ted in any action tonight, but he was restless and on edge. Joss had occupied his thoughts

of her house in jeans and a T-shirt, looking so young and beautif

rned, there was a marked difference in her demeanor. And then that spiel about not needing him. Apologizing to him, for fuck’s sake. Apologizing for b

evels. The social rooms. The places where people met up, drank good wine, mi

off some steam. Usually after he’d spent time with Joss, pretending the woman he was with was her. It made him a bastard, but he made ce

fully so, and it had cost her. He’d seen the na**d emotion in her eyes when she’d said that Carso

p by pushing her too soon. She viewed him as a friend. She viewed herself as a burden to him. Someone

in not only their friendship, but their business partnership as well. But Carson had understood. He trusted Dash never to act on t

end entrusted his wife to his ca

re he’d been killed in an accident. Almost as if he knew. Had he sensed

ff the very serious pledge that

be there for Joss. I know you love her. If there ever comes a day that I can’t be ther

gh his mind. Prophetic

by simply walking in. She had a gentle smile that could charm even the hardest heart. And she’d never so much as looked in the direction of another man after she’d met Carson. God knows, t

picked up a glass of wine—Damon Roche served only t

en room. Though there were no actual partitions, the room was sectioned o

lap of flesh on flesh. The smack of a whip or a flogger. The sighs, moans and cries

t seeing his other best friends ha**g s*x wasn’t high on his list of priorities. Though he shouldn’t have worried because he hadn’t seen them at The Hou

h perfection. Submissive. Beautiful. Gifting Tate with her absolute trust. Th

r Joss, he’d deny that part of himself if it was the only way he had a chance at having her. Knowing C

for Dash. He sated his needs, made certain his partner’s were met as well and then he moved on, never willing to commit, even though h

ay. And could Dash be content

yes, he’d take any part of her he could get

eady to move past her grief and live her life again. He’d been patient.

Another night he may have let her, close his eyes and imagine Joss under his firm but tender grasp. But tonight h

e ago. They’d eyed him with sympathy for the last three years. His brothers had even

He’d seen the difference in her eyes and in her demeanor. But then that bullshit apology

ought he was just going to s

vie and trying to get her mind off her grief, which is what he’d done the last two anniversaries—and plenty of times in between. The day ha

all but dismiss him after

way where a couple entered, and

ever-lo

ash knew from The House at her side, his arm wrapped intimately around her waist, his hand splayed

f her perfect curves. And she wore a pair of fuck-me shoes that just begged for a ma

ng lazily down her slender neck, drawing at

oked scare

he was doing. For that matter, what the f**k was she doing? Her

sives, and rarely was he with the same woman twice in a row. And yet here he w

did she think

outh falling open in surprise just as mortification seized her features. Pa

infuriated Dash all the more. Dash reached for Joss’s

Craig demanded, reachin

self between Joss and Craig,

ay from her,” Da

aig. A Dominant who didn’t yield to anyone. But then Dash was convinced he likely looked like a crazy person about to explode, judging by the wa

er company for the eve

. “And don’t ever make the mistake of coming n

man, I

s—a wide berth before c

a word. Her face was stricken, and she looked so humiliated that Dash wanted to put his fist through the wall. The last thing he wanted was to embarras

t making her trip in those spikes disguised as shoes. He was tempted to throw her over his

turned to her, trying to curb the

ur car?” he

” she stammered ou

up with here? But then how the hell did he know if this was even her first time? For all he knew she could be a regular and mayb

ar and opened the passenger

as

he last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. He had to calm the f*

ome,” he said in

out almost before he had his door closed. He roared down the winding drive that l

gaze flicker toward him. Saw her bite the bottom of her l

and, squeezing it in

said, his voice a command, one tha

usly. Mortification still gripped her features, and it made Dash ache to know she was suffering. Embarrassed. Likely thinking

in his. He could feel her trembling and it slayed him that she feared h

d, which was just a few miles from her own subdivision.

said shortly as he p

. Undone by her defeated demeanor, he reached over and gently

ney. Now come insi

lect her from the car. He led her inside his house, sati