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Just footsteps, she told herself, prepared to roll over Then she sat up Nicole couldn’t use the stairs and Jesse was too slight to h her brain, but the steps sounded too stealthy…as if the person cliot out of bed and crept over to her door She cracked it and glanced out Sure enough, a strangeat Nicole’s door

He was only a few inches taller than her and not all that big Instinctively, she glanced around for a weapon The only thing she saas a pair of high-heeled shoes She grabbed one and quietly eased into the hall

The man crossed to Nicole’s door and opened it Claire didn’t stop to think, she charged, ju hiuy shrieked, then stuet off

"Call 911," Claire screauy went down

She braced herself for the impact Fortunately he crashed into the hardwood floor, and she only landed on hi for breath, she dropped the shoe, grabbed his right wrist with both hands and pulled it against his back, up high, near his shoulder blades He yelled in pain At the same time, she planted her foot on the back of his neck and pressed down as hard as she could

TheGodda on here?"

"Call 911," Claire repeated "I can’t hold hier"

Nicole sat up and stared at them "Claire, I have to say, you’ve really impressed th fading "I took martial arts classes off-season for a couple of years Plus, I’ve seen uards?"

Talk about the wrong thing to say, she thought with a sigh "Not all the tiressive"

"Nicole!"

The shout cauy Claire looked at him, then at her sister "He knows you?"

"Apparently You can let hio That’s Drew My husband"

Her…"What?" Claire released the guy’s wrist and stepped off his neck "Drew?" The cheating bastard who slept with his wife’s sister?

The lared at her "Who the hell are you?"

He seenored the deep, oozing gouge in his cheek and the second one just under his ear The wounds gave the phrase "killer high heels" a whole new nored him and picked up her shoe "I’ll be down the hall if you need me"

Nicole looked at her "Thank you"

"No probleuest room As she shut her door, she heard Drew’s impatient repeated question, "Who the hell is she?" but couldn’t hear Nicole’s response

Feeling proud of herself and eood Maybe she should start working out and get stronger Maybe take upers--a part of the freak hands she was supposed to protect at all costs Maybe not

She turned her attention to the television hat she really wanted to do was listen at the door But that would be rude She did her best to get interested in a show on HGTV only to ju"

"How a?" Nicole de you just slipped on the carpet and ended up having sex? She’s my sister, you bastard My baby sister If you had to whore around, at least keep it out of the family"

"Look, I know it’s bad, but it’s not what you think"

"Saying it didn’tthat It’s just I want you to know I’ you" His voice dropped

Claire muted the television and tiptoed to her door When she still couldn’t hear anything, she opened it a tiny bit

"I never wanted to hurt you," Drew said

Claire frowned She illing to ad about men and women and the complications of their relationships, but it see The problem wasn’t that he’d hurt Nicole The probleree with her There was a loud crash, followed by a "Get out, you slimy bastard Get out!"

Claire opened her door wider If she had to, she was prepared to escort Drew out of the house She wondered how he’d gotten in, then wondered if he still had a key She would have to talk to Nicole about changing the locks Before she could decide if she wanted to interfere, she heard more footsteps on the stairs Who now?

Wyatt couldn’t believe Drew had been stupid enough to show up here There were soe to Nicole was one of the with Jesse He couldn’t figure out if Dreas too optimistic or just too stupid to know that for himself

He climbed the stairs, only to co on the landing She was speaking--at least he figured she was Her lips wereand there was probably sound, but he couldn’t hear it Not when every cell in his body had spun around to get a look at her wearing a baggy T-shirt and--he swore and prayed at the sa else

Her face ashed clean of any ht She was barely covered to the tops of her thighs and he would bet every penny he had that she wasn’t wearing a bra

"He just showed up I didn’t knoho he was, so I jumped him I don’t think the punctures are really deep I don’t actually care about hiet an infection"

He had no idea what she was talking about

She took a step toward him Yup, no bra Worse, he could see the outline of her niles pressing against the soft cotton

Panties, he told hi, right?

It wasn’t enough as he i else He rubbed the bridge of his nose Why her? That’s all he wanted to know He accepted that he had lousy taste in woent and coular person Not the ice princess

Hehis stepbrother, he asked, "You okay?"

Nicole shook her head "Get hilanced at Drew "You shouldn’t have come You--"

He stared at the deep puncture wounds on Drew’s cheek and neck "What happened?"

"Claire attacked hih "It was pretty impressive actually She ju hiot him in some kind of aruess they take interesting classes at music school"

Claire had attacked Drew to protect her sister? Who would have thought

"She gotMy reflexes aren’t working right"

Wyatt couldn’t help grinning "You were taken down by a girl?"

"Shut up"