I walked into the house, dragging my heavy suitcase behind me. As much as I loved visiting Grandma, I hated flying. Despised it. The cramped seats. The change in altitude making my ears pop and my head throb. Grumpy passengers bitching incessantly every time something happened that they didn’t like. I was glad to be home. I kicked off my shoes and parked my suitcase by the foyer table, then I headed into the living room, content to veg on the couch for the next few days.

But when I walked into the living room, I was greeted by my best friend, Corrine. She was sitting on the couch looking like she’d been run over by a truck. Her face and arms were bruised and bandaged, her hair was a hot mess, and she looked completely exhausted.

“Oh my God! Cori. What happened?” I sat next to her and got a closer look at her face. There were stitches in her forehead and several scratches from her wrist up to her shoulder.

“I was in a car accident,” she said, frowning. “My parents were too busy to come to the hospital, so your dad’s been letting me stay here.”

“I am so sorry.” Without thinking, I flung my arms around her.

“Ow.” She winced and pulled away.

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I frowned. “Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve come home.”

“I know.” She smiled. “Which is exactly why I didn’t call. I didn’t want you to interrupt your time with your grandmother. I know how much you like visiting her.” Corrine fidgeted with her hands in her lap and averted her gaze, like she was trying to hide something.

“Yeah, but c’mon, Cori. You’re my best friend. You know damn well I would’ve dropped everything to be here for you.”

She nodded. “I know. And I love you for that, but I’m fine. Really.” She sliced a look at me, and I could see the distinct shine of tears in her eyes.

Were those tears of pain? Or something else? Maybe an emotional pain from the fact her parents hadn’t bothered to be there for her after her accident. Couldn’t say I was surprised, though. Her parents were two of the most selfish people I’d ever met.

“So, what’s the damage?” I nodded at her bandaged arm.

“Bruises and bumps and stitches. Nothing too serious.” She waved it off like it was no big deal. “How’s your grandmother?”

“Ornery as ever.” I laughed. “Apparently, she’s been having issues with her dentures, so she’s been on a soft food diet, which only makes her grumpier than normal. I swear to God, if I have to eat applesauce or mashed potatoes or creamed corn again, I’ll punch myself in the throat so hard, I can’t swallow anything.”

“Ew.” She scrunched up her face.

“Yeah, exactly.” Stretching my arms over my head, I flopped back on the couch. “Hey, where’s my dad, anyway?”

Corrine tensed, and her eyes widened, but she refused to meet my gaze. “Oh, um, upstairs, I think.”

I tilted my head slightly, studying her. She had been acting so weird the past few weeks. I didn’t know why, but I knew her well enough to know she was hiding something from me. But what? And why? We’d always told each other everything. Well, now that I was back from Grandma’s and the semester was over, I could spend more time with her, hanging out and catching up.

“Corrine, honey,” Dad called as he came down the stairs. “Do you feel like going out for dinner tonight?”

Honey? I jerked around and stared at him. When he saw me, he froze. His gaze lingered on me for a half a second before slicing to Corrine, who was twisting her hands in her lap. What. The. Fuck.

“Heather.” Dad cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize you were home already.”

“Did you just call Corrine ‘honey’ and ask her out to dinner?” I slowly stood, a knot forming in my stomach. Corrine had gone out to dinner with me and my father a million times before—that wasn’t anything new—but to my knowledge, he’d never taken just Corrine out to dinner. Because that sounded a hell of a lot like a date. And why would my father be asking my best friend out on a date? Why was he calling her pet names?

“Yes,” he said.

“Why?” My voice was pitched high with disbelief.

“Because I’ve been stuck in this house for days, and he probably just wanted to let me get out for a while,” Corrine said. “It’s really not a big deal, okay?”

I rounded the couch and stood near my father. “Is that true?” The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. Nothing about this felt right. Or innocent, like Corrine was trying to make it sound.

He nodded. “Yes, but that’s not the only reason,” he said, pinning Corrine with a look I couldn’t decipher.

I swallowed the urge to throw up and crossed my arms over my chest. Looking back and forth between them, I said, “What the hell is going on?”

“Heather,” my father said in that tone he reserved for when he was about to give me bad news. The last time I’d heard that tone was when he told me Nathan and his father were moving away. Ice-cold fear pulsed through my veins as he remained silent, the seconds ticking away.

“Dad?”

“Corrine and I have been seeing each other.” His words rushed out on an exhale, and he dragged his hand through his wet hair.

