“Sam is a grown woman, Luke. She can make her own decisions. You and I both know how damn smart she is.”

“You will hurt her, and I’ll be damned if I sit by and watch.” His index finger is pointing at me, and he’s pissing me the fuck off.

“I’ll fucking protect her. Luke, my band members have wives and families…”

“Is that what you want with her?” He asks sarcastically. “The womanizer Leo Nash wants a family?”

Fuck you, asshole. You don’t know what I want.

“I’m crazy about her, dude. If you think I’ll let anything hurt her, you’re nuts.”

“You can’t protect her from this business, and you know that. You should leave her alone now, before it goes any further.”

“I will do everything to keep her safe,” I repeat, my jaw aching from being clenched so tightly. “I’m not going to stop seeing her.”

Luke watches me rub my chest, where an ache at the thought of not seeing Sam anymore has taken up residence, just shakes his head and sighs. “I can’t believe she’s doing this again,” he whispers. But before I can ask him what the fuck that means, he follows it up with, “I’m telling you, when you’re done with her, she’ll be a wreck. It took her years to recover from last time, and I don’t know that she could do it again.”

What the fuck happened?

“Ready?” Natalie asks as she comes out of the building, holding Liv on her hip. The baby’s face lights up at the sight of her daddy.

“Yeah,” Luke responds and watches me thoughtfully as Natalie settles Olivia in her car seat. “You better protect her, Nash, or I’ll fucking kill you.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Chapter Nine

~Samantha~

“Ms. Williams, your references are impeccable, and your credentials are spot on. We’d love to have you come down to L.A. to meet with us and the other editors to see if this would be a good fit for all involved.”

“Thank you, Mr. Foss.” I grin into the webcam on my Mac and the handsome man on the other end smiles in return. “I’d like that.”

“Would next week work for you?”

“Yes, I believe my calendar is open next week.” I’m bouncing up and down on the inside, but manage to remain calm on the outside.

“I’ll have my assistant email with the travel arrangements. I look forward to meeting you in person. Have a good week, Ms. Williams.”

“Thank you, and likewise.”

The screen goes black as Mr. Foss disconnects the Skype chat and I sit back in my chair, chewing on my lip.

I need new interview clothes.

Shopping helps me think. It may sound stupid, and my brothers tease me incessantly, but roaming through racks and racks of clothes and shoes helps me clear my head.

So I throw on a jacket and grab my handbag and set out for the shopping district.

I don’t live far.

One of the reasons that I chose to buy this condo was the convenience of being downtown. It was close to my old job, shopping, the market, and I love being in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.

I’m a city girl.

I push my way into Nordstrom; the heat from inside the store is a deep contrast to the cold weather outside. I make my way to my favorite section of the store, the underwear, and let my mind wander.

L.A.  Do I want to move to L.A.?

No.

But I desperately need a job. I have a mortgage and a car and a life to pay for. I’m blessed with a healthy savings, but it won’t last forever.

And I will die before I ask anyone for a handout.

But leaving Seattle means leaving my family. My friends.

Leo.

I still, a pair of black panties with ruffles on the butt in my hands and feel my face flush. These are exactly like the ones he ripped off me that night in my kitchen.

I may as well replace them.

And grab some pretty new bras while I’m here.

It’s been more than a week since our fight, since I was sick. Since we watched Olivia together.

I carry my undergarment finds over to the women’s section to pick out a new suit for my interview next week and end up with three new outfits, all suitable for interviews.

Because even if the L.A. job doesn’t work out, I’ll have other interviews to go to.

I hope.

As I make my way home with my purchases, my mind wanders back to the sexy, tattooed man that has wormed his way into my life. And it feels natural to have him here.

He’s attentive and caring. He’s amazing in bed. He’s funny.

And I just want to lick him.

But there will come a time, in the not-too-distant future that he’ll be gone the majority of the time. He and his band will release the new album, and all the hoopla that goes along with it will begin: tours, promo, TV appearances. Lots and lots of travel.

He doesn’t even have a home in Seattle. He’s staying at Meg’s old place. He owns a home in L.A.

Oh God, I don’t want him to think that I’m considering a job in California just because he lives there. How mortifying.

The thought of Leo leaving makes me sad. Okay, it makes me feel like my heart is being torn from my bloody body.

But I’ll survive it. And I’ll enjoy him in the mean time.

I kicked him out of my apartment yesterday and told him to go home for a day. Time apart is healthy. We don’t have to be in each other’s pockets twenty-four-seven.