Текст книги "Beautifully Loyal"

Автор книги: Nicole Edwards

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

Chapter Seven

Talkin’ out your ass, are you?

After getting Ashlynn a drink and walking her back to the veranda to mingle with her family once more, Jase resumed his post, keeping an eye on her from close by but not too close. Unlike a few minutes ago in the hallway when she had…

Damn, the woman’s mouth should be categorized as a lethal weapon. No matter the time or place, she continued to blow his mind. Ashlynn was by far the most sexual creature he’d ever met. There wasn’t a time or place she wasn’t willing to go at it. And when it came to sex, she had no limits. None. Her carnal desires matched his own, though he knew there was still something missing for both of them.

For Ashlynn, her sexual cravings were vast and intense, as were his. However, there were times when he knew she needed something more than he could even offer. In the same regard, he needed something she wasn’t equipped to provide. And that something was a desire that most people wouldn’t understand. They’d openly discussed what it meant for her to crave the touch of two men, as well as what it meant for him to be bisexual, needing a man as much as a woman for true completion. Something he’d yet to find other than in a purely physical regard.

Suffice it to say, neither of them were completely satisfied, but they were working on that.

But now wasn’t the time to think about their idiosyncrasies, and this certainly wasn’t the place to let his fantasies run wild, though he was tempted. He needed to keep some space between him and Ashlynn. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be closer to her, but he had a better view when he kept at a safe distance. For five years, Ashlynn had entrusted him with her safety. His job was to watch her back, and he took that seriously. Even with at least five enforcers surrounding each member of the Adorite family—with the exception of Aidan, who had refused protection—at any given time, Jase still trusted few with Ashlynn’s safety. And these days, with the rumors going around about a rival crime family looking to move into the Adorites’ territory, it was imperative they keep their eyes open.

“Your job is to protect her.” The angry growl came from over his right shoulder.

Jase smiled. He’d just been thinking the same thing. “Exactly,” he agreed, keeping his voice low, not bothering to look directly at Leyton.

“Not an easy feat when your dick’s buried in her mouth.”

“Jealous?”

Jase had always known there would come a time when Leyton would confront him about his relationship with Ashlynn. He’d actually been waiting for the day. For the past year, he and Ashlynn hadn’t tried to hide their intimate involvement. And this was the very conversation he’d been expecting. Not that it was appropriate, considering Jase worked for Ashlynn and not Leyton, but he got it. Above all else, his job was to protect her. With his life. And he prided himself on his ability to do so. After all, he would lay down his own life for Ashlynn. She meant that much to him and not merely as a paycheck.

“You’re getting too close to her,” Leyton said, his voice low, angry.

“Says you. She doesn’t seem to think so.”

A lengthy pause ensued, the tension wrapping around Jase and threatening to choke him.

“Inside. Right. Fucking. Now,” Leyton ordered gruffly, his attempt at keeping his voice low failing.

Leyton stormed off, but several people, including Ashlynn, had heard his command. She turned to look at Jase, a question in her eyes. He shook his head, silently telling her not to worry, and then followed Leyton inside Max’s house. Clearly pissed, Leyton was waiting for him outside Max’s office, so Jase marched toward him, making sure Leyton saw his anger as well. He could endure quite a bit of shit, but being snapped at by a man he didn’t work for only pissed him off.

The door closed instantly behind him, and the next thing Jase knew, he was being jerked backward. At the first touch, instinct kicked in. He grabbed the hand on his shoulder, twisted, wrenching Leyton’s arm behind his back before slamming him against the wall, chest first. Leyton was only a couple of inches taller than Jase, but Jase was broader, and he had a significant amount of training that most people didn’t realize. Leyton knew, though, so his reaction had been fueled by emotion, which was how Jase had gotten the jump on him.

“Don’t do that shit,” Jase warned, instantly letting go and shoving away from him.

Leyton spun around, damn near slamming into Jase once again.

What the fuck?

“You think this is all fun and games?” Leyton roared, gripping Jase by the front of his shirt, jerking him forward until their noses were only centimeters apart.

A deep throb started in his groin, his cock thickening as their bodies collided. Jase inhaled sharply, stunned by his body’s immediate reaction to Leyton. Sure, he’d been aware of his attraction to the man, but he hadn’t anticipated how much.

