Sweet Temptation (Sweet #4)(10)

“But does he understand you?” he asked gently.

Her lips tightened. “He doesn’t see me. He doesn’t know me. But he will. He will.”

Damon studied her another moment. “Are you okay, Angelina? Is there anything you need? Are you here in Houston permanently or will you be going back to Miami?”

“I’m fine,” she said quietly. “And there’s nothing left in Miami for me. Everything I want, I need, is here.”

“I see. Then I wish you well, and I’d ask that if there’s something you need, to come to me. Micah can be hard, as I’m sure you well know. You have a difficult task in front of you. I don’t want to see you—or him—hurt.”

She held on to her smile, willing it not to fall as she rose. She hadn’t allowed any doubt to creep in and take hold, and by God she wouldn’t do it now.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “It’s always nice to know there are people I can count on. You can never have enough of those.”

Micah stalked into Malone and Sons Security and grunted an acknowledgment at Connor as he passed him in the hallway. Usually he’d amble into Faith’s office, where everyone gathered for coffee in the mornings, but today he wasn’t fit company for a viper, much less people he cared about.

Once in his office, he closed the door and paced back and forth in front of the window. He stopped to stare broodingly out the blinds, his mind about to blow.

Where the f**k was she? Where had she come from? And why the hell had he let her just walk out of his apartment? Of all the stupid stunts he’d pulled, this one had to take the cake.

She’d knocked him so hard on his ass that he hadn’t found out even the most basic information. Like where she was staying. Was she here visiting? Was she thinking of moving? Whoa. And then there was the fact that she’d come on to him like a tornado.

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t exactly come on to him. Technically he’d made the moves, but she damn sure hadn’t done anything to stop him. And that was what was burning a hole in his head this morning.

Why?

He hadn’t mistaken her responsiveness. She’d given herself to him as sweetly as any woman ever had. She’d gone quiet and supple underneath his touch. She’d taken everything he’d given and would have given him more. A whole lot more.

Seeing her had been a big enough surprise. Seeing her naked with his marks on her body had been a huge what-the-f*ck moment.

He wearily ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He hadn’t slept—how could he? Angelina was here. With her she’d brought back a lot of memories that he’d purposely left behind in Miami. Even though he went back each year, every time he left it all behind and took none of his baggage back to Houston. He liked it that way. It was how he dealt with it all.

Only now his past was staring him straight in the face in the form of a challenge he had no inkling of. What did she want from him?

The idea of her being in Houston—young and alone—burned a hole in his gut. David had always been hugely protective of her. They’d lost their parents when Angelina was a kid and David was barely out of high school. David had been brother, mother and father to her, and later Hannah had taken on the role of mother figure even though only five years separated the girls in age.

Girl. Hell. Angelina was no girl now. He only wished he didn’t have firsthand knowledge of that fact.

He frowned. David and Hannah had taken an almost parental view of Angelina. Well, maybe not parental as much as they both viewed her as a younger sibling. How had he seen her? It had appalled him that he was seeing David’s sister. Naked. Touching her. Kissing her. But he’d never looked at her as his sister.

Beautiful young girl. Yes. Too young for him. At the time. Sixteen to his twenty-eight. But now she was twenty-three and the age difference didn’t seem as vast.

“Jesus Christ, are you actually trying to rationalize this?”

Now he was talking to himself. Just great.

First things first. He had to put aside the dissection of what had happened. He needed to forget it had happened and focus on the important details. Like where she was and if she needed help.

His door opened, and he turned to see Nathan Tucker stick his head in.

“Hey man, Pop is here and is ready to start the morning meeting. You in?”

Nathan looked curiously at him, and Micah didn’t blame him. Usually Micah was the first one to saunter into Faith’s office, offer a kiss, snag some coffee and preferably the first donut.

He gave a short nod. “I’m coming.”

Nathan retreated but left the door open. Thinking he might as well get it over with, Micah followed him down to Faith’s office.

He didn’t miss the curious stares thrown his way as he walked in and took a position against the wall beside Faith’s desk.

“Morning,” Faith said with a smile.

He softened, despite his dour mood, and returned her smile. “Morning, baby doll.”

Though her gaze was inquisitive, she didn’t say anything. He shot her a look of gratitude.

“Well if we’re all here now, can we get this show on the road?” Pop’s grizzled voice rose in the otherwise quiet room, and he stared pointedly at Micah as he spoke.

Micah listened halfheartedly to the division of jobs and duties. He was too busy thinking about Angelina and how the f**k he was going to find her. How stupid of him was it to just let her go without knowing a thing about her circumstances?