Hottest Mess (S.I.N. #2)(15)

“And when she was fifteen? When you were taken? Do you believe he could have done it then? To Jane? To you?”

“No,” Dallas said, then dragged his fingers through his hair. “Yes. Fuck, I don’t know.”

Liam hesitated, then said, “You haven’t really talked to me about what went down inside those walls, but I know you well enough to know—”

“That it f*cked me up. Yeah,” Dallas said, his body as tense and tight as his voice. “What’s your point?”

“That it was personal, man.” Liam met his eyes without flinching. “Seriously personal. And so you want to rule Colin out because you know him. You like him. Hell, he’s even family. Maybe not legally—not anymore—but by blood he’s tied to Jane more firmly than you are. But from where I’m standing, that’s not a reason to rule him out. That’s a reason to drag him straight up to the top of the list.”

Dallas sighed, but nodded. “I know. I’ve thought of that myself.”

“I know you have, because you’re smart and you know how this works. But I also know that you don’t want to think about it because you’re human and you care about him and you know it would kill Jane. So I’m playing the role of * here and telling you that you have to think it. You have to look at it. And if it turns out that he’s our bad guy, you have to be ready to do whatever’s necessary.”

Liam’s tone was firm, no nonsense. And when Dallas looked at his friend’s face, he saw concern. He saw friendship. Most of all he saw respect.

“Thanks,” he said, referring to Liam’s support as much as his words. “I will.”

“I’ve got your back no matter what. I’ve got Jane’s, too.”

“I know you do.”

“And,” Liam said, his voice taking on a lighter tone, “after giving you my keep focused speech, I’m gonna tell you to wash the man from your mind. Right now, you need to shift that focus from Colin—”

“—to Darcy. Believe me, I’m well aware. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“He’s out on the pool deck. I saw him right before I came in.” Liam took a quick look around the room. “Found your distraction yet?

“Not yet.” Dallas, too, glanced around, looking for either of the two women who’d been at his side at various times throughout the evening. “I’m sure I’ll find—”

He paused as a woman he knew caught his eye then started walking toward him. Fiona.

“Actually, looks like someone’s volunteering.”

Liam took a quick look at the girl, tipped his head to Dallas, then walked off toward the buffet.

As expected, Fiona took that as her cue to approach. “Hey, stranger.”

He flashed what the tabloids always called his devilish smile. “Fiona, you look stunning.” It wasn’t a lie. She was an attractive woman. A little too thin for his taste, without Jane’s alluring curves, but pretty in a waif-like way.

“I was going to get a fresh drink and head out to the pool deck,” he said. “Come with me.”

He didn’t wait for her to agree, and wasn’t surprised when she fell in obediently beside him as he approached the bar, then signaled the bartender. To be honest, he would have preferred someone else. His general rule was one woman, one time. There were a few he’d bedded more than once, though, either because he’d enjoyed their company or because circumstances just worked out that way.

Fiona was a combination of both. She was smart and funny and they’d gotten along. He liked her well enough, and she’d been more than willing to do some pretty kinky shit one night after a party. He hadn’t intended to see her again, but when Archie had reminded him that he was obligated to attend a charity event the next night and that his intended date had come down with the flu, he’d invited Fiona simply for the sake of convenience.

Now, she was convenient again.

“You know,” she said as she took the martini he offered and hooked her free arm through his, “I was just telling your sister that this is exactly where I wanted to be.”

“At my party?”

There was no mistaking the heat in her eyes when she looked at him. “With you.”

“What a coincidence,” he said, intentionally matching her heat. “That’s where I want you, too.”

“And in your bed?” Her voice was little more than breath and invitation, and it was all he could do to stay in character. To remind himself that this was a role. A job. That all he had to do was get through this and then he could get back to Jane.

“Do we even need a bed?” He didn’t notice her reaction. His attention had been diverted as he was speaking by the woman standing a few yards behind Fiona, now facing him with a harsh, hurt look on her beautiful face.

Jane.

He felt his body lean forward as he instinctively started to move toward her, and he had to force himself to stop. When he did, he noticed the pressure of Fiona’s hand on his crotch, and he dragged his attention from Jane to Fiona as a string of curses ran through his head. “You know,” she whispered huskily, “I’ve seen your pool deck. Why don’t we just head upstairs?”

Her hand moved, stroking and massaging, and like the well-trained * he was, he felt his cock grow hard.