“Depends on what you’re referrin’ to,” Jase taunted, trying to keep his voice steady.

“You know damn well what I’m talkin’ about.” Leyton’s voice held the same desperate edge that Jase felt. “You can’t protect her when you’re more worried about gettin’ off.”

“I’ve never failed her yet,” Jase countered, his voice dense with annoyance as he stared into Leyton’s bright green eyes. He knew the words would hit hard, because Leyton held himself responsible for Max being shot several months ago by the crazy bitch who’d almost convinced Max to marry her. Leyton had been there that night, and Max had nearly died.

But that wasn’t what Jase had intended. Shit happened, and everyone knew Leyton wasn’t responsible. Everyone but Leyton.

“Point received,” Leyton hissed, releasing Jase’s shirt and pushing him back. “That doesn’t mean you won’t fail her. Keep fuckin’ her and you’re gonna let your guard down.”

Jase studied Leyton for a moment before he spoke.

“Are you worried about her safety? Or are you more concerned that it’s not your dick in her mouth?”

Leyton’s eyes narrowed.

An inexplicable force drew him, made him desperate to touch Leyton again. Going with his gut, he took a step closer, bringing him face-to-face with the man he’d fantasized about on more than one occasion. From this distance, he could smell him—that intoxicating cologne Leyton favored made Jase’s dick harder.

Trying not to be too affected by him, Jase said, “I don’t think this has anything to do with my ability to do my job.” Damn, the guy had the sexiest green eyes. “We all know I’ll keep her safe. Your problem is that you want somethin’ you think you can’t have.”

Leyton’s eyes narrowed, his lips slightly parted, but he didn’t speak.

“The question is,” Jase continued, lowering his voice and stepping even closer, close enough he could feel the warmth of Leyton’s breath on his face, “which one of us do you want more?”

Neither of them moved. They seemed to be lost in the moment, their mouths hovering dangerously close. If Jase moved a fraction of an inch, he’d get to feel the exquisite sensation of Leyton’s lips on his. And fuck if he didn’t want it.

“You’re fuckin’ outta your mind,” Leyton retorted but didn’t move back.

Jase was tempted to crush his lips to Leyton’s, to thrust his tongue into Leyton’s mouth and show him just how fucking out of his mind he was. This dance they were doing was getting tiresome, and Jase wanted more. As did Ashlynn. The only person who didn’t seem to be on board was Leyton.

Jase eased closer, but this time Leyton moved back a step. He tried again. Leyton moved as well, until finally, Jase had Leyton trapped against the wall. Goddamn, it wasn’t easy to keep from taking what he wanted, but he managed to refrain.

“You like watching us,” Jase whispered, his lips brushing Leyton’s ever so slightly while he allowed his hand to graze Leyton’s dick. Yep, hard as fucking stone. No way to deny it now. “You like thinkin’ about drivin’ your dick into Ashlynn’s tight pussy, don’t you? But you also like the idea of my lips wrapped around your dick, right? Or how about my dick buried in your ass?”

Leyton’s sharp intake of breath was the only answer Jase needed. He’d nailed it. And Jase could no longer resist the temptation before him.

Planting his hands on the wall beside Leyton’s head, Jase leaned in, firmly resting his lips atop Leyton’s. He lightly caressed Leyton’s lower lip with his tongue. Pressing closer, he crowded him against the wall but didn’t trap him completely. He wanted Leyton, but he wasn’t interested in forcing him.

“Kiss me,” Jase whispered. “I know you want it as bad as I do.”

Fully expecting Leyton to push him away, Jase was nearly knocked off his feet when Leyton’s thick arms slid up Jase’s back, jerking him forward until their mouths were sealed, tongue gliding against tongue.

Fuck.

It was so much better than Jase had anticipated. Leyton wasn’t a submissive lover. He took what he wanted, giving as much in return, as the kiss heated, charged with an underlying emotion that Jase couldn’t quite name.

The passion was fueled by adrenaline, sending Jase’s pulse into overdrive. When Leyton flipped them, slamming Jase against the wall while plundering his mouth, Jase gave everything he had. Taking control once more, Jase came out on top, putting Leyton against the wall roughly while nipping Leyton’s lower lip. Unfortunately, it didn’t last nearly long enough. When Jase growled his approval, Leyton shifted, pulling back and putting some space between them. Jase didn’t back away, though. He couldn’t.

