Book Two: Mine to Keep"This isn't negotiable, Veronica. Don't be stubborn."Jay watched her closely for signs of capitulation. It wasn't like her to resist his suggestions, especially when it came to her safety. Veronica tended to be passive and easy going. She was as close to a best friend as he was capable of having. At forty-one, she was nine years older than him. Though she looked much closer to his age.She was standing with her back to him, watching the ships come and go from the harbour. He'd asked her to come down to his dockyard for this meeting. As usual, she'd agreed to his summons without complaint. He was beginning to suspect she might not have if she'd understood why he wanted her to meet him here. Already a small woman, she looked even tinier when she came out to the yard, surrounded by shipping containers, heavy machinery and cranes. Her thick black hair, streaked with bright red highlights was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a tank top and shorts. She look

Veronica went into panic mode. He was going to be here any minute. That massive beast of a man was going to be in her home any minute. How exactly was she supposed to deal with this? She'd spent the last seventeen years avoiding men like the plague and now one was going to be in her home. In her precious space. Where the only man that she had ever opened her door to was Jay. It occurred to her that Jay probably had no idea she never had men in her home.But how could he know? She'd never told Jay. She never told anyone. God! She was such a damaged ball of stressed out crazy. Of course, he wouldn't know. The last man that touched her body was the last man that paid for her services. She'd been twenty-four. Allie had been five and Jay fifteen. Of course, Jay had always known how she'd survived. How she'd fed them and how she'd fed her drug habit. He never judged. Her trick had hit her that night. Not bad, but bad enough that she'd needed an extra dose to ease the pain.Jay found her. H

He reached for her, but she flinched so hard she smacked her shoulder against the tree. Hissing in pain, she reached up to rub the pain away. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She was acting like an idiot. This man wasn't going to harm her. Granted, he used brutal methods to teach her a lesson in not taking off on her protection detail. Maybe she deserved it. She needed to face reality. By accepting a lifetime of Jay's money and protection, she wasn't an entirely innocent victim.What a fucked-up relationship she had with the younger man. Yet, it had never been anything but a fairytale to her. He'd saved her life on multiple occasions and made it his mission to give Allison the best of everything, even back when he had nothing. How could Veronica not adore him? But now, looking at it through someone like Robert's eyes, she wondered what he saw. Did he think she was Jay's mistress? What else could it possibly look like? She was living in a beautiful condo by the oc

He narrowed his eyes at her, his fingers tightening around her delicate wrists. He was careful though. She knew there wouldn't be any bruising. "What's your problem, lady?" he demanded. "You were more than enjoying what we were doing." When she opened her mouth to interrupt, he cut her off, "Don't even pretend you weren't an equal participant! That was the best damn kiss I've ever had. Now you're acting like I'm some kind of monster."He gave her a little shove and rolled away from her onto his back, pushing a frustrated hand through his thick hair. She shivered and turned her head slightly to peek at him. He looked really disappointed. His muscles were tense and huge against the feminine fabric of her flowery bedspread. The veins on his arms popped as he rubbed his face and head. She shuddered and glanced down his body, noting the way his gym shorts remained tented in anticipation. No wonder he was so pissed at her. Veronica's desire may have waned, but his was still raging on.Guil

She was quiet on the drive home and up to the apartment. Probably a good thing, because he was seething. He didn't think he'd be able to keep his shit together if she started talking to him. Not that she'd been exactly chatty with him over the past three days, but she talked more than enough over those few hours in that shit church basement to make up for it.He glanced at her serene face as she stood passively while he unlocked the door to her condo and did his usual security sweep. He wanted to shake her and smack the look off her face. And he wasn't usually violent toward women unless they were trying to kill him. But this one was trying his patience. For days, she'd been on the verge of panic, pacing her bedroom, jumping at every sound he made and staring at him like he was the big bad wolf. Now, after forcing him to take her into the dark heart of Vancouver's lower East Side and telling a gut-wrenching story of pain and loss, she was acting like life couldn't be better.In the spa