the kitchen, Regina had four mugs out, silverware, a crystal sugar bowl and a matching pot of creamer. “Have a seat, please,” she told them.
Lanny nodded. “Thanks.” Then, apparently disappointed that he couldn’t do more, he said, “I’ll take a report, but whoever did this is long gone.”
Riley leaned back in his seat, noticeably silent. He continued to stroke Butch who kept looking up at him adoringly, turning his head to get a new spot scratched.
Dermot doctored his coffee, took a long drink, then asked, “You didn’t get hurt, did you? The rock didn’t hit you?”
Regina shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”
Dermot shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ms....?”
“Foxworth. Regina Foxworth.”
“Right. You did the right thing calling us but unfortunately, there’s not much we can do other than have a squad car drive by and keep an eye on things for the rest of the night.”
Same old song, Regina thought. “I understand.”
“Well, I don’t.” Riley blew out a sigh of disgust. “Neither of you went outside to look around the complex.”
Dermot frowned at him. “For what? It was a rock.”
Lanny nodded. “You know how it is, Riley. We get crap like this all the time.”
“No, you don’t. And even if you did, that’s no excuse for not being thorough.”
New tension filled the air. Tones and posture abruptly changed. Lanny was the first to speak up. “Look, Riley, I know you have more training, but—”
“But nothing. I went outside. I looked—just as you should have done. Someone was outside her window for about an hour, just watching.”
Regina straightened in new alarm.
“Not a group of unruly kids, but one man. He’s a patient son of a bitch, too, and I personally think he was waiting for her to be awake to throw that damn rock.”
With sudden clarity, Regina said, “It was right after I turned the light on.” She stared at Riley. “Before that, I’d been drinking my coffee in the dark.”
“He probably thought it’d shake you up more to catch you when you first woke up.” Riley glanced at Regina with an expression close to satisfaction. “Didn’t rattle you too much though, did it, honey?”
He sounded teasing, which she didn’t understand at all. She calmly sipped her coffee and hoped only she noticed how her hands shook. “No.”
Riley smiled, a secret, intimate smile. Turning back to the two men, the smile disappeared to be replaced with a scowl. “If you’d checked, you’d know Ms. Foxworth has a recent history of threatening incidents. In light of that, I don’t think anything, especially a rock through her window at dawn, should be taken lightly.”
Lanny didn’t like the criticism. “Sounds to me like you’re personally involved here.”
“I am.”
Regina nearly choked on her coffee. Why didn’t he just take out an ad in the paper? He could tell more people that way.
“But that’s irrelevant.” Riley wasn’t through lecturing. “What pisses me off the most is that neither of you did your job.” He encompassed them both in a look.
Regina thought it might be a favorable time to intercede before Riley got too insulting. She pushed back her chair. “Good grief, Riley, have you had breakfast? Surely, a temper like that is wrought from hunger. Would you like some pancakes? Lanny, Dermot? I can put a batch together if you’d like.”
Riley stared at her in disbelief. “You’re not going to feed them.”
“I am if they’re hungry.” Her chin lifted. “Pancakes would give you something to chew on besides two officers who are only trying to do their duty.”
His expression darkened. “They’re not doing it very well.”
“It’s my fault that I didn’t mention the other incidents, not theirs.”
“Victims get rattled and forget important details. An officer is supposed to know that and ask pertinent questions.”
Regina sucked in a breath at the insult. “Are you saying I’m rattled?”
Dermot stood, interrupting the escalating argument. “So how’d you come to all these brilliant conclusions, Riley? That’s what I want to know.”
Almost in slow motion, his movements rigid and calculated, Riley came to his feet and handed a sleepy Butch to Regina. With his gaze on Dermot, he said, “I’ll take pancakes. They’ll be leaving—after I explain.”
Seeing no hope for it, Regina stepped out of the line of fire.
Riley took a step closer to Dermot, which had the other man’s eyes flaring a bit in alarm. “There’s damn near a pack of cigarette butts below her window. Red doesn’t smoke—”
“Red?”
Regina raised her hand. “He means me.”
“Oh.” Dermot cleared his throat, glanced at her hair. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
In a voice raised to regain attention, Riley continued. “—so they sure as hell aren’t hers, but they were fresh, one still smoldering. You know what that means, Dermot?”