“Fucking hell!” Leyton grumbled harshly. “We can’t do this. I can’t do this.”

Jase wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, continuing to stare at the sexy man who’d just kissed him like he’d never been kissed before. “But you want it.”

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Leyton finally said.

“Oh, it definitely does.” Jase was still close enough to kiss Leyton, their chests touching, the hard ridge of Jase’s dick brushing against Leyton’s. Desire was pouring off Leyton in waves, but he was fighting it. If only he would give in, give it a chance.

Before Jase could get up the nerve to kiss him again, Leyton forced him back, pushing him away as he cleared his throat and thrust his hands through his hair. “No. It doesn’t matter. And you’d do well to remember that. My loyalties lie with this family. With Max. And I damn sure don’t intend to do anything that’ll jeopardize that.”

Jase hated the fucking excuses. “What does Max have to do with…?” Staring at Leyton, it hit him then. “Max warned you to say away from her?”

Leyton didn’t respond.

“Of course he did. If he hadn’t, you’d have already given in. Because you want her more than your next fucking breath.”

“Like I said, it doesn’t matter.”

“Tell me,” Jase insisted. “Fucking tell me you don’t want her.”

Leyton’s green eyes glittered. “Yes! Goddammit. I fucking want her. I’ve always wanted her.”

“But you’re too much of a pussy to tell her brother to go fuck himself?” Jase couldn’t stand the fact that someone would interfere with someone else’s happiness. It wasn’t Max’s fucking business what Ashlynn or Leyton did.

“Watch it,” Leyton growled, a clear warning that Jase was overstepping.

“And me?” Jase wasn’t jealous. Quite the opposite, actually. He merely wanted Leyton to finally admit it.

“What about you?”

“Don’t play games with me. Do you fucking want me or not? I know for a fact Max didn’t warn you away from me.”

“It’s not like that.”

“The hell it ain’t,” Jase exclaimed. “Don’t try to fool yourself more than you already are. You’re just as turned on by the thought of bein’ with a man as you are a woman.”

“Not true,” Leyton said, his tone softening.

“News flash, Matheson, the way you fucking kissed me says it all.”

“You don’t fucking get it,” Leyton countered hotly, taking a step forward. “It’s not just any man or any woman that I want. It’s you. It’s Ashlynn. But I can’t have you. Either of you.”

“But you can.”

“You don’t know what you’re fuckin’ talkin’ about. And we’re not supposed to be talkin’ about me and what I want. This is about your ability to protect Ashlynn.”

“I’d like to think Max would’ve said somethin’ if he was worried about his sister’s safety. He’s got cameras everywhere. He sees everything, and he wouldn’t hesitate to put me in the ground if he didn’t approve of my ability to keep her safe. So that tells me you’re talkin’ out your ass. This isn’t about me doin’ my job. This is about me doin’ Ashlynn and you wantin’ to be part of it.” Jase took a deep breath. “Well, here’s the deal. When you’re ready to come to terms with what you want, we’ll be waitin’. Until then, keep tellin’ yourself that loyalty is what’s keepin’ you away.”

Jase spun on his heel and went for the door. He gave Leyton one second to respond, but when he didn’t, he left him there to chew on that. Leyton would come around, of that Jase was certain.

The question was, how long would the man torture himself before he finally gave in?

Chapter Eight

The question was … who needed protection from whom?

Rather than go home like he’d wanted, Leyton waited for Max to return from the hospital so they could talk. He could’ve used his phone or borrowed Max’s laptop and checked up on a few things, but instead, he had sat outside under the stars, alone.

His conversation with Jase had continued to replay in his head over and over again until he was dizzy from thinking.

But you’re too much of a pussy to tell her brother to go fuck himself?

Leyton knew one thing for certain; he wasn’t a goddamn pussy.

Did he respect Max? Absolutely.

Did he want Jase? Fuck. Now more than ever.

Did he want Ashlynn? Hell yes.

Could he have her?

Well, the answer wasn’t simple.

Max had warned him away from his sister, though Leyton still wasn’t sure why that was. Leyton had always been loyal, always put Max above everyone else in his life and for good reason. The man really had saved him, and he owed him for that. Defying him wasn’t something Leyton could bring himself to do, even if his desire for Ashlynn was eating away at his insides, ripping him to shreds slowly.

