Bound to Her by Deborah Pin (debian ebook reader txt) 📕

of those people who could sit blandly by while you talk and not hear a

word of what you were saying. Self-absorbed was an understatement.

“So are you going to tell me what happened? The cop wouldn’t say, of course.”

“Oh you know, some guy broke in, attacked me and then called me

and left a nasty message.”

“That’s it?”

“Because that’s not enough? What the hell does that mean?”

“I just assumed you’d been, I don’t know, nearly killed or

something.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she muttered. She hadn’t even offered him

a beer and she stood at the kitchen counter refusing to join him in the living room drinking her beer. She really did not like this man.

“You want me to stay tonight? I promise I’ll make it worth your

while.” His expression was suddenly seductive but it kind of made her want to puke. The hell he would. He was as self-absorbed in the bedroom as he was in real life. But part of her was still tempted. She hated being

alone now and he was offering.

When another knock came at her side door after they’d made another

ten minutes of small talk and she’d subtly rejected his advances three more times, she jumped a mile again, spilling her beer this time.

Dillon was suddenly filling the window of her door with his hands on

his hips. He was glaring at her and she instantly had a lump in her throat. She was trembling as she approached the door and she took a deep breath as she reached for the doorknob. He watched every last move she made.

She couldn’t tell what was going on in that handsome head of his. He

looked angry but his eyes looked worried. The intensity of his body language left her tingling.

“You have company?” He spoke quietly as she pulled the door open

but quiet as his voice was, he couldn’t disguise his irritation. Her gaze dropped to his chest as he stood in the doorway, making no move to enter. She suddenly felt guilty—rational thought didn’t support that in any way but she did. She was also still mortified. This was the first time

she’d seen or spoken to him since the unfortunate cock grab and as she

tried to function like an adult her brain started flashing images and memories of her assault on his body.

Traitorous fucking brain. She could feel his hard erection under her hand as surely as if it was that night all over again and as she stared helplessly at his chest she started to panic.

“Who’s there, Kat?” Jason hollered from the other room and she

rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.

“That man is an asshole.” Dillon was still talking quietly for only her

to hear as he leaned toward her. And he still looked angry. Which, frankly, left her feeling defensive.

But her defensiveness was a blessing and she got hold of her

humiliation quickly as her own irritation built. “Is that a professional assessment? Does it bear on this case in some way?”

And then the prick was there, eyeing Dillon with a narrow glare.

Dillon was glaring right back and Katrina was doing the only thing she

could—shaking her head like an idiot.

“I have business to discuss with Ms. Page.”

“Are you asking me to leave or telling me leave?” It was turning into

a damn showdown at the Katrina Corral. Fuck fuck fuck.

She turned to Jason quickly, grabbing his arms. “I’m telling you to leave. I’ll talk to you soon but now just isn’t a good time.” He was still

glaring at Dillon and though Katrina’s back was to him she was guessing

he was glaring right back.

“Until Friday then, Kat?” And then eyeing Dillon with a cold stare before returning his eyes to her, he continued. “Like I said, I’ll make it worth your while. I know exactly what you need to ease all this damn tension. You know I can show you a good time.”

She wanted to gag. Jason wasn’t even looking at her when he said it

but instead was taunting Dillon with his eyes and an immature smirk.

“I said I’ll talk to you later.” She should have rejected him outright, put Dillon at ease and been honest but she knew that would rile Jason up. He didn’t like rejection. He was too pompous and self-righteous to handle it and she didn’t feel like dealing with that at the moment.

And then before she could stop him Jason kissed her. He just laid it on

her as she cringed, pulled back and let out a shriek of surprise. She felt

Dillon’s hand on her shoulder as he grabbed her gently but firmly and pulled her body back to his. His other hand shot out over her shoulder

and shoved Jason away from her.

“Get your fucking hands off her.” He was damn near growling and

she could hear the vibration of his voice through his chest as it radiated

out through her body, held snug to him.

Jason looked flabbergasted, appalled, offended and just plain floored.

“My hands have touched every last inch of her fucking skin. Who the fuck are you to—”

Dillon’s hand was suddenly on her hip, pushing her to the side as he

started lunging toward Jason. But Katrina could sense what he was going

to do with nothing more than the forward movement of his chest against

her back and she spun to him, putting her palms on his chest.

His breathing was harsh and his sneer was venomous as he glared at

Jason over her shoulder. “Detective.” She was trying to talk in a soothing

voice but she realized quickly it was going to take more than that to get

his attention. “Detective!”

His eyes flashed to hers for the briefest of seconds before nailing Jason

to his spot again. “Dillon, please.” Now she was just begging but the rush of breath that escaped his lungs at the sound of her pleading voice

made it clear she’d finally reached him.

