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  Lyla, after more than a year, still managed to confound him. Sometimes Danny thought he saw light struggling to escape the cracks in her veneer, but for the most part, the woman was locked up tight. Free to laugh, open to play, but sealed up when it came to her past or her emotions. She hooked up with random men, had her fun, and moved on. She never dated, and she treated the guys like…like Kyle had treated women before Cate. And like with Kyle, Lyla’s actions worried Danny.

  He watched as something formed between Lyla and Max’s friend Gage. They had a barely there connection with super-charged sexual tension. Lyla actively ignored it, and Gage seemed to purposely retreat from her.

  Having known Gage as long as he had known Max, Danny knew Gage was a good, honest man with a penchant for fast cars, fast women, and few words. He owned the local racetrack and the best garage in three towns, and since women found the giant of a man irresistible, there wasn’t much Gage wanted that he couldn’t have. Except for Lyla.

  Danny wasn’t sure why the two hadn’t hooked up, but in a way, he was relieved. Something about those two together felt different, special, and Danny didn’t want them to find each other before they were ready.

  “Knock knock.”

  “Max.” Danny smiled. With Max a partner but no longer a bartender, Danny didn’t see him every day. “Come on in, son. Why are you standing in the hall?”

  “I may not work here anymore, Dan, but I know damn well what goes on in this office.” Max chuckled. “Why do you think we all voted to have a second office added during the rebuild?”

  Danny threw his head back and laughed from deep in his gut.

  “Hey, Max. What’s so funny?” Julie asked from behind him, a bag of takeout tucked under her arm.

  Danny eyed his wife, forty-seven years old and absolutely fucking gorgeous. “Max here says that he and the others believe you and I do things in this office other than work.”

  Julie’s gray eyes widened while a pale blush rose in her cheeks. Twenty-eight years and the woman still blushes. Always been a lucky son of a bitch.

  “Hmm, can’t imagine what would give them that impression.” Her humor-filled answer had both men chuckling as she shimmied past Max and placed the food on her desk. Danny noticed she was careful not to let her rosy cheeks show until the color was back to its natural hue.

  “You know what? Whatever you guys are doing is clearly the secret to success, because while my parents are still married, and I believe happily so, I’ve never seen them look at each other the way you two do on a daily basis,” Max said.

  “I like to think we’re pretty damn amazing. So thank you for noticing. But I’m guessing you didn’t come down here just to talk about how Julie and I make our marriage work. What’s going on, son? Take a seat and fill us in.”

  ***

  MAX STRADDLED A chair and looked from Danny to Julie. “I’m going to ask Janie to marry me.”

  Julie gasped. Her heart actually sighed.

  “No…I’m going to tell her she has no choice but to marry me because I can’t imagine being without her,” Max said. “I want to start a family with that woman, have children… a forever. Christ, I’ve lived and loved long enough to know that every minute we aren’t married is a minute wasted.”

  His impassioned speech left his emerald eyes sparkling and Julie’s heart beating a fierce tattoo. family. She wanted that for him, for them. Oh, how she wanted that.

  “Max, sweetie, that’s wonderful.” Julie lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his wavy form. Her tears made it hard to see clearly.

  “Good man,” Danny rasped. “Although I’d definitely give her a choice. Women don’t take too kindly to that kind of pressure.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The Perfect Day For A Party

  IT WAS THE perfect day for a party. A bright azure sky promised lovely, warm spring weather, the caterer was in route, the band that Ryan had secured was doing their sound check, and Cate and Elliot were working their asses off to make everything look easy. Julie had refused to let desserts be brought in by caterers, so she had been baking for three days. She created hundreds of cookies, pastries, and a huge cake, all made with her hands and waiting to be enjoyed.

  It was also the night Max was going to propose to Janie. After Julie and Danny approved, he’d spoken with Lyla, Kyle, Ryan, Ashley, and Elliot about sharing the spotlight, and everyone loved the idea. Ryan and Max had coordinated with the band leader, and the proposal was set to go.