But in a sense, Jase was right. Talking to Max wouldn’t be that difficult, if only Leyton could muster up the courage to do so. Hell, he should’ve stood up to Max when they’d been busted at Trace and Marissa’s wedding, but he hadn’t. He still remembered that day so vividly.

Leyton knew the instant Max excused himself that he’d need to keep an eye on Ashlynn. The woman was known to get into trouble, and the last place she needed to do that—at least today—was at someone else’s wedding.

“Dance with me?” Ashlynn asked, smiling up at him.

“Don’t dance,” he told her, trying not to look directly into those mesmerizing hazel eyes. It was bad enough he saw those eyes in his dreams, haunting him, tormenting him.

“Today you do,” she said plainly, her smile never slipping.

When she took his hand and pulled him toward the dance floor, Leyton could only follow. He wasn’t interested in causing a scene, and with Ashlynn, that would be easy to do if she was denied something she wanted.

He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he didn’t dance. Not once in his entire life had he danced. With anyone.

Granted, he’d seen enough people doing it that he knew the basics. He took her hand in his, slid his other around her, gently touching her back. He was careful not to pull her too close. He damn sure didn’t want Ashlynn knowing just how much she affected him.

“You’re not too bad at this,” she offered with a smile.

Chancing it, Leyton glanced down into her eyes. That inferno of desperate need kicked in, the same one that showed up unexpectedly anytime he was near her. The woman made him crazy, but up to this point, he’d done his best to pretend otherwise.

After the first song, Leyton thought she’d let him off the hook, but that wasn’t the case. For the next four songs, all relatively slow, Ashlynn kept him moving around the dance floor with the other couples, more often than not, her body sliding sensually against his. By the time he finally convinced her to take a break, he was sporting a serious hard-on. There was no way Ashlynn hadn’t noticed, but he pretended not to be affected by it.

They each retrieved a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Leyton downed his quickly, but it did nothing for him. Deciding to make a pass through the building, in an effort to do a semblance of what he’d been hired to do, he informed Ashlynn that he’d be back in a few minutes.

After walking the perimeter, then returning inside and making a pass down the various hallways of the attached hotel, he found himself once again standing in front of Ashlynn. Only this time, she wasn’t smiling up at him.

“Are you avoiding me?” she questioned, hands on her hips.

He’d known she would assume that. And maybe that was because he was avoiding her. At least by walking around, he’d managed to get his libido under control, reducing the risk of him pulling her close and crushing his mouth to hers. Only now, all that had been for naught since they were standing in a deserted hallway and she was looking at him as though she was planning to jump him at any moment.

“You are,” she muttered. “I should’ve known.”

Gearing up to argue, Leyton found himself backing away from her as he swallowed hard, trying to decide how to let her down gently and avoid touching her though he desperately wanted to.

That never happened.

Instead, Leyton found himself pressed up against the wall, peering down at Max’s sister—his boss’s freaking sister, he reminded himself—looking into her eyes and wishing like hell he was anywhere but here. She was far too much temptation for him to resist, which was the very reason he always kept a solid distance between them.

A distance Ashlynn erased in a matter of seconds.

“Why do you do this to yourself?” she whispered, her hands flattening against his chest.

Leyton sucked in a breath, unable to find words to respond. His body was rioting, turning against the logical side of his brain, which was telling him to get the fuck away from her before he did something he could never undo, something he would never forget no matter how long he lived.

“I’ve never understood you, Leyton. You look at me like … like you want to have me for dessert, but then you pretend not to notice this thing between us.”

There was nothing between them. Nothing at all. But the retort failed him. He couldn’t speak, could hardly breathe. His dick was rock hard, and if she pressed just a little closer, she’d notice, too.

Oh, fucking hell.

Leyton’s head damn near exploded when Ashlynn’s hand trailed down his chest, over his stomach, then lower… Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He couldn’t take much more.

But then the world stopped spinning, time stood still, all things ceased to exist except for Ashlynn’s sweet mouth when she pressed her lips to his. He tried, he really fucking tried to resist her, but the instant her tongue darted out and slid over his lower lip, he lost it.

In a hurried motion that reflected his own desperation, he flipped their positions so that she was up against the wall, his mouth crushed to hers while he forced his thigh between her legs, grinding against the warmth he found there.

“Leyton,” she moaned, her hands coming up to latch on to his hair, pulling him down to her, refusing to let him go.

