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  Sweet heat rushed through him. Her lips were so warm and welcoming, and the kiss was better...far better than his memories. The heat intensified when she opened her mouth to allow him to deepen the kiss. Her tongue swirled with his and created a maelstrom of want in him.

  The kiss stirred him to his very depths and reminded him that he was a vital, healthy man who had been without physical touch for a long time. And right now he didn’t want to touch anyone but Avery.

  Someplace in the back of his mind he knew this was a first step on a road he didn’t intend to travel. As much as he desired her, he wouldn’t...he couldn’t make love with her.

  First and foremost, she was almost eight months pregnant and there was no way he’d take a chance at somehow harming the babies. Secondly, becoming her lover was just a bad idea all the way around, considering the relationship they were trying to build as coparents.

  With these things working their way through his brain, he finally, reluctantly, broke the kiss and stepped away from her. “Good night, Avery.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but quickly turned on his heels and headed back up the hallway.

  He settled on the sofa and waited for his heart to resume a more normal rhythm. The kiss had been far better than his memory. Her lips had been so much softer and hotter, her body far warmer against his than he’d remembered.

  At this point he didn’t know what was going to be more difficult, keeping her alive or keeping things in the friends-only zone.

  Chapter 8

  Avery had just awakened and was still in bed when her cell phone rang the next morning. It was Breanna. “Hey, girlfriend, it’s time for a check-in. How are things going?”

  Rolling over on her back, Avery checked to make sure her bedroom door was closed and Dallas couldn’t overhear her. “Things have gotten a bit strange.”

  “Strange how?”

  Avery explained first about Lulu and then the terrifying car incident. “Breanna, I’ve never been so frightened in my entire life as when that truck was banging into me.”

  “Oh my God, Avery. What is Chief Thompson saying about all of it?”

  “Not much. He’s investigating, so hopefully he’ll have some answers about who is responsible soon. In the meantime, Dallas has moved in with me to make sure I stay safe.”

  “Now, that’s really interesting. Still no sparks between the two of you?”

  “He’s strictly here for my personal safety,” Avery replied.

  “That doesn’t answer my question. Are there sparks?”

  “Breanna, it’s just not like that between us.” Avery tried not to think about the unexpected kiss that had happened the night before.

  “Well, that’s too bad. It would be a real fairy-tale ending if you and Dallas wound up in love and raising the twins together.”

  Avery laughed. “You know I don’t believe in storybook endings. I’ve never wanted a man in my life in a meaningful way.”

  “Avery, you can’t let Zeke’s death limit your ability to care for people. Your brother wouldn’t have wanted that for you. You deserve to have a great man in your life. It would just be nice if that man was Dallas, since you’re pregnant with his children.”

  “And it would be nice if your ex-husband would pay his child support on time, but we both know that’s not going to happen,” Avery replied with a laugh.

  “But I’m glad Dallas is there with you. I hope you’re taking the threats against you seriously.”

  “We’re taking it all very seriously,” Avery replied. The two friends chatted for another few minutes and then ended the call.

  Avery remained in bed, her head whirling with myriad thoughts. The threats made against her swirled around with memories of Zeke. She’d definitely stopped believing in any kind of fairy tales when her brother had died. She had never wanted to love anyone again and then lose him.

  Then her brain fired with memories of what had happened at her bedroom doorway the night before. That kiss. It had curled her toes and filled her with a desire for more...for so much more.

  Was it so wrong for her to want to make love with the father of her babies? Was it really so wrong for her to want to be in his arms again? He must feel some kind of physical desire for her. After all, he had initiated the kiss.

  But she wasn’t foolish enough to pretend that the sexual attraction between them meant anything. Desire didn’t require love. Love didn’t have to exist to feel great passion.

  She finally pulled herself out of bed and went into the bathroom for a shower. Were things going to be awkward between them because of the kiss the night before? She certainly hoped not. She finished her shower and dressed for the day, and then went to the kitchen, where she found Dallas seated at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him.

  He offered her a smile, and it took only a few minutes for her to realize he was acting like nothing had happened between them, so she did the same. However, that didn’t stop her from thinking about it.

  They were just finishing breakfast when her phone rang. It was Chad. “Danny and I were wondering if we could drop by and have a cup of coffee and check in on our pregnant girl.”

  “That would be great,” she replied.

  “How about in a half an hour or so?”

  “Sounds good to me,” she stated.

  They hung up. “That was Chad. He and Danny are going to stop by for a little visit in about half an hour. Is that okay with you?” she asked Dallas.

  “Avery, this is your house and you don’t have to ask my permission to have your friends here. Truthfully, I’m looking forward to meeting them, since they helped you out so much when I wasn’t in the picture.” He finished the last of his coffee and got up from the table.

  “They are a couple of great guys. I think you’ll like them both. Once they leave I intend to spend the rest of the day on the computer, looking for names for the mummy investigation.” She got up as well and together they began to clear the table.