  Julie knew it was coming. Knew when it was happening. Had seen the ring. But when she watched Max go down on bended knee and saw Janie’s eyes widen first with surprise, then acceptance, Julie’s knees buckled. Thank God for Danny. As always, he was there, holding her tight to his chest. The steady beat of his heart calmed the erratic thud of hers.

  “That was…something else,” he muttered into her ear, his breath sending chills up her neck.

  “Yeah.” Something in her gut felt off. She couldn’t have been happier for the couple—for all of the couples. But inside, she felt smaller, as if she’d been shrinking for the past few weeks, and she wasn’t sure why.

  Inhaling deeply, her gaze landed on Janie and Max, dancing in each other’s arms as an aura of happiness glowed around them like a bubble. Releasing her breath, Julie also let go of the niggling unease that had been growing in her gut since Max had visited them in the office those weeks ago…at least, she tried to.

  ***

  CHEST PUFFED AND proud, Danny watched from the sidelines as Max and Janie were bombarded with well wishes and congratulations. But when his chance came to hug and kiss the bride- and groom-to-be, he gushed like any father would. The night was successful on all fronts, both business and personal, and he had his wife to thank. Where’d she go?

  He stalked to the back bar to find Ashley tending instead of the new bartender, Ando. “Where the hell is Ando?” A cursory glance showed that Kyle wasn’t around either. Hmm, maybe smoking in the alley?

  “Dan, have you seen Lyla?” The concerned look on Gage’s face sent ice through Danny’s veins.

  “Let’s find her.”

  “Not me!” Kyle’s scream echoed through the metal door that led to the alley. “Ando, help Lyla. Now…”

  Adrenaline surged through Danny’s body, pulling him toward the furious, fear-filled voice.

  CRASH! The metal door slammed into the cinderblock wall, and a roar—Danny later learned that came from Gage—filled the air.

  Danny looked from the man in Kyle’s grip to a semi-conscious, bleeding Lyla on the dirty ground, and the situation clicked together. The punk had put his filthy hands on Lyla. He’d abused her, touched her who knew where, and tossed her down like garbage. He wanted to kill the bastard in Kyle’s hands, but he knew by the way Gage’s fists were clenched and his body coiled that Gage would actually do it. Gage’s nostrils flared as his booted foot took its first step.

  “Sebastian, stop!” Danny couldn’t let a man who cared that deeply for Lyla do something that would take him away from her. “Think,” Danny whispered, “this how you want this to go down? Physically she’s gonna be okay, son. Don’t you want to be here to get her through the rest? You see what I see when you look at her, I know you do. Let us take care of that motherfucker, and you worry about her. Yeah?”

  A nod. That was it. Then Gage knelt by Lyla’s side, and those hands that had been ready to kill gently tended to the broken woman on the ground.

  ***

  FOR DAYS FOLLOWING Lyla’s attack, Julie and Danny did their best to care for her. For the first twenty-four hours, Julie stayed at Lyla’s house under the threat that if Lyla didn’t allow it, they would call Janie and inform her of the incident. Lyla didn’t want her friends bothered on their engagement night, so Julie stayed and Lyla moped.

  After the initial twenty-four, the family did what it always did—swooped in and took over, leaving love and kindness in its wake.

  For Janie’s sake, Lyla smiled brightly, turned
on the charm, and laughed her way through days and weeks. But as they always said about Lyla Dalton, the woman couldn’t lie for shit. Even as her face was delighted, her eyes stayed dim. Unlike when Kyle was going through his rough patch and acting out, Lyla did the opposite. She kept everything in. There was no behavior to correct, no issues to discuss; she was just flat and gray behind the happy mask.

  In some ways, Julie began to feel a connection to Lyla when it came to hiding behind a mask of gray. She was hiding too. In doing so, she was creating distance between herself and her husband, distance she didn’t want, but needed in order to figure out what was going on in her head. Danny had enough to worry about—the last thing she wanted was to add to his burden with an unidentifiable problem. She’d figure it out, solve it, and move forward without anyone being the wiser. Yep, that was what she’d do.

