“Good. Bastards don’t seem to do time anymore unless they hurt or kill someone. You still spooked?”
She shook her head and wiped her mouth. “Not anymore. I have a brand-spanking-new alarm system, cameras, and two hot buttons that go to a central station. I feel much more secure.”
“Excellent. You and Dalton broke up for good?”
This time she barely winced. Practice really did make perfect. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Raven.” His face reflected a seriousness he rarely showed her unless he was training. “Want me to kick his ass? Take away his gym membership? Anything?”
She laughed. “No, I’m good. After a session with you, I’m so damn tired I pass out with barely a nightmare.”
“We’re opening up a new training team. Sure you’re not interested? You have more talent than I’ve ever seen.”
“For American Ninja Warrior? God, no. But thanks for the compliment.”
“Last one you’re gonna get for a while. I gotta keep you hungry. And a bit mean.”
She grabbed her workout bag and shook her head. “And that is exactly why I can’t handle the Ninja thing. It’s too hard-core for me.”
“See ya later, chickie.”
She blew air kisses at him, ignoring the scattering of jealous looks she got from the girls watching her trainer. He reminded her of Dalton. The moment he walked in the room, he oozed charm and muscles, spinning a web no woman could resist.
She jumped in her Jeep and headed back toward her house. It was poker night, so she’d get to hang out with Morgan and Sydney. They were getting so good, Raven suggested they open it up to mixed groups, since a crapload of men were dying to get into a game. She couldn’t wait to see how much money Morgan swiped from them with her incredible poker face and sweet Southern charm. She swung into her driveway, cut the engine, and froze.
God, please, no.
Dalton stood on her front porch.
Panic reared. She sat in the Jeep, not wanting to get out. Her heart wept. Why was he torturing her? Drained from the energy of the workout and plain old sadness, she forced herself out of the car and walked toward him.
“I don’t want you here,” she said.
He held his hands out, palms up in a gesture of surrender. “I know. I don’t blame you. I thought about coming to the bar, but I wanted to talk to you in private.”
Fragments of white-hot anger whipped through her. “You didn’t seem to care when you brought that girl into My Place,” she tore out. “You wanted to make a point? Fine. You did. But it’s still my damn bar, and I don’t want you there any longer. Stay away from me.”
His face looked ravaged. A mixture of misery and grief shone from his ocean-blue eyes. “I’m so sorry about that, Raven. You have no idea how sorry I am. I’ve been in a bad place these past few weeks. There’s no excuse for what I did, except that I was a fucking asshole, and really mixed up. I convinced myself you manipulated and lied like your father. I’ve been stuck in the past, just like you accused me of, and all I wanted to do was strike out and hurt you like I was hurt.”
“You did well,” she said softly. “When you walked away from me that night, saying all we had was sex, I lost a piece of myself. Why? Do you hate me so much?”
His eyes shone with wetness. A muscle worked in his jaw. “No. I don’t hate you. I love you. When you told me this whole thing was a setup, I panicked. I figured out a lot about myself these past weeks. I’ve been carrying around a bunch of crap that has no place in the present or my future. And that girl? She’s a casual friend who means nothing. I was using her to convince myself I didn’t love you.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Do you hear yourself, Dalton? Games. Lies. Fear. I’m tired of it, and I can’t have it in my life anymore.”
“I’m begging you for another chance.”
She fell silent. The breeze whispered through the trees, and birds sang. She realized this was what she had wanted so badly since the night he’d left. But now, it had changed. Too many words and deeds. Too much hurt. The trust had been broken between them, and Raven didn’t think they’d ever be able to recover.
“It’s too late, Dalton.” She raised her head and stared into his beloved eyes. His golden hair fell against his cheeks, emphasizing his square jaw, full lips, and scruff hugging the lines of his face. “I think we’ve managed to destroy everything good between us. Funny, it started with sex, didn’t it? And that’s exactly where it ended.”