Rush them more than he already was, because seriously, he’d come on like a steamroller and he knew it. He should probably apologize—and explain that it was likely to happen again.
The can in the garage was already filled with the empty packages from her additional locks, reminding him of how difficult this would all be for her. He stomped the trash down in the can, dropped in the bag, replaced the lid and headed back in.
He found Yvette leaning against the counter, her phone in hand as she read a message.
“Who keeps calling?”
She actually jumped, then frowned in accusation. “When you said you’d run it out, I didn’t know you meant literally.”
Taking in every nuance of her expression, Cannon saw not only the fractious temper but the worry, too. “I didn’t run. You’re just distracted.” He moved closer. “I’d really like to know what’s wrong.”
Her phone beeped again.
Yvette bit her lip. “He says he’s coming to visit.”
Uneasiness prickled beneath Cannon’s skin. “He who?”
“Heath.”
Heath, her ex. “When?”
“I don’t know. It might just be a threat.” She sighed, then made a decision. “He’s a little obsessive.”
“About you?”
“About everything. It’s part of his personality. He wants to keep going over stuff and I don’t, so I’ve been ignoring him.”
“His phone calls?”
“And his texts and email and Facebook messages. That’s probably why he says he’s coming here. To get me to talk to him. I doubt he means it. He’s just hoping I’ll cave and reply.”
“He makes you nervous?”
She shook her head hard. “I’m not afraid of him.”
“Okay.” She was so defensive about not being fearful anymore. “Take it easy.”
“I just...” She set the phone aside and rubbed her temples. “I don’t want to rehash the past. We’ve already done that several times. It’s over whether he accepts it or not.”
“Hey.” Cannon took her hands away, replacing them with his own. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
She laughed, leaned in against him and gave him a tight hug.
Folding his arms around her, Cannon tried not to get turned on. She wanted affection, not an erection.
It was nice, having her initiate contact this time. Hopefully, like him, she’d begun to feel comfortable, as if the three years apart had never happened.
He’d feel better about things if he knew exactly what was going on between her and her ex. “Why’d you split from him?”
She shifted against him, but didn’t move away. “I broke things off with Heath for the same reason I can’t start anything with you.”
“We’re not starting anything,” he gently explained. “We’re picking up where we left off.”
On a soft groan, she put her forehead to his chest and stared down at...well, maybe his fly, but more likely her own feet.
In a barely there whisper, she said, “That’d be ground zero, then, because there was never anything between us.”
No way could he let her slide on that; there’d been almost too much for him to comprehend until he’d seen her again and it had all came rushing back. “I know you’ve been through a lot, but—”
“Cannon,” she whispered, interrupting him. “Will you please do something for me?”
In such a short time, he was beginning to think he’d do anything for her. “Sure.”
When she leaned back and looked up at him, she wore a sincere smile. “Promise?”
God, what this one woman did to him. “Yeah.”
“Please, go see your friends. Go and have fun. And don’t worry about me. Just...just pretend I’m any other woman. Not the woman who was threatened and hurt. Not the girl who cried and let herself be a victim.” He started to speak and she put a finger to his mouth.
And even that turned him on.
“Don’t associate every thought of me with the past, okay? Can you do that for me?”
Why didn’t she ask for something easy—like the moon?
Holding her waist, he lifted her up to sit on the counter. She grabbed for his shoulders to steady herself, and he stepped between her legs, then slid his hands down to her slim hips and snugged her up close, groin to groin, br**sts to chest. “I’ll go. And I’ll try not to worry. But, honey, no way can I think of you as any other woman. Like it or not, you’re special to me.”
She got that “aww” look in her eyes again.
Seduction, he had to keep reminding himself. Maybe with Yvette it came more naturally than he’d realized, because she sure as hell looked seduced.
“Will you promise me something, too?”
“All right.”
“Promise you’ll tell me if Heath becomes a problem.”
“I can handle him.”
Acknowledging that with a nod, he said, “Promise me anyway.”
“All right.”
“I’ll keep my phone on me. Call me if anything spooks you.”
She touched his throat, his collarbone. “How about I’ll call you if I actually think there’s a threat? After I call the police. Will that work?”
Meaning she often got spooked and wasn’t confident about her instincts anymore. “I could be late. Midnight, maybe one.”