My eyebrows shot up, and my mouth hung open. “What?” I had to have misheard him. But when he held out his hand and Corrine moved to stand beside him, his arm wrapping around her waist, I knew I’d heard him perfectly. “Are you kidding me? This is a joke, right?”

He shook his head. “No.”

Suddenly, all of Corrine’s weird behavior over the past few weeks started to make sense. Spending a lot of time here when I wasn’t home. Like the night I’d gone with Nathan to his father’s loft a couple hours away. Corrine had stayed here the whole time. Just her and my dad. Then, the night I’d had a killer migraine and she’d slept in the guest room. She’d never done that before. Ever. Oh God! She’d been in my dad’s bed that night, hadn’t she? Well, that explained her reluctance to go out with Nathan, even though I knew he liked her. Fiery rage heated my neck and face.

“How long?” I balled my hands into fists by my sides.

“About a month,” he said.

I turned my attention to Corrine, who wasn’t saying a word. “You’re seriously sleeping with my father?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry, Heather.” She finally looked up at me. “I really am. I never wanted to hurt you, but—”

“Do you realize how fucking twisted this is?” I gestured wildly. Laughing bitterly, I shook my head. “I always knew you had some serious daddy issues, but this is taking it too far, don’t you think?”

“Heather Marie!” My dad’s brusque voice cut through the room.

“No!” I stomped my foot. “You do not get to stand there and scold me for being pissed when you’re fucking my best friend. What is wrong with you two?” My words hitched on a sob, and tears spilled down my cheeks. I flung them off my cheeks with trembling hands. “How could you do this to me?” My question was aimed at Corrine, because she was the one who’d betrayed me. I knew my dad would eventually meet someone and settle down, but I never imagined it would be my best friend. “Were you ever really my friend, Corrine? Or were you just using me to get closer to my dad?”

“Heather.” Her bottom lip trembled. “Please. It’s not like that. You know that. You’re my best friend.”

“Uh-uh. No way.” I shook my head. “Best friends don’t do something like this.” I bit the words out through clenched teeth. “You lied to me, and you betrayed me. Friends don’t fucking do that!” I screamed.

“I’m in love with him,” Corrine whispered. Her eyes were red and damp with tears.

Normally, I’d try to comfort her because I hated seeing her cry, but right now I didn’t give a shit. She’d shoved a knife through my heart and twisted it. The bitch could cry her eyes out for all I cared. “Oh, that’s just great. You’re in love?” My tone dripped with disgust.

“Yes,” Dad said. “We’re in love.”

“Oh my God!” I shouted. “You cannot be in love with her, Dad. You can’t!” I was on the verge of hysterics. My voice was whiny, and there was a lump in my throat that wouldn’t go away.

“I am. She’s moving in, and we are going to be together.” His tone left no room for argument, but he was crazy if he thought I was going to just accept this. “Look.” He dropped his arm from Corrine’s waist and stepped toward me. I backed up. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about this like the adults we all are?”

I laughed. I was sure I sounded like a maniacal lunatic, but I didn’t care. “Doesn’t sound like there’s anything to talk about, Dad. You’ve already decided what’s going to happen.” I moved toward the door and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. “But you can both go to hell if you think I’m going to congratulate you.”

“Heather, please. Don’t do this.” Tears streamed down Corrine’s face. “Please, give us a chance to explain what happened. I’m sure once you know, you’ll be able to accept this.”

“I will never accept this!” I yanked open the front door. “And I never want to talk to either of you again.” I hefted my suitcase onto the porch, then slammed the door.

“Heather!” My father was coming down the driveway after me. “Don’t you dare leave. Not like this. We need to talk.”

I flipped him the middle finger, shoved my suitcase into the backseat, then got in my car and peeled out of the driveway. My vision blurred with tears as I sped down the road, and my hands trembled.

My dad was in love with my best friend.

The bitter sting of bile rose up my throat, and I gagged. This could not be happening. I pulled over, opened the car door, and threw up on the side of the road. I groaned and eased back into my car, letting my forehead fall to the steering wheel. In a matter of minutes, I’d lost my dad and my best friend. How had that happened? And what the hell was I supposed to do now? Where was I going to go?

Straightening, I fumbled to get my cell phone from my purse. I called Nathan first, but he didn’t answer. So then I called Jessa. No answer. Kalani had left for a family vacation two days ago, so going to her house was out of the question. Well, there was only one option. I pulled back out onto the road and headed toward Nathan’s. Even though he hadn’t answered my call, I knew I could count on him to help me. Unlike Corrine, Nathan was a true friend. He’d never betray me like she had.