  “I plan to do the same,” he replied. “The more men we find, the better the odds that we find the killer.”

  “I know a lot of young women will rest easier knowing this killer is off the streets.”

  “I’ll rest easier when we get whoever is after you off the streets,” he declared.

  A chill shot through her at his words. “Maybe Danny and Chad will know something more about that. They have all kinds of contacts on the streets.”

  “Then let’s hope they have some information about all this,” he replied.

  With the kitchen clean, they moved into the living room to await the men’s arrival. Avery wanted to talk about the kiss. She wanted to know if they were crossing out of the friends-only zone and into something more intimate and a bit more dangerous.

  It was probably a bad idea for them to become lovers. That would make it more risky, because if things went south, then bad feelings might occur, and that would be the last thing she wanted for her babies. It was vital that she and Dallas maintain a good, healthy relationship.

  She didn’t want to have one of those relationships with him, where the handoffs of the children were filled with anger or tension. She didn’t want to fight about sharing holidays or summer vacations.

  Breanna had a toxic relationship with her ex-husband, and Avery had seen the toll it had taken not only on her friend, but also on Breanna’s children. There was no way Avery wanted that for herself or the twins.

  But knowing that to indulge in an intimate relationship with Dallas wasn’t a good idea didn’t stop her from wishing things could be different. Just sitting next to him on the sofa and talking about the weather, she found her mind filled with the memory of that hot and wonderful kiss.

  Thankfully, Chad and Danny arrived before she could say or do anything stupid about that kiss. She made the introductions and they all shook hands.

  “First of all, I�
�d like to thank you both for everything you’ve done for Avery,” Dallas said.

  “We consider her quite special,” Chad replied. “Besides, she bullied us into doing most of it.”

  “Yes, I can be quite the bully,” Avery said with a laugh.

  “That’s not true,” Danny protested.

  “Now she’s on to bullying me,” Dallas said, and they all laughed.

  For the next few minutes they all visited about the weather and the approach of Halloween, a night that Chad proclaimed to hate. “I try never to be home on Halloween. I don’t care about little goblins looking for candy.”

  “Oh, I love it,” Avery said. “It’s one of my favorite nights of the year. I think it’s such fun to see the kids in their costumes.” She looked at Dallas. “Just think, this time next year we’ll have two babies to take trick-or-treating.”

  “And they’ll be too young to eat all that candy, so I guess I’ll have to help them with that,” he said. “It will be a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

  They all laughed again, and warmth filled Avery’s heart as she gazed at Dallas. This little look into the future reminded her how much they needed to be sure and get their relationship right. They couldn’t screw this up. For the sake of the twins, they absolutely had to get this right.

  “We heard about the road rage incident you went through,” Chad said, changing the topic to a more serious one. Immediately, a cold wind blew through Avery. It was the chilly wind of residual fear.

  “It was more than a case of road rage. It was attempted murder,” Dallas said grimly. “She was lucky she kept her head about her when it happened.”

  “I’m... We’re just glad you’re okay,” Danny interjected.

  “She’s going to continue to be okay. I’ve moved in here to make sure of that,” Dallas said.

  Both men looked surprised. Chad glanced from Dallas to Avery, then gazed back at Dallas. “Whatever it takes to keep her safe, right? She’s an important part of our team and aside from that we kind of like her.”

  She laughed. “Thanks, guys.”

  “Actually, one of our reasons for stopping by is because I heard a little gossip from one of my snitches on the streets. Last night he told me that Max Malone is behind the attacks on you,” Chad said.

  “We immediately took that information to Chief Thompson,” Danny said.

  Dallas looked at her. “Who is this Max Malone?”

  “I’m not sure,” she replied thoughtfully. “He isn’t somebody I have a history with. He’s never appeared before me in court.”

  “He’s a two-bit thug who is friends with Joel Asman and Dwayne Conway,” Chad replied. “According to my snitch he was bragging about being behind the attack on a poodle. So we can assume he was talking about Lulu.”

  “I’d like to put him in jail for a hundred years and more for what he did to my dog,” Avery replied fervently.

  “What about the attack on the road? Have you heard any rumblings about that?” Dallas asked.

  “My source couldn’t confirm if Max was the man behind the wheel in the truck that tried to run you off the road or not,” Chad replied.

  “Chief Thompson promised us he’d check Max out,” Danny said.

  “If he’s the one who tormented Lulu, then I hope he gets put in jail sooner rather than later,” she replied. She looked at the dog, which was curled up in the bed at the end of the sofa.

  For just a moment her brain replayed that moment when she had found Lulu under the bush, shivering and covered with what she’d thought was blood. Another icy wind blew through her. She’d thought for sure Lulu was on the verge of death.

  Unfortunately, the perp wouldn’t go to jail for what he had done to Lulu. He’d only be subject to a fine. As an animal lover, Avery found this a glitch in the criminal system that infuriated her. Still, Max might not go to jail for abusing Lulu, but he could certainly serve plenty of time behind bars for threatening a prosecutor, and that note tied around Lulu’s neck had definitely been a threat.