He wasn’t going anywhere. He couldn’t.

Though there was a nagging buzz in his head, one that told him he shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be devouring this woman like the starving man he was, he ignored it. She was so fucking sweet, her mouth so eager, her hands… Goddamn, she was now touching him everywhere. The only thing separating the smoothness of her palms against his overheated skin was their clothes. If they weren’t in public, at a wedding, no less, he would quickly solve that problem.

Leyton had no idea how long they remained like that—him thrusting his tongue into her mouth, exploring depths he’d only dreamed about, and grinding his thigh against her pussy while he fought the urge to free his dick, slide her panties to the side, and impale her just to feel her warmth—but he hoped it never fucking ended.

The sound of a phone ringing close by should’ve been the warning he needed, but again, he couldn’t focus on anything more than the silky softness of Ashlynn’s tongue against his.

“What. The. Fuck?”

Shit! Max.

Leyton jerked away from Ashlynn, stumbling back a step before righting himself. Knowing what he’d see when he turned to look at his boss, Leyton wanted nothing more than to disappear into the floor. Since that wasn’t an option, he turned to face Max, finding him glaring back at them from a few feet away.

“Max, before—”

Max didn’t allow Ashlynn to get the sentence out before he was scowling at her. “Don’t. I don’t want to fuckin’ hear it. You better be out there in five fuckin’ minutes or things are gonna get real nasty. And you”—he pinned Leyton with an angry glare—“I’m gonna cut off your goddamn dick.”

Yeah, Leyton should’ve come to his own defense that day, told Max how he felt about Ashlynn at that point, but he’d been a little off-kilter, not really sure what had happened or what it meant. Still, he knew he should’ve said something.

He sighed. He’d like to think he could have that conversation with Max, could convince him that he was worthy of Ashlynn, but part of him felt it would be moot, a waste of time, a waste of breath, because in the end, what Ashlynn wanted wasn’t the same as what Leyton wanted.

Ashlynn wasn’t the long-term type of woman. Until Jase had warmed her bed, she’d been going through men the same way Genevieve did. Focusing solely on sex and ignoring emotion altogether.

He couldn’t say he was disappointed about the latter, though. It left Ashlynn available at least, and although he couldn’t have her, at least he could still have the idea of her.

But Max wasn’t the only thing standing in his way. Leyton couldn’t have Ashlynn because he didn’t want just part of her. He wanted every goddamn thing she had to offer, and that was the real problem. Until Ashlynn proved to him that he wouldn’t simply be someone there to warm her bed when she needed him, Leyton wasn’t interested.

Well, that was only a partial lie. He was interested. So fucking much his dick hurt from wanting her. But he wasn’t willing to give in unless it meant he could have her love as well. And from what he’d seen, Ashlynn didn’t give that freely.

The thought reminded him of a conversation he’d had with Max several years ago, shortly after Jase had started working for Ashlynn, before the man had made a name for himself, established himself as worthy.

“Take her home and take Jase with you,” Max insisted. “But before you do that, throw that slimy bastard out of my club. I’m tired of this bullshit.”

Leyton stared back at his boss, then glanced over at the monitor. There on the screen was Ashlynn making out with some dickhead in the VIP area while Jase stood silently off to the side, doing his job.

“Boss? What if she likes this one?” Leyton asked, torn between doing Max’s bidding and interfering in Ashlynn’s business.

“She doesn’t,” Max stated firmly. “My sister doesn’t associate sex with emotion. She fucks to fuck.”

Leyton didn’t know what he was supposed to say to that. Throwing the guy out wasn’t going to be a hardship, but he didn’t want to piss Ashlynn off.

“I said throw him the fuck out!” Max yelled.

That night, Leyton had done as Max had ordered. He’d thrown the guy out and taken Ashlynn home, along with Jase. She’d been pissed, and to show him how much, she hadn’t spoken to him once. Not even when he’d attempted to apologize.

But over the years, Leyton had realized that Max was right. Ashlynn used sex as a coping mechanism, not as a way to connect with someone.

When and if Leyton ever gave in, he wasn’t going to allow her to use him. He couldn’t.

His feelings for her were far too intense for that shit.

“What’re you doin’ out here?” Max asked, pulling Leyton from his thoughts.