Again, he cleared his throat. “Uh, that someone was out there just a few moments ago?”
“There’s also one set of prints in the ground. Big adult-size prints. There are no rocks in the apartment landscaping the size of the one now in her living room, so whoever threw it probably brought it with him, meaning this was premeditated, not just a last-minute bit of mischief.”
Both officers looked dumbfounded and a little awed.
“Can you maybe get some prints off the rock?”
Riley shook his head. “To get prints, surfaces need to be smooth. Since the rock isn’t, there’s no point in checking it.”
“So what have we got?”
“Speculation. When I stand outside, about twenty feet from the balcony, I can see right into her living room. I think he watched, and saw her light come on.”
“I let the dog out before that.”
Riley slued his gaze her way. “With a light?”
“Um, no.”
Riley nodded in satisfaction. “You need a floodlight out there, Red. And you should never open your door in the dark.”
Lanny put his hands on his hips and dropped his head forward. “Okay, so you’re a big-shot crime scene tech.” He looked up, eyes narrowed. “We’re not.”
“Learn.” That one word fell like a ton of bricks, discomfiting both officers.
Silence throbbed in the kitchen, making Regina more edgy than ever. “I think I’ll make those pancakes now.”
“Make plenty. I’m starving.” Riley didn’t spare her a glance as he led both officers to the front door, where he gave them the information they needed to file a report. Regina could just make out the low drone of their voices.
Now wide-awake, she mixed up pancake batter with a vengeance. She thought of everything she now had on her to-do list: clean up glass, vacuum her furniture, have the glass replaced in her door... She probably needed to call into work because she’d surely be late.
Butch sat at her heels, staring up at her, just waiting for her to sit down again so he could reclaim her lap. Whenever she glanced at him, his eyes widened hopefully and he wagged his skinny tail in encouragement. Regina shook her head. “There won’t be much sitting for me today, sweetie.”
Riley strode back in just as she’d pulled out a skillet and set it on the stove top. He didn’t stop at the table, though, or even slow down. Startled, Regina drew back as he stalked right up to her, his long legs carrying him quickly to her. He pulled her close and without hesitation, without warning, took her mouth with a surprising hunger that completely caught her off guard.
His big hands, hot and callused, held her upper arms, straining her upward. His head was bent so that his mouth fit hers completely. His lips pressed hard, parting hers, and his tongue thrust in, deep and damp and insistent.
Regina hung in his grip, a little stunned, quickly warmed. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. He changed position, gathering her to him with one arm tight around her waist so that his other hand could tangle in her hair, tipping her head farther back. He rubbed against her, groaned, then lifted his mouth enough for her to catch her breath.
Against her lips, he murmured, “Christ, you look good.”
“Hmm?” With almost no effort, he aroused her to the point of incomprehension.
Damp, warm, openmouthed kisses were pressed to her throat, along her shoulder where the robe had opened and the loose neckline where her pajamas drooped....
Her pajamas.
“Riley!”
He held her head in his hands, brushed her cheeks with his thumbs. In a rushed voice, hoarse and low, he said, “You’re beautiful.”
Beautiful? Regina blinked over such an absurd comment. Her hair was a mess, more so now that he’d tunneled his fingers through it. Her eyes were sleep-heavy and she had not a single speck of makeup on. The pajamas were comfortably baggy, not in the least attractive. “I...I need to go get dressed.”
Slowly, he shook his head. “No. I like you just how you are.” He kissed her again before she could argue. This kiss was deeper, hotter. She was aware of so many things—the press of his strong fingers on her skull, keeping her immobile, the heat of his breath, the taste of him.
His tongue retreated, moved over her lips, then licked into her mouth again. When his hands released her head, she kept the kiss complete, unable to get enough of him. His tongue retreated, hers followed. His sank in again and she sucked at it.
She knew his hands were roving over her, not stroking her breasts as he had done before, so she didn’t understand what he was doing—until her robe fell open and he pushed it aside.
Oh, but it was hard to think with Riley holding her so close, touching her in such remarkable ways. He smelled delicious this morning, like soap and the outdoors and like himself. He was so warm, the cotton of his T-shirt so soft over solid muscle. His callused fingertips slipped beneath the hem of her pajama top to trace the indentation of her waist, then higher, until he teased just beneath her breasts. He circled, glided over and under her nipples, not touching them but bringing her breasts to a tingly, almost acute sensitivity. She held her breath, wanting more, wanting everything.