Sounds of Aerosmith’s greatest hits filled the garage, the music echoing off the walls loud enough that I could hear it clearly despite the fact I was on my back underneath a candy apple red Hummer. I applied more force to the bolt that had been giving me a hell of a time coming off when the wrench slipped from my hand. I’d barely twisted to the side before the tool could smack me in the face. “Fuck.”

“You all right under there, boss?” Rick asked. He was one of my best mechanics and was always on my ass about installing custom lift kits on my own. But we were booked solid with jobs, and I didn’t have the extra manpower to spare. All of us were working alone on various projects, and with Nathan and I making a move back to Haven’s Creek in a couple of weeks, I needed to get as many of these jobs finished as I could before I left.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I grabbed the wrench from the floor, prepared to get the bolt off if it killed me, when a sudden deluge of rain pelted the metal roof.

Someone turned up the music.

And then, moments later, the music stopped, and other than the sound of the rain, the shop was silent. I listened for a beat, wondering what the hell was going on, when Rick cleared his throat loudly. “Uh, boss. You got a visitor.”

I glanced out from under the Hummer and saw two high-heeled feet and bare legs. Very long, slender legs. Moving the wheeled creeper out, I slid into her view and sat up. And there she stood in all her sexy, tempting glory.

Heather Abrams.

The object of my recent, unhealthy obsession. My personal walking fantasy. The sole cause of my constant blue balls. She was dressed in a pair of tight, black shorts and a white, fitted V-neck T-shirt that dipped low between her breasts. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she was soaking wet, which made it very easy to see through her shirt. Her nipples were hard, begging to be suckled. My mouth twitched with the need to taste, to nibble.

“Where’s Nathan?” She hugged herself and shivered, her teeth chattering.

I refrained from scowling. Of course she wanted to see Nathan. Why the hell else would she be here? Standing, I grabbed the grease rag from the hood of the Hummer and wiped my hands. “He’s not here.”

“What?” Her eyes widened. “Where is he?”

“Headed to Phoenix.”

“Arizona?” she shouted.

“Yes. He’s delivering a custom car.” I was surprised Nathan hadn’t told her that. Last I knew, they’d been talking daily.

“When will he be back?”

I shrugged. “End of the week sometime.”

A look of utter terror crossed her face.

My chest seized. “What’s wrong, Heather? Are you in trouble?”

“No.” She swiped her hands over her cheeks, and I thought she was just trying to dry her face from the rain, but then I realized she was crying. “I’m sorry.” She smoothed her hands down her hair and nodded. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I’ll just go.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder.

“I don’t think so.” I grabbed her arm to stop her. And that’s when I realized everyone in the garage was staring at her. “Hey, this isn’t a goddamn peep show. Get your asses back to work.” I led Heather into my office and closed the door. “Okay, what’s going on?”

She simply shook her head as more tears fell. I curled my hands into fists then flexed my fingers, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my arms and take away all her pain. Thunder rumbled outside, and from the small window, I saw lightning split the sky. She jumped at the noise. I went to the supply closet and retrieved a towel from the new shipment we’d gotten a couple days ago and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Did you drive all the way out here by yourself?” I leaned against my desk and crossed my arms.

She nodded. “Yeah, my car broke down about a mile away, so I figured I’d just walk here because it wasn’t that far, but when I got to the end of the street, it started pouring.”

I took a deep breath and grasped the edge of the desk. She’d been walking down the street dressed like that? God, any pervert could’ve pulled up and snatched her. My nostrils flared at the thought someone could’ve hurt her. “Why didn’t you call? I would’ve picked you up.”

“I tried calling Nathan, but he didn’t answer.”

At least he was listening to me and not talking on his phone while driving. I had to give him credit for that, but at the same time, I was irritated beyond belief that he hadn’t answered Heather’s call, especially when she’d needed help.

“What’re you doing all the way out here anyway?” I asked.

She walked to the leather couch and flopped down, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly, and a moment later, I heard her sobs. Against my better judgment, I sat and put my arm around her. She turned her face into my chest and wrapped her arms around my stomach. The towel fell away from her shoulders, leaving her breasts free to press against me. My body tensed, and my cock twitched awake. I stroked my fingers down her bare arms, reveling in the feel of goosebumps on her skin. Would the rest of her body react the same way from my touch? Not the time for that, I mentally scolded myself.

“My dad’s been fucking my best friend,” she choked out between sobs.

My hand froze halfway down her arm. “What?”

Nodding, she straightened. “Yeah, I got home today, and Corrine was there. That’s when she and Dad told me they’d been seeing each other.” She sniffled.

