lingering touch or hold this time.
She really had fucked up.
Jeannette walked to the front door hastily as they followed. Five more steps. Key in the door. Step inside. Freedom.
She made it as far as the key in the door before Diego’s hand covered hers. Jeannette jerked away as if she’d touched a hot stove. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
Any normal guy would read the dismissal in her tone and get lost.
“Turn around, Jeannette.” As always, Diego used that deep, commanding voice that had her body reacting before her brain could kick in. She turned, but she kept her eyes averted.
“I owe you an apology.”
Her gaze flew up at his unexpected comment. “What?”
“I pushed too hard. Taking more than you were willing to give. It won’t happen again.”
Her heart fell. She’d accomplished her goal, shoved them away. So much for creating a new Jeannette. This old dog was way beyond the learning-new-tricks phase.
“It’s okay. I understand.” She truly did. She was hard work and she wouldn’t wish herself on anyone. “Good night.”
Diego slid the key from her door before she could twist it in the lock. She glanced back at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not finished talking.”
Jeannette leaned against the front door, weary beyond words. The night had been one long roller coaster of mixed emotions. She wanted off the ride.
“Diego—”
“I can see in your eyes that you don’t understand a damn thing. So I’m going to spell it out. This isn’t over.”
She frowned, her gaze drifting from Diego to Luc and back again. A wall of sheer determination surrounded her. “I can’t do what you—”
Luc reached for her hand. She forced herself not to react, not to pull away. “Aren’t you tired of running, Jeannette?”
She nodded slowly.
“It’s time to stop.”
“I don’t know how to do any of this,” she admitted, giving voice to just one of her many fears.
Luc gave her that affable, crooked grin of his and she found herself returning it. “We’ll teach you. It’s as easy as dancing.”
Strangely, his assertion comforted her. Dancing with them had been easy. Actually, the whole night had been. Until she’d freaked out.
Regardless, she offered them one more out. “I think it would be a lot easier if we just left it here.”
Diego crossed his arms. “I’m not looking for easy.”
She owed him some sort of olive branch. After all, he apologized for something that wasn’t even his fault. “I’m sorry for walking away from you on the dance floor.”
He smiled, and then he cupped her cheek. “We’ll have plenty more chances to dance.”
She wasn’t sure she had any more dances in her.
“I can see you’re not finished fighting this,” Diego continued, “so let’s go ahead and make plans for the next time. I don’t intend to spend the next few days listening to your voice mail while you try to avoid us. When’s your next night off?”
The damn man was pushy as hell, which didn’t annoy her as much as it should. “Wednesday.”
“Great. Luc and I will pick you up at six and take you out to dinner.”
“Fine.”
Luc chuckled. “That’s it? No argument?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Would there be any point? Despite what I say now, you’ll both be here at six on Wednesday, won’t you?”
Luc winked. “Damn right.”
“Then my answer is the same. Fine.”
Luc leaned toward her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “See you Wednesday.”
He backed away as Diego stepped forward. He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Wear a dress for us?”
She’d never heard a question in one of his commands before. It touched her.
She rarely dressed up. In fact, she only owned two dresses, both Sunday dresses that were appropriate for church, but not very exciting for a date. Of course, the wholesome dresses would probably serve her purpose better.
Even as she thought it, she knew she was going shopping for a new dress. “Okay.”
He
She really had fucked up.
Jeannette walked to the front door hastily as they followed. Five more steps. Key in the door. Step inside. Freedom.
She made it as far as the key in the door before Diego’s hand covered hers. Jeannette jerked away as if she’d touched a hot stove. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
Any normal guy would read the dismissal in her tone and get lost.
“Turn around, Jeannette.” As always, Diego used that deep, commanding voice that had her body reacting before her brain could kick in. She turned, but she kept her eyes averted.
“I owe you an apology.”
Her gaze flew up at his unexpected comment. “What?”
“I pushed too hard. Taking more than you were willing to give. It won’t happen again.”
Her heart fell. She’d accomplished her goal, shoved them away. So much for creating a new Jeannette. This old dog was way beyond the learning-new-tricks phase.
“It’s okay. I understand.” She truly did. She was hard work and she wouldn’t wish herself on anyone. “Good night.”
Diego slid the key from her door before she could twist it in the lock. She glanced back at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not finished talking.”
Jeannette leaned against the front door, weary beyond words. The night had been one long roller coaster of mixed emotions. She wanted off the ride.
“Diego—”
“I can see in your eyes that you don’t understand a damn thing. So I’m going to spell it out. This isn’t over.”
She frowned, her gaze drifting from Diego to Luc and back again. A wall of sheer determination surrounded her. “I can’t do what you—”
Luc reached for her hand. She forced herself not to react, not to pull away. “Aren’t you tired of running, Jeannette?”
She nodded slowly.
“It’s time to stop.”
“I don’t know how to do any of this,” she admitted, giving voice to just one of her many fears.
Luc gave her that affable, crooked grin of his and she found herself returning it. “We’ll teach you. It’s as easy as dancing.”
Strangely, his assertion comforted her. Dancing with them had been easy. Actually, the whole night had been. Until she’d freaked out.
Regardless, she offered them one more out. “I think it would be a lot easier if we just left it here.”
Diego crossed his arms. “I’m not looking for easy.”
She owed him some sort of olive branch. After all, he apologized for something that wasn’t even his fault. “I’m sorry for walking away from you on the dance floor.”
He smiled, and then he cupped her cheek. “We’ll have plenty more chances to dance.”
She wasn’t sure she had any more dances in her.
“I can see you’re not finished fighting this,” Diego continued, “so let’s go ahead and make plans for the next time. I don’t intend to spend the next few days listening to your voice mail while you try to avoid us. When’s your next night off?”
The damn man was pushy as hell, which didn’t annoy her as much as it should. “Wednesday.”
“Great. Luc and I will pick you up at six and take you out to dinner.”
“Fine.”
Luc chuckled. “That’s it? No argument?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Would there be any point? Despite what I say now, you’ll both be here at six on Wednesday, won’t you?”
Luc winked. “Damn right.”
“Then my answer is the same. Fine.”
Luc leaned toward her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “See you Wednesday.”
He backed away as Diego stepped forward. He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Wear a dress for us?”
She’d never heard a question in one of his commands before. It touched her.
She rarely dressed up. In fact, she only owned two dresses, both Sunday dresses that were appropriate for church, but not very exciting for a date. Of course, the wholesome dresses would probably serve her purpose better.
Even as she thought it, she knew she was going shopping for a new dress. “Okay.”
He
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