  Chapter Thirty

  Remove The Space

  SOMETHING WAS GOING on with his wife. He’d noticed it for weeks and done his goddamned best to let her figure it out on her own. But enough is enough. He wrapped a towel around his freshly showered waist. I’m gonna get to the bottom of this today.

  The rich smells of coffee and bacon led him to the kitchen, where Julie’s firm yoga-pant-encased ass had his mouth watering more than the breakfast foods. Sweeping her hair to her left shoulder, Danny nibbled on her neck. “Mmm, better than bacon any day of the week.”

  When her hips tilted back and rubbed against his rapidly growing erection, she looked over her shoulder and purred, “Mmm, better than sausage any day ever.”

  “Fuck...”

  Before either the play or the breakfast could go any further, the phone rang.

  “Don’t get it,” Danny gruffed.

  “Dan, it’s seven thirty on a Saturday morning. If someone is calling this early, I answer the phone.”

  She wasn’t wrong. While everyone knew they were early risers, everyone, even his dad and Chester, also knew not to call someone’s house before nine in the morning. If the phone was ringing, no matter how badly he wanted to slide into his wife, the phone needed to be answered.

  “Hi, sweetie. Is everything okay with you and Max?”

  Danny poured them each coffee and filled their plates with food.

  “Okay,” Julie drew out the word. “No, it’s totally fine. Of course we’ll be here.”

  The lilt in her tone grabbed Danny’s attention. Was something wrong with Janie? Max?

  “You got it, Janie. We’ll see you then. No, don’t bring food, honey. We’ll order in. Bye.” Julie placed the phone on its cradle, grabbed the butter from the refrigerator, and sat in her chair at the kitchen table.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Danny blurted. “Woman, you actually gonna make me ask you what that was all about?”

  “What what was all about?”

  Her innocent reaction amused him. “Nice try, honey, but spill. Seriously.”

  “She apologized for the early call, but was worried that if they waited too long to call, we’d be busy. They want to see us for lunch today.”

  Danny rose from his chair and paced. “She say if anything was wrong?”

  He searched his wife’s eyes for answers, but he only saw confidence when she answered that Janie sounded fine, happy even. It would be hours until he saw them with his own eyes, and worry churned in his gut as he paced the main room, breakfast all but forgotten.

  “I wonder what’s so important that Max and Janie are coming over here to speak with us instead of just waiting till tomorrow at Sunday dinner,” Danny questioned for the third time since receiving Janie’s phone call just minutes before. Julie opened her mouth to speculate, but Danny’s follow-up question was quicker. “Jules, they’re okay, yeah?”

  His normally gruff voice sounded uncertain. He was worried about his family. Nothing bad was ever allowed to happen to them. Not ever. Obviously his dad, Anita, and even Chester were advancing in age, and while it pained him to know a day would come when they would no longer be around, that was something he and Julie would have to deal with. But when it came to the kids—their kids—bad things were unacceptable. End of story.

  “Yes, honey,” Julie reassured him again. “After all, she just got engaged to the man of her dreams.”

  She crossed the length of the room, not stopping until her breasts rubbed against his chest. Her hands climbed his torso, fingers splayed so every muscle could be felt under her loving touch. He smiled as they continued their ascent, not slowing until her soft palms glided over his salt-and-pepper whiskers. She locked her hands around his neck, sifting her fingers through his hair. The touch sent shivers up his spine.

  “And I know how that feels.” Tilting her head back, she looked him straight in the eyes. “Not even my dreams could have compared to the reality you’ve given me.”

  Danny exhaled, holding her chin between his forefinger and thumb. “Woman, you’ve made it so damn easy to love you all these years.” The crinkles framing his eyes deepened as his trademark smirk made an appearance. “I’m so fucking grateful. Jules, you have been honest, supportive, and loyal since day one, and that makes me the luckiest son of a bitch around.” His brows waggled with sexual suggestions. “I don’t give a shit what those kids think they have goin’ on between the sheets—no one, I repeat, no one, can hold a candle to us.”

  “Danny.” Breathless and trembling, Julie exhaled, her desire an electric current just waiting to connect with the right target.