“Just chillin’ till you got back.” Getting to his feet and turning to face his boss, Leyton forced a smile. “You said you wanted to talk.”

“Yeah. Let’s go to my office.”

Leyton followed Max inside the house, then turned down the offer of a drink before taking a seat on the sofa.

“Tell me what’s goin’ on with Tony,” Max stated.

Leyton sighed. “He’s tellin’ me that a shipment was stolen.”

“You believe him?”

“Not really, no. It seems fishy to me.”

“Has Ashlynn talked to him?” Max inquired, carrying his drink to the opposite sofa and taking a seat.

“According to Tony, no. I gave him until Friday to figure it out. We’ll meet him at the warehouse.”

Max nodded. “I’ll do my best to be there, but I’ve got some issues I need to handle in Vegas.”

Not only did Max own Devil’s Playground, one of the nation’s most popular nightclubs, with locations in Dallas, Las Vegas, and New York, but he’d recently ventured into the gambling business. Or rather, the legal gambling ring. For years Max had been running some well-established underground poker games, some of which could net him a mint on any given weekend, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that he’d started expressing an interest in Vegas.

Since Max had taken over the family businesses, long before Samuel was out of the picture, he’d begun to establish a reputable front. According to Max, it was important to have a legitimate business that couldn’t take a hit should the Feds opt to go after them again, which, according to Max, was only a matter of time. Devil’s Playground had been Max’s first attempt, and aside from a bullshit raid on all of Max’s clubs a couple of years ago, it had worked out well for them. The clubs offered them the cover they needed, as well as a way to launder the money from the guns and drugs.

“Problems at the casino?”

“Not necessarily, no,” Max told him. “I’m lookin’ into another investment. Word is, one of the companies is havin’ some financial troubles. I’m hopin’ to work a deal.”

By “deal,” Leyton knew that meant Max likely had a stronghold on the company’s president and he was working his way into the business. It was something Max was quite good at.

“Worst case, I’ll give him a loan, take my payback from the profits, and then take over.” Max’s confidence had always impressed Leyton. Although he wasn’t legitimate—who really was, right?—the man had an admirable, shrewd business sense.

“Let me know if you need my help,” Leyton replied.

“Of course. But I need to be out of pocket for a couple of weeks to get this taken care of. Which means I’ll need you to handle things while I’m gone.”

“No problem.”

“Can you handle this issue with Tony? No matter what it takes?”

“Of course.” Leyton didn’t have a problem with the heavy work. If they did discover Tony had purposely stolen from them, he was dead. Easy as that.

“I’m takin’ Victor and Brent with me. That’ll leave you with Aidan should you need him.”

Leyton realized Max hadn’t said anything about Ashlynn, but he knew better than to bring her up. Clearly that subject was a point of contention between them, one Leyton eventually intended to address.

But not tonight.

“Keep an eye on Ash,” Max instructed.

Okay, so maybe they were going to talk about her.

“Jase is takin’ good care of her,” Leyton mumbled.

“I’ve noticed.” Max grimaced. “As much as I hate knowin’ what the two of them are doin’, I know he cares about her.”

When Leyton didn’t say anything immediately, he realized his mistake.

“Does that bother you?” Max asked.

“What?” Leyton frowned. “Jase and Ashlynn?”

“Yeah.” Max leaned back.

“No.” Honestly, the two of them didn’t bother him in the least. It was the fact that he couldn’t be part of it that bothered him. But he wasn’t about to tell Max that.

“This thing with Tony, it could get ugly. Keep an eye on her. And if need be, you stay with her.”

“Are you serious?” Okay, so now Leyton really was getting mixed signals.

Max smiled, and a chill ran down Leyton’s spine. He knew that look. It meant Max was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

Leyton wasn’t sure what prompted him to speak his mind, but he suddenly couldn’t hold the question in. “So you don’t have a problem with me and your sister anymore?”

“I didn’t say that.” It was Max’s turn to frown. “But my wife’s been tellin’ me that it ain’t my business.”

It wasn’t, but this time Leyton managed to hold his tongue.

“Take care of her,” Max finally said. “That’s all I’m sayin’ on that point.”

For some reason, Leyton felt as though Max was talking out of both sides of his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask what that meant. They both knew he would protect Ashlynn should it be necessary.

But Leyton was beginning to wonder whether he was the one who needed to be protected from her.