  Danny and Chad stayed and visited for a few more minutes and then the two men left.

  “You know Danny is in love with you,” Dallas said, after he’d closed and locked the door behind them.

  “I don’t know that at all,” she immediately protested. “I’ll admit I think he might have a little bit of a crush on me,” she added, after a moment of thought.

  “It’s bigger than a crush. Trust me, that man is absolutely crazy in love with you.”

  “I think you’re crazy to even think that,” she said with a laugh. She sobered. “I have never given him any indication that I want anything more from him than a friendly coworker relationship.” She picked up the coffee cups Danny and Chad had used and carried them into the kitchen.

  Dallas followed behind her. “In any case, they both seem like good men.”

  “They are and I’m so glad you like them,” she replied.

  “I’m going to grab my computer. Do you mind if I set up here on the table? I can move when it’s time for meals.”

  “Not a problem,” she replied. “And I’m going to get busy on my computer, too.”

  “If we don’t hear from him, I’m going to call Chief Thompson later today and see what he can tell me about this Max character, and if they’ve figured out anything after examining your car.”

  She frowned. “I just can’t believe somebody who has never appeared before me in court is coming after me so hard.”

  “Apparently putting away Conway stirred up all the cockroaches,” he replied. “I’ll be right back.” He left the room to retrieve his laptop.

  The afternoon passed with both of them on their computers. Even though he was in the kitchen and she was in the living room, Avery was acutely conscious of Dallas’s presence.

  Despite sitting in another room, she could swear she smelled his scent, one of minty soap and fresh cologne that had somehow become identified to her as safety.

  They took a break to eat a light lunch, and then at five o’clock knocked off for dinner. She’d made a chicken and rice casserole with a salad and green beans.

  After dinner they settled on the sofa together to relax and watch a little television. It had been a good day, and although her lower back hurt, she didn’t feel exhausted like she usually did by this time of night.

  She found herself wondering why Dallas had indicated to her he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. He was hot and had a great personality. He seemed to be financially stable, so why wouldn’t he want to be married and have a family?

  She now found herself curious about why he wouldn’t want a partner at his side through life. She knew her own motivation for making such a decision, but what was his?

  “Dallas, can I ask you something personal?”

  He turned to look at her. “Of course.”

  “Why aren’t you looking to fall in love and get married?” she asked. “I know you’re going to be a great father, but I think you’d make some woman a great husband, too. Why have you chosen not to get married?”

  Immediately, tension wafted from him. His shoulders went rigidly straight and his gaze shot to the wall behind her head. For just a moment he didn’t speak, but his breathing sounded quick and erratic to her.

  He frowned and raked a hand through his hair. “I had a wife...my soul mate and my one true love, and I buried her.”

  Avery gasped. “Oh, Dallas, I’m so very sorry. I had no idea.”

  He finally turned to look at her. His eyes were a dark, midnight blue as he shrugged. “It happened... I’m over it, but I don’t want to ever go through something like that again. I’m fine living the rest of my life alone.”

  “How did she die? Was she ill?” She hadn’t even known he’d been married. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to know about the woman who had been his soul mate and his
one true love.

  Once again his gaze shot across the room. “Ivy was healthy as a horse. She was a soldier, and on her last tour of duty in Afghanistan the Jeep she was traveling in ran over an IED. Two other soldiers were hurt, but the blast killed her.”

  As he spoke his voice had deepened...thickened with obvious emotion.

  “Oh, Dallas,” Avery said softly.

  She knew what it felt like to tragically lose a loved one. She knew the hollow emptiness, the gnawing pain that seemed relentless. Granted, Zeke had been her brother and not her husband, but loss was loss.

  “We’d planned to buy a house and really start our life together when she got home. We talked about the family we wanted. We dreamed about our life together.” His voice broke.

  “I’m so very sorry for your loss, Dallas,” she murmured.

  Once again he looked away from her. “It was so damned sudden. One moment I was a husband and knew exactly what my future held, and the next moment I just wasn’t, and all my hopes and plans had been destroyed.”

  He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I decided then that I would never marry again, that I didn’t want to be somebody else’s husband, and I don’t think I’ll ever change my mind about that. I found my one, true soul mate and she died.”

  Avery placed a hand on his thigh, wanting to comfort him but not even sure if he wanted her comfort. He remained perfectly still for a long moment and then he covered her hand with his and turned to look at her.

  His eyes were still dark, but there was something else besides pain there...something that made her breath catch in the back of her throat.

  “These babies...they were like a gift from God for me,” he said. His voice was filled with a different emotion than it had been moments before. “And despite my love for Ivy and the fact that I never want to marry again, Avery, I have an enormous desire for you.” He released her hand.

  She stared at him as her heart began to beat a rhythm of uncertain anticipation. “Dallas, I have the same wild desire for you.” The words whispered out of her. “I think I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you again.”