  “Not kidding. Closing in on thirty years, baby, and I still see you at work and think of new ways to fuck you till you scream my name. It’ll never get old with you, honey. Never.”

  Her soft lips opened a mere second before his mouth ravaged hers. Taking what he needed, he gave what she wanted and unleashed the hunger that only she had ever brought out in him.

  She hummed as he pressed her flush against the wall. Arms above her head, a whimper escaped her when he wedged his thigh between her legs and captured her wrists in one of his large hands. God, he loved her. She owned him. She thought it was the opposite, even after all their years together, but the fact was, she owned him.

  “Love it when your nipples rub against me,” he growled, dragging her cotton T-shirt up her torso and over her lace-covered breasts. “Fuck, Jules.” Effortlessly, he unhooked her bra and dropped it. “These tits…”

  He sucked her full breast into the warmth of his mouth. With each swipe of his tongue on her sensitive peak, more gooseflesh blanketed her body. So responsive. Twenty-eight years together, twenty-seven of them married, and such a simple move still caused such an enormous reaction.

  Cool air prickled her wet skin, making her nipple pucker beautifully, the moment he released it from his mouth. His adoration lasted only a second before his tongue swept over the other sweet, neglected breast. Lick after lick, sharp tugs, and warm suckles had her writhing in his arms within seconds. His free hand began its descent down her naked torso as a small smile touched the corners of her mouth. Their game was about to begin, and she loved to play.

  He slipped his hand into her yoga pants, and all play ceased. “What do we have here, my love?” Slate eyes stared at him with what could have been insecurity or a challenge. It was the moment he’d been waiting for, so he treaded lightly. “Panties?”

  “Actually, babe, it’s a thong. You know the difference, one covers my ass and one...goes up it,” Julie teased.

  She’s being playful…

  “I figured with Janie and Max coming over—”

  Danny ran his fingers along the waistband of the pale blue thong. But she’s guarded. What the hell? “You were already dressed when they called to say they were stopping by.”

  Her breath faltered when his gaze dropped to the offending cloth.

  “Try again, honey,” he said. “And remember, even though Saturday nights at the bar are long and busy as hell, I can find plenty of time to drag you away to the office, noticed or not. I don’t care what our partners think is happening back th
ere as long as they don’t see what’s mine.”

  He felt her shiver and relished that he still had that effect on her. She knew damn well what he was capable of doing to her behind closed doors, but there were times when his sweet woman topped from the bottom. He knew when she was doing it, and he knew when she needed it. At those times, he let her have control. If it would get her to open up, he’d let her have control now. But only so far, for so long.

  “I…I—”

  The tear of satin replaced Julie’s lack of words.

  Danny tucked the torn panties into the pocket of his jeans. His stare was as bold as his voice was whisky rough. “You haven’t been yourself for a couple of weeks, Jules. I tried to heed the advice I’ve heard you give the kids, and even though it’s been fucking brutal, I’ve done my best to give you some thinking space.” He slipped his hand down the front of Julie’s yoga pants and leaned forward, his lips touching the shell of her ear. “We don’t do well with space, baby. Do we?”

  Julie shook her head, her eyes sliding closed. His fingers parted her smooth, slick folds and entered her body.

  “So wet for me.” Touching her made him throb, but he refused to allow amazing chemistry to deter him from what was going on in his wife’s mind. She was the most important thing in the world. Sex would come after he found out what was bothering her. His thumb gently rubbed circles over her swollen clit, and he swallowed her soft moan as she grinded herself against his hand. “Already so greedy, honey?” His movements stopped, leaving her balance unsteady. She wore a look that jostled between frenzy and frustration, pleasure and pain.

  “I need more, Danny,” she whimpered.

  “So do I, Jules. Tell me what’s bothering you.” His thumb swept over the sensitized bundle of nerves just as his teeth nipped her earlobe. “Tell me, and I’ll make this better.” His deep rumble, along with another graze to her clit, had her nipples drawn tight and arousal pooling around his fingers. “I’ll make everything better, baby, always. It’s time to remove the space, Julie.”