In the next instant, his thumbs brushed up and over her nipples. The touch was so electric, so anticipated, she jolted against him, gasped, and her fingers bit into his upper arms, closing on rock-solid muscles.
Regina didn’t want him ever to stop touching her; if anything, she wanted more and tried to tell him so by pressing closer with a soft moan. Though he hadn’t touched her below the waist, her whole body sang with awareness. Her thighs trembled, her belly had filled with butterflies and a curling, undulating sensation of ripe pleasure expanded and retreated within her.
Riley removed his hands, then drew her head to his shoulder, rocking her a little, rubbing her back in a soothing, calming way.
She didn’t understand. “Riley?”
“I have to stop, Red. When you agree to sleep with me, I want you to be totally clearheaded, so you won’t have regrets.”
Regina didn’t know what he was muttering about. She pressed her nose into his throat and breathed in his warm male scent, filling herself up. She wanted to taste his skin, but knew that might not be wise.
Against her ear, Riley rumbled, “While you fix the pancakes, I’ll clean up the glass and call someone to replace the door.” His tongue touched her ear, traced the rim, dipped inside. Little shivers of excitement raced along her arms and nape and she almost melted. “After breakfast you can pack.”
The fog thinned. “Pack?”
“Yeah.” His hard hand drifted lower, all the way to the base of her spine. He pressed gently—and she felt his erection against her belly, long, hard.
Regina shoved back. “What do you mean, pack?”
As if she should have already understood, Riley held her face turned up to his so she couldn’t miss his frown. His gaze bore into hers, insistent, unrelenting. “You can’t stay here now.”
When she still stared at him in confusion, his frown became a black scowl. “Red, someone is getting pretty bold. And if that doesn’t alarm you, then look at Butch.”
She glanced down at the dog. He had his tiny front paws crossed over Riley’s big foot with his head resting on them. His big brown eyes stared up at her trustingly. He was so shaken, he hadn’t even protested their intimacy.
“Do you really want to chance letting him outside to do his business again, knowing someone could be lurking there, that they might snatch him away or, worse, use him to upset you?”
She knew what he was saying, and her heart squeezed tight. “No.” In a protective rush, Regina scooped him up and hugged him to her breasts. He twisted and rubbed against her, luxuriating in the human attention. She needed the comforting contact as much as her dog did.
“Look at him,” Riley said, “he’s still shaking.”
Without removing her cheek from the dog’s neck, she said, “He always shakes and you know it.” She had a feeling Riley only used the dog as leverage, and still she had to admit he was right. She’d be heartsick if anything happened to him. He trusted her to keep him safe, to take care of him, and she intended to do just that.
“I have plenty of room.” Riley watched her with a sort of cautious regard. “You’ll be safer with me.”
Regina looked past him, through the kitchen doorway. The sun was on the rise, a crimson ball that reflected like fire on every sharp, jagged shard of glass littering her once secure home. She chewed her lip in indecision, but no other option came to her. If she went with him, it wouldn’t be just an agreement to share space, and she knew it. It’d be an agreement to start an affair.
Her heart pounding for an entirely different reason now, she glanced at Riley, drew a breath, and said, “All right.”
Riley encompassed both her and Butch in a bear hug.
Butch bit his nose.
Now that he’d gotten his way, Riley grinned like a rascal. “You really do look great in your pajamas and with your hair all loose and tangled.” He fingered one long curl. “Sexy as hell.”
Heat rushed up her neck to warm her face. She turned her back on Riley and set the dog down. “I didn’t even realize...”
“You were rattled, just as I said.”
Regina wanted to groan. She was still rattled. “I can’t believe I sat there in front of those men...”
“They thought you looked hot, too. I wonder if they think we’ve been sleeping together.”
She slanted him a sharp look. “You tried hard enough to give them that impression.”
“No choice. With them both eyeing you, I had to stake a claim.” Totally unrepentant, he kissed her ear again and squeezed her waist. “I didn’t want them getting any ideas about pursuing you.”
Feeling like a fool, Regina smoothed her hair and retied the belt of her robe. “I guess I ought to call work since it looks like I’ll be late.” She picked up the receiver.