I got up to retrieve a box of tissues from the corner of my desk and handed it to her as I sat back down. She took a tissue and wiped her nose. “I wondered when this would happen,” I said.

“You knew?”

“No, but I suspected.” The day Corrine had shown up at Noah’s office wearing almost nothing was a pretty good indication that it wasn’t an innocent visit. Not to mention the way he’d been watching her the night we all had dinner at his house. His gaze had barely left her, and as a man myself, I knew the look in his eyes. The hunger. The possessiveness. The desperation to touch and kiss and feel. Yeah, I knew all of that too damn well because that was the first night I’d jacked off thinking about Heather.

“To make matters worse, they claim they’re in love.” She balled up the tissue and tossed it in the trash can. “She’s moving in with him. Into my house. Can you believe that?”

Wow. I hadn’t expected their relationship to be that serious. I figured it was nothing more than a fling with a hot, younger woman. Apparently not. “Doesn’t that make it better?”

“No!” She glared at me like I was nuts. “They can kiss my ass if they think I’m going to call her Mom.”

I laughed. “I highly doubt they’re going to expect you to call her Mom.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, it doesn’t matter because I’m not going back to that house. I’m not going to watch those two together.” Her lips trembled as more tears fell.

I couldn’t stop myself from reaching up and wiping the tears from her face. She leaned into my hand and stared up at me with so much pain and heartache in her eyes. God, I wanted to take her pain away, to do or say something that would put the smile back on her face.

“I just don’t get it. What can they possibly see in each other? They don’t have anything in common. The age difference is huge.”

“If your father really loves her, the age difference won’t matter.” I dropped my hand from her face, not trusting myself not to draw her close and kiss those pink, plump lips. “Besides, they are both adults.”

She frowned but didn’t say anything else for a long while. I assumed she didn’t like my answer, but it was the truth. “Why does she need to be with my dad?” Heather once again glanced up at me, and my stomach dropped at the agony in her expression. “Why can’t she find someone else?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed. Over the past couple weeks, I’d constantly wondered why the mere thought of Heather could make my dick rock hard, and why, when I thought of her in that tiny, yellow bikini, I came so fucking hard and fast. Why was I so damn aroused by a nineteen-year-old? I couldn’t make sense of it, but apparently, Noah had figured it out if he was now in love and living with his much younger lover. “Does your father know you’re here?” I asked.

“No.” She clutched my hands. “And you can’t tell him. Please, Darian. Promise me you won’t call him.”

If it were my son who’d taken off in anger, I’d want to know where he was. As a father, I knew the right thing to do. But as a man with very selfish motives, I nodded my agreement. “Where do you plan to go?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and averted her gaze. “The only other two friends I could call are both out of town.” She looked up at me, her long, dark lashes wet from her tears. “I’ll probably just get a hotel somewhere.”

“And how are you planning to do that when your car is broken down on the side of the road?”

She shrugged again.

I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees, and took a deep breath. I couldn’t believe I was sitting there debating letting her stay at the loft with me, but that was exactly what I was doing. I was asking for trouble, but I couldn’t, in good conscience, send her away when she was so emotional.

“I’ll get one of my guys to go get your car and bring it back here. I’ll take a look at it.” I straightened. “In the meantime, why don’t you go up the loft and get cleaned up. You can stay with me until you figure out what you want to do.” I stood, but before I made it more than a step away, she had her hand on my arm.

“I have a suitcase in the backseat. Could you please bring that to the loft for me?” Her voice was so small and vulnerable.

“Yeah, sure.” I cleared my throat. “You remember how to get up to the loft, right?”

“Yes.” Her hand lingered on my arm as she stood, her body nearly pressed to mine. Every perfect curve melding to my body, like we were meant to fit together. Despite being drenched by the rain, she still looked as sexy as ever, and her perfume clung to her skin, a mixture of lavender and vanilla. “Thank you, Darian.”

“Any time.”

“You don’t mind if I take a shower, do you?”

My eyes widened. “No.” My throat was raw with emotion, and I had to refrain from groaning. Heather, in my loft, naked? It was a dream come true. It was also pure fucking torture because I knew I couldn’t touch her, not like I wanted to. All I could do was look. And fantasize. “Well, I’d better go get your car. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I walked out of my office, my skin hot. Letting her stay with me was a colossal mistake, but what kind of man would I be if I turned her away when she needed my help?

“Rick, come on, I need your help with something.” I dug my keys from my pocket and headed outside, not giving him the chance to question me about what I was doing.