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"No Bonheur is your happiness"

She sed He’d guessed that quickly, but she was afraid to adh? What if the restaurant failed and she had to continue dancing? What happened when she got too old for even that?

"I’m not ashamed of myself," she snapped

He understood her, but not completely--and she couldn’t allow hiainst hers, his heart beating with hers She wanted his love, and yes, his respect He could be as sexually deht to expect her to just hand hi into a past she never discussed With anyone Blabbing about it wasn’t going to change a da it up when it did no good?

Luc turned to her, his expression startlingly solemn "I’m sorry for your loss I hope you find the happiness you deserve"

WHEN they reached the house, Alyssa hopped froet her door or say a word She was hiding so to understand heryet there was a whole chunk of her he didn’t grasp at all It shouldn’t ain be her lover--even tee to figure her out?

The pain That note in her voice, the tightening of her sultry features The past, her rief--hurt her Pride hit a note in there, too Despite her pole-dancing ways, she’d taken the tihly educate herself She helped others with the drive to do the same

What the fuck did it say about hions for her?

Luc stormed in the house, just a few steps behind her The conversation should be donebut he wasn’t ready to end it yet He had more to decipher

But the phone in his pocket vibrated, and he pulled it out with a curse Deke

He pressed the talk button "Talk to ood,or ten about security systeged the control panel to automatically bypass that zone"

So the culprit wasn’t a drunk frat boy or a prankster "Shit"

"I’ve fixed it again and put a trigger on it If anyone so much as breathes on the device, it will sound an alarets back, I’ll have hi else we can do to keep this place tight"

"Thanks"

"Keep a close eye on Alyssa Soh to screith a top-notch security system That’s expertise or a shitload of money to buy the expertise Makes me wonder just how hard this prick is for her"

Luc wondered the sa and cursed

"I’ll stay close to her, especially until Jack returns" Wouldn’t that do wonders for his restraint? But he couldn’t worry about that nohen Alyssa’s safety ht be in jeopardy

"Need some hardware?"

Guns weren’t his favorite, but Deke had istered to carry in Louisiana, but the situation was too serious to worry about technicalities

"That’s probably a wise idea"

"Giveyou need"

"I appreciate it"

Deke hesitated "I’d do anything for you, man"

Except allow hi baby Not that Luc should expect it Or deserved it after the way he’d manipulated Kimber and his cousin

"Same here," he said finally

"You okay with the baby and everything?"

No The news of Deke’s pending fatherhood had nearly staggered him to his knees, left hi Luc had ever wanted Kimber and his cousin had barely tried to conceive andLuc sighed He was thrilled for them For himself, he despaired

And he didn’t want to talk about it again Think about it, even His own failure as a h without the rehash

This week he couldn’t do a da to move closer to his dream Until he returned home, he had to focus on his pro her safe

At the top of his list had to be figuring out who her stalker was His best suspects were Primpton, a nut job if he’d ever seen one Or Peter, the frat boy who hadof the word "no"

But what about Tyler? Would the bouncer manufacture terror so that Alyssa felt it necessary to be closer to hiht’s display at the club, Luc couldn’t see why he’d have to Tyler could touch her any way, anytime, he wanted

Finally, Luc answered Deke the only way he could "You deserve to be happy I’m thrilled for you both"

"Maybe you shouldget tested again It’s been a while, right?"

Years, but nothing would change the fact he had a ridiculously low sper off into a plastic tube again made no sense "There are other ways I’ve read recently about a surgery that extracts sper into adoption Or maybe I’ll find someone with small kids orThere are options"

"Absolutely All great ones"

"I’ll work it out In the ards"

"Will do" Deke sounded reluctant, but he dropped the subject and ended the call

As soon as Luc pocketed his phone, he swore and did his best to push aside the tur problems now

He should have checked the house before letting Alyssa burst in If soical he ht hit her house next--and perhapsGod that nothing in the house looked disturbed, Luc bounded up the stairs two at a tiht spilled from her bedroom door, and he eased inside

A rumpled bed, feminine knickknacks scattered across the dresser, a book on the bedside table Nothing out of place

But a trail of clothing snagged his attention Strewn across the glea hardwood floor, her tank top, filarter belt, and lacy bra lay a step or two apart Heart beating even harder, he followed the pieces to her half-open bathroo with a rhinestone-studded GODDESS hung froht and saw inside

And lost his ability to breathe

Alyssa had pinned her hair atop her head in a haphazard twist and filled her jetted tub with bubbles She leaned back and sensuously soaped her gleahed

Instantly, he got hard enough to pound steel

Luc had ascertained that she was safe and no one had broken into her house He knew needed to back the hell away now But like last night when he’d watched her bring herself to orgasm, he couldn’t seem to make his feet move