Defending Serenty by Elle Wylder Page B

neck and she shivers in response. That’s more like it.
After dragging up the zipper, I step back and she turns around,
smoothing the front of the dress down with one hand. She meets my
gaze and I get my first good look at her all put together.
Beautiful. I reach for her, the hell with her being late, just as
the front doorbell chimes.
    Stepping back, she crosses her arms low
across her waist. Her expression closes up and the silence between
us stretches. The door rings again. No one has ever accused me of
being stupid. She has a date. I turn and stalk toward the front
door, but she catches up to me before I can open it.
    “This was set up weeks ago,” she says. “I
couldn’t cancel it.”
    She waves her hand in the air between us.
“This thing with us...I don’t know what this is. But I had a life
before you showed up and I’ll have one when you leave.”
    “Who says I’m leaving?” I grip the back of
her neck and haul her close. Leaning over I say softly, “You’re
mine.”
    The doorbell rings a third time and without
releasing her, I yank it open--and in waltzes Tim Monroe. He arches
an eyebrow at the scene in the entryway, and an icy rage moves
through me. My hands fist. I want to wipe the smirk off Monroe’s
face. Serenity breaks free of me and sets a hand over my heart, her
eyes demanding silence.
    She turns to her date and smiles. “Give us a
minute, Tim, please.”
    Dragging me from the room, she pulls me into
the bedroom and shuts the door behind us. Then she rounds on me,
her eyes shooting sparks as she pokes her finger in my chest. If I
wasn’t so angry, I would laugh at her attempt to push me around.
It’s kind of cute. Instead, I take a step back and set my hands on
my hips.
    “You could have canceled this,” I say
coldly.
    Her eyes narrow. “Maybe I didn’t want to.
Maybe I have reasons that have nothing to do with you.”
    My gut twists. I’ve already figured out she’s
dating Monroe to investigate him. I should have talked to her about
this before but since we’re together I figured she’d drop the
dating pretense. It fucking pisses me off that she hasn’t. Monroe
was the worst of the worst in a bad crowd years ago, but he’s ten
times worse now. His family money and name protected him from
getting busted when he was a kid and it looks like he’s led a
charmed life since then, straightening up and turning his family’s
failing business around. But I know better. Someone that bent
doesn’t go clean. That’s already been confirmed but I can’t tell
her that.
    “You can’t go, Serenity,” I say.
    She rolls her eyes. “I don’t have time for
this. I’ll see you later.”
    “Not good enough, Serenity.” I shake her
shoulders. “Monroe may look pretty, but he’s dangerous.”
    Stiffening, she breaks free and moves away.
“Believe it or not, I know that.”
    I know she does and that just pisses me off
more. Monroe calls out from the other room. “Um, Lynn? I hate to
rush you, but we’re late.”
    She shudders. “He gives me the creeps. We can
talk later. If you’re still around.”
    “Oh, I’ll be here.” I take my time looking
over her over. I still want that quickie and something not so
fast.
    She yanks the door open and stalks into the
living room where Monroe waits. Hands in his pockets, he stands
beside the door as if he has all the time in the world. I want to
smash his face in, but maybe a demonstration will be more
effective. Without saying a word, I pick up Serenity’s coat off the
couch and help her shrug into it. Then I step around her and button
it up.
    She fidgets in the silence and when the task
is complete, I take her face in the palms of my hands and kiss her.
It’s a slow deep kiss and I pour all my conflicting emotions into
it--my possessiveness, anger and desire. It only lasts a moment,
but it leaves us both breathless and when I look up and met
Monroe’s gaze, I know my message had been delivered. My woman.
Back off.
    “I’ll be here when you