His eyes finally returned to hers and she could do nothing but hold his gaze. She felt her brow flinching at just the same time as his brow flinched and his hand moved to gently grip her shoulder.

“Jason, I need you to leave.”

“Kat, this man—”

“Now! Please.” She still couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from Dillon’s

and he seemed just as trapped by her eyes. Jason left without a further word and she breathed a sigh of relief when the door finally closed behind him.

“He is not a good man, Katrina.” His voice was low and warm.

“Please.” He shook his head in frustration as she studied him. “Please don’t see him.”

“What right do you have to ask me?” She couldn’t seem to make her

voice sound as challenging as she intended. Instead she just sounded quiet and desperate.

“None. But I care about you and I don’t want to see you hurt by him.”

“But this really doesn’t change anything with us does it?”

He looked broken and devastated, just how she felt. She wanted him

so incredibly and knowing he desired her too did nothing but make her

feel helpless. “I’m sorry. I know I have no right to ask but please just give me this.” His hand was gently holding her shoulder and she’d not

managed to remove her palms from his hard chest that was slowly rising

and falling beneath her hands.

She nodded but said nothing and when she stepped back from him to

her kitchen counter, he exhaled a deep breath and they went back to studying each other. This was just damn painful. She needed him. She needed him in this moment more than she’d ever needed a man but he

was just out of reach. “You can let yourself out.”

She turned and walked from the room to her bedroom, refusing to

look back. She stayed there sitting on the side of her bed, waiting to hear

the door close again and once it had she returned to the kitchen, finding

a note on the counter.

I’m sorry.

Yeah? Well she was too.

Chapter Eleven

It was eleven that night when Mindy called. She was one of a few casual flings he indulged in on a regular basis but he cringed at the sight

of her number on caller ID. Seth was sound asleep and thanks to the fact

he slept with a TV on in his bedroom, Dillon could easily slip her in and

out of the house without Seth ever being the wiser. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it plenty in the past.

“Thought I’d swing by if you were up.” Her voice was seductive and

warm as she spoke to him. She was trying to entice him and it usually worked. But he felt cold and dead.

Mindy was a triage nurse who worked odd hours and she’d been

divorced for a few years. She didn’t expect a commitment from him and

since he had no interest in giving her one it worked out well. Something

in her eyes though said she’d welcome more and he knew at some point

he’d have to put an end to it with her. But not now. Not now when he

needed to know he was still the same Dillon who could fuck his casual

fling with no other thought to it.

“Sure.” He was staring at his feet, stretched out before him on his bed

as he spoke the word. His voice sounded detached and distant and that

was about what his interest in her was at the moment. But this was who

he was and what he did. He didn’t disrespect her—he didn’t disrespect

women in any way. This was just easy and because life wasn’t, it made

sense to keep his personal relationships this way.

But this wasn’t easy and after he plodded downstairs and flipped the porch light on, he grabbed a beer and downed half of it as he stood at the

sink. Part of him wanted this. He wanted it because he didn’t want it.

That made no sense but there it was.

He wanted Katrina, not this woman he’d fucked more times than he

could recall and had still managed to not give a shit about. He cared for

Katrina and he’d not even fucked her. Couldn’t fuck her and that’s why

he wanted Mindy. He wanted to want Mindy. He wanted to want Mindy

enough that he could stop thinking about Katrina. So why the hell was

he chugging beer in some pathetic attempt to loosen himself up before she got here? He knew damn well why. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to do it if he wasn’t half toasted.

When he opened the door for her, she smiled her seductive smile that

matched her overly contrived seductive voice. “Well aren’t ya gonna invite me in?” He stood back, holding the door for her. His heart was pounding even though he was halfway through his second beer.

She sauntered past him and he followed her into his kitchen as she opened his fridge and grabbed her own beer. He watched her and he replayed the last time they were together in his mind. He’d enjoyed it—

he always did with her and he was hoping desperately for something right now but the memories did nothing for him. He could see her body

in his mind. She was incredible to see naked, tanned, tight and lanky as

fuck. But even that couldn’t erase what he really wanted.

Every time he tried to focus on the visions of Mindy’s body, which usually excited him instantly, all he could see was Katrina. He’d not even

seen her naked, but he’d take whatever was under her clothes in a heartbeat over every last inch of what he’d seen of Mindy’s body any day

of the week. When her hand touched his waist, he wriggled away from it.

This was going to be torturous if he couldn’t get in the mood. Her eyes

followed him curiously as he moved to the fridge, grabbing yet another

beer as he drained his last one.

She looked confused if nothing else and he was just frustrated. He wanted to will his body to cooperate with him but when he looked at her

expectant face, his breath left him in a rush. He had no right to expect Katrina to stay away from her pompous ex-dickhead of a boyfriend but

he’d made that right his whether he