I do believe Brick was telling the truth when he said he also liked roleplay sex because the next evening after I got home from work, I answered a knock on my door to find him standing there in a pair of worn blue jeans, tan construction worker boots, a ball cap on backward, a white tank top that was tight enough to reveal every dip and hill of his pecs and six-pack abs, plus a tool belt wrapped low around his hips with a shiny new hammer hanging from one of the loops.“Howdy, ma’am,” he greeted in a silken voice as he leaned one arm against the doorframe to show off the impressive bulge in his biceps as he flashed a knowing smirk. “I’m the new handyman around these here parts, and I was just curious if you needed anything…” Pausing dramatically to arch an eyebrow, he finished strong by setting his hand on the hammer at his waist and saying, “…nailed?”I threw my head back and laughed, completely charmed by all the work he’d put into this character. Then I cleared my throat, looked h

I swear, I still had the scent of bacon in my nostrils the next day at work and the words, I knew you were a keeper, floating through my head as I tapped the end of my Montblanc against the top of my desk and tried to concentrate on work.But I couldn't.I had some designs to look over and consider, a new assistant I still needed to hire, and some calls to make with a couple of fabric manufacturers, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman I seemed to end up with every night.She’d gotten under my skin.What’s more, I actually liked her there. I liked hanging out with her, even when we weren’t having sex.It was weird.Take last night for example. After supper, I’d put my new hammer to use and installed a couple of hooks on the wall in her living room so I could hang her ax there to display it properly.“How’s this look?” I had asked, lifting my hand from the finished project and backing away slowly, nodding out my own satisfaction as I went.When she’d answered, “Perfect,”

Well, at least I had my curiosity appeased. Brick hadn’t just been enjoying himself until something better came along; he had genuinely liked me. He’d wanted to be with me. And we might’ve actually been forming the greatest match-up ever.If I hadn’t royally messed everything up.It would’ve been a frigging dream come true, too.Brick was a legend, possessing every trait I thought an amazing man should have.I gave a thick swallow as I let myself into my apartment and dropped the keys into my purse before setting the wicker bag blindly on the counter, then wandering aimlessly through my apartment. But every place I went contained a memory of him. Like a cat who’d rubbed his scent on everything around him, Brick had marked his territory.I couldn’t look at the counter in the kitchen, the mattress in the bedroom, the shower in the bathroom, not even the freaking front door without—Dammit. My throat worked convulsively as I perched myself on the couch and pressed my hands into my l

“Wow, twist ending,” I heard Shaw across the room whispering to Isobel. “This just keeps getting juicer and juicer.”“Shh,” Isobel hissed to him, nudging his knee.Meanwhile, Hayden shrugged Kaitlynn’s way. “Brick is Black Crimson more so than I am. He started it alone and continued after I stopped. But I was there with him for about fifty percent of the pieces.”“More like eighty percent of the pieces,” I corrected.My brother shrugged and revised, “Okay. I was there for about eighty percent of the time.”“Whoa,” Kaity breathed. “My two brothers are both Black freaking Crimson. This is so—wait.” She whirled accusingly toward Gabby. “Did you know all this?”“I…” Gabby looked guiltily put on the spot. Then she cleared her throat. “Anyway. Back to Hayden’s plan.” She turned toward Isobel. “Are you good with slapping together some big splashy engagement party, Iz? Shaw?”“I…” Isobel turned to look at Shaw. “I mean, I think that would be…” When she met her fiancé’s gaze, silently tr

Well, here we were again. At yet another party to celebrate the nuptials of people I actually cared about. It was a habit I was hoping to soon break.Meanwhile, every affluent, connected person in the city was present, the mayor included. And my only job was to make sure I was seen.Which sucked because I didn’t want to be here at all.I mean, engagement parties had to be even worse than wedding receptions. At least newly married couples had probably already had their first fight over the flowers or caterer or something. Engaged people didn’t even seem to know how to fight yet.I glanced toward Kaity who was standing next to Ezra and talking with the mayor, and when she looked up at her fiancé and smiled as if he was her world, my gut tightened.I remembered someone looking at me like that not so long ago.Twenty-two days ago, to be exact.But Hayden had warned me to stay away from her until this whole mess with Black Crimson was over—for her own safety and mine—so I’d been a go