“Go ahead.” Riley’s blue eyes twinkled with teasing. “While you do that, I think I’ll just go put the flashlight back in your nightstand—”
Regina whipped around so fast she almost fell. She grabbed Riley by the back of the shirt. “No.”
He cocked a brow. “No?”
She dropped her hands, dusting them nervously across her thighs. “That is, I’ll do it.” She snatched the flashlight away from him. “You should call about the door.”
“Right.” And then with feigned confusion, he said, “But I thought you were going to call work.”
The unholy grin gave him away, and her temper ignited. “You snooped in my drawer, didn’t you?”
“Snooped? Now why would I do that, Red? What are you hiding in there?”
Regina swatted at him, embarrassed, irritated. “You had no right.” In a snit, she went past him, stepping over the dog’s pen and marching toward her bedroom. Glass crunched beneath her slippers, but she barely noticed.
Riley was right on her heels. “The Kama Sutra, Red? That’s a little dated, isn’t it?” His teasing voice grated along her nerves. “But that other book...what was it called? Oh yeah. Getting the Most Pleasure in Bed. Now that’s current, right?”
Stopping beside her bed, Regina pointed an imperious finger at the door. “Get out.”
He didn’t budge. “And no less than a dozen rubbers. Woman, what have you been planning?” He stepped closer, forcing her to back up until her legs hit the side of the mattress. “More importantly, any chance you were planning it with me?”
With sudden clarity, Regina knew he hadn’t seen the photo. No, being typically male, he’d only noted the silly books and condoms. “No.”
“No, what? You weren’t planning anything with me?”
She shook her head, felt silly for going mute, and managed to say again, “No.”
His smile turned smug. “I didn’t really think so. After all, those condoms are smalls.” And totally deadpan, “They’d never fit.”
Regina’s heart jumped into her throat. She licked suddenly dry lips. “No?”
He shook his head. “I’m just an average man, Regina.”
“There’s nothing average about you.”
His slow smile nearly melted her heart. “Maybe you should wait until we’ve made love to make that judgment.”
A tidal wave of awareness nearly took out her knees. They were in her bedroom, right next to her unmade bed. Her heart gave a hard thump, then tripped into double time.
Riley stepped closer, a grin playing about his mouth. “Such a pretty blush, Red.” He looked at her bed, gave a small shake of his head, and all teasing evaporated. “So tell me, Red. What have you been planning, and with whom?”
No never. Not in a million years. “The books are just...curiosity.”
“Curiosity about sex?”
It wasn’t easy, but she gave a cavalier shrug. “About...variety.” She knew about sex. She even knew about pleasure. But things didn’t always go right, no matter how she tried. With an airy wave of her hand, she explained, “I bought the books and condoms months ago, when I was engaged.”
“Engaged?”
His thunderous expression surprised her. “Yes.”
“You were in love with someone?”
He said that like an accusation, confusing her even more. Because he looked so red in the face, she decided to admit the truth. “No, I didn’t love him. I thought I could love him, and I loved the idea of being married and starting a family....”
He’d grown so rigid, she rushed on to explain. “The engagement ended almost as soon as it began. I realized what a stupid move it was, and he made it plain he didn’t love me and likely never would. I think he just used the engagement as a sham, a way to...”
“Get you into bed?”
It sounded so stupid, and she’d been so gullible, that she only shrugged. “The, um, condoms have never been opened. I just haven’t had the nerve to throw them out. I didn’t want anyone to see them in my garbage.”
Slowly, Riley relaxed. His frown smoothed out, replaced by a tender expression that seemed so incongruous to the hard man he could be. “Wouldn’t be proper, huh?”
“It’s private, that’s all.”
He started to say more, but Butch gave an impatient howl from the kitchen.
Riley glanced that way, then back at her. “I’ll get him.” He touched her chin, lifted her face and pressed his mouth to hers for several heart-stopping moments. “You better get dressed before I forget my dubious code of honor and the fact that we have a lot to get done in the next couple of hours.” He turned and went through the door.
The second he disappeared, Regina jerked the drawer open, took out the framed photograph and looked around for a good place to hide it. She’d just lifted her mattress, ready to shove it beneath, when Riley stepped back in with a wriggling Butch in his arms. He drew up short when he saw her, then his brows came down.
His gaze went from her guilty face to her hand, which she quickly stuck behind her back. “All right, Red. What are you up to now?”