The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [67]
“The animals are Jordan’s.”
“But they’re accepted by you. By all of you. Your wife was a stray. I’m a stray.”
He grasped her arms and shook her slightly. “Dammit, Honey, I care about you.”
She gave a soft, sad chuckle. “You care about everyone, Sawyer. But I don’t want or need anyone to take care of me. This time, you aren’t responsible.”
“I wasn’t making comparisons, dammit.” His frustration level shot through the roof as he tried to find a balance for the feelings.
“I know.” Her hand cupped his jaw, her eyes filled with emotion. “I won’t lie and tell you I don’t want a family. I was willing to marry a despicable creep like Alden for it, and he couldn’t offer half what you do with your nosy, domineering brothers and your incredible son and your unshakable honor. But I have no intentions of clinging to a loveless relationship. I tried that with Alden, and look where it got me.” She smiled, then shook her head. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I decided I deserve to be loved. I deserve a family of my own, and a happily ever after. I would never settle for anything less now.”
Her words left him empty, made him want to protect her, to ask her to stay forever. But the one time he’d tried marriage it had been for all the wrong reasons. Now, he wanted Honey horribly, but he just didn’t know about love, not a romantic, everlasting love. All he knew for certain was the uncontrollable lust that drove him wild.
She looked up into his face, her eyes soft, her expression softer, then she sighed. “Don’t look so stern, Sawyer. You haven’t done anything wrong. You didn’t make me any false promises, and you didn’t take advantage of me.” Her teeth sank into her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “All you did was show me how men can and should be. And for that, more than anything, I thank you.”
She stepped away and drew a deep breath. “So, now that we’ve cleared that up, what do you say I make that phone call?”
He wanted to say to hell with it; he wanted to shake her for being so nonchalant about her own feelings.
Trying for a detachment he didn’t possess, he glanced at his watch. “Morgan should be home soon. Then we’ll call.”
From the open doorway, Morgan growled, “I’m home now.”
Sawyer looked up and saw his brother lounging there, arms crossed belligerently over his chest, his eyes narrowed and his jaw set. He looked like a thundercloud. How much had he heard? Obviously enough, given his extra-ferocious scowl.
First Gabe, and now Morgan. They didn’t approve of his methods, his urgency in getting the issue resolved. Despite what he’d told Gabe and Honey, Morgan had argued with him over the idea of contacting Alden. Morgan had called him an ass for denying that he cared. Sawyer had countered that he’d only known her for a little over two weeks, which had made Morgan snort in derision. You knew Ashley for a short lifetime, but that didn’t make the relationship any better. Truthful words that had been gnawing at him all day.
Sawyer abruptly headed for the doorway to call Gabe and Jordan in, determined to blot Morgan’s warning from his mind. Once the brothers were all collected, Sawyer noticed Honey wouldn’t quite meet his gaze. It was as if she’d shut him out, already removing herself from him. He hated it, but told himself it was for the best.
The brothers were setting up the extra phones in the room so they’d all be able to listen in the hopes of catching a clue. Casey had Honey’s collection of music pulled toward him, idly thumbing through CDs and tapes. Sawyer doubted there’d be any dancing tonight, but he understood Casey’s need for a distraction.
Then Casey nudged Honey. “What’s this?”
Absently, she glanced down, frowning at a plain tape with the word Insurance written on it. “I don’t know.”
Sawyer, hoping to ease her tension, said, “We’ll be a few minutes yet if you want to check it out.”
Casey carried the tape to the stereo and put it in. With