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CHAPTER ONE

I took a deep breath, then winced I was trying to enjoy basking in the Miami sun, but I was still a little sore It had been over a h to work now, but I still got occasional reminders of what had happened to

My phone chiain I needed to remember to keep it in the off position It helped me to delay the inevitable I reached down to the concrete below ripped my phone, and held down the off button until it powered off

Just seconds later, I heard the Kings of Leon song that served as Stephan’s ringtone begin to play He sighed heavily fro into the hotel bar that was nearest the pool If I hadn’t been sure my text was from James, I was now It was his pattern lately He would call Stephan after failing to get ahold of ed to answer his calls It had been the cause of an unusual new tension that had sprung up between us

A different figure loo a shadow as it hovered near the seat that Stephan had just vacated

"Mind if I join you, Bee?" Damien asked in his heavy Australian accent I didn’t open nized his voice easily enough

I ed besidefavors froet to Miami for our layover

But I had wanted so desperately to avoid New York this week that Stephan had made it happen

Soed to do the same, after Stephan had casuallyour New York trip for the week At first, I’d thought it was rather stalker-ish of the on reat company for a person who just wanted so coht-hearted comments that drew me out of my black moods And he was accompanied by Murphy h Evenive you an interesting tan line," Damien said in an amused tone

I wore a black swihs I wore it over h, but it was just dark enough to mostly obscure the faint traces of bruises that still patterned my torso in a stark reo They had faded considerably, but they were still dark enough to need covering I would draanted attention if I bared h unwanted attention lately The paparazzi would take any excuse to e them

"No one wants to see what’s under this cover-up Trust

He coughed back a little laugh that h to know that Damien was more than a little interested in me in a romantic way Any re to differ," he said quietly, and I felt myself frown

"Sorry, sorry," he said quickly, before I could speak I let it go As long as he kneasn’t interested in anything beyond friendship, I was content to let sleeping dogs lie

Dareat coured it was just second nature to him to try to to show interest in any woman in his vicinity And it was also in his nature to flatter any woiving hi okay between you and Stephan? I’ve never seen you guys like this before You’re so stiff with each other Are you fighting?"

My gut clenched Things did seem off between us, and I wasn’t sure how to ured he had to be at least a little resentful ofhim miss his week’s worth of Melvin time this week

Not that I had actually made him I had told him o to New York The cree had traded with had even agreed to just do a single trade with ether He orried about ht of him as a friend One ofmy difficulties with Stephan with anyone It felt almost disloyal

"He’s just worried about e," I explained It was all true, but didn’t address the reason for our aardness

Damien made a neutral little hu okay? I saw a little bit of the et tired of all that, and drop him? You could have any man you want, you know"

I sucked in a breath Da questions like that It hy he had ood company lately

"I don’t want to talk about it," I said, ot the hint "Da ave a half-shed

"Well, I guess I owe you now You want to askquestions about reat s humor It would have been hard not to smile back I didn’t even try

"Nope," I told hih I was uess when you answer yes to that question, I’ll know I have you where I want you"

I just wrinkled my nose and turned my face away