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was a bit odd. Of course, she was sexy enough to offset any strange behavior. Luckily, she hadn’t yet noticed his arrival. It was probably due to the earbuds tucked in each ear and the music he could hear in spite of them. She’d lose her hearing at a young age at this rate. The knowledge didn’t stop him from taking full advantage of her distraction by staring at her ass. After all, it was perfect and he was a guy.
    When she had trouble reaching one of the upper corners of the window, she balanced her weight with one foot on the edge of her step stool and the other on her mattress. The motion drew his attention to the bed. She was right there and he was right there. The bed was the only thing between them. It was also on the floor, missing its frame. That stopped his rapid descent into hell before it truly picked up speed. Casting a glance around the room, he spotted the bed’s frame leaning in the corner. It was one thing to have mattresses set directly on the floor if it didn’t have a frame. It was another when it did. In fact, several things about her room set off warning bells in his brain. Tristan couldn’t decide what it was about it that bothered him.
    Testing a theory, he stepped fully inside the room and closed the door. A chain rattled as it slapped against the wood. Riley leaped from the stool in her surprise, losing her balance and releasing a loud squeak. With a Herculean effort on his part, Tristan somehow managed to close the distance between them and catch her before she hit the floor.
    Riley’s eyes were wild with some unnamed emotion. From her vantage point in his arms, and inches from the floor, she stared into his face. He slowly eased her back to her feet. The muscles in her jaw ticked, as if she was clenching her teeth. She tugged the earbuds out.
    “It’s okay,” Tristan soothed, unsure of her mood. He half expected she was going to explode into a rage at any moment. There was no other explanation for her eerie silence. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He kept his hold on her waist in case she planned to come apart. For some odd reason, the thought made him smile. Riley’s gaze shifted to his mouth. The panicked light in her eyes seeped away. She visibly unlocked her teeth, working her jaw loose. Her fingers tightened on his t-shirt, making him realize she was clinging to him.
    “It’s not nice to sneak up on people.”
    At her admonishment, he motioned toward the closed door. “Sorry. I—” She yanked, catching him off guard, and hauling him forward. Going up on her toes, Riley slammed her mouth over his, cutting off his explanation. The world tilted. His heart raced and his pulse pounded in his ears. It was immediate. Lust rocked him. Holding Riley in place by her hair, he grabbed a handful of the ass that had been teasing him only moments earlier and hauled her against him. Her hips cradled his erection. She rubbed against him, stealing away every ounce of his good sense. If he’d ever wanted anyone as much as he wanted her, Tristan couldn’t recall it. Her fingers stroked his sides. Skin on skin. The chain on the door rattled.
    “Riley, Brother Daniels’ truck is out front. Have you…” Tristan jumped away from Riley as Billy burst onto the scene. The woman froze as she caught sight of him standing in the center of Riley’s bedroom. No doubt, he was also looking guilty as sin…and turned on. He definitely was that. A groan rose in his throat. “Oh. There you are.”
    “Riley fell,” he said without giving her a chance to question what she’d—no doubt—witnessed coming through the door.
    A loving expression touched her features as she eyed them both. “I’m not surprised. Poor girl. You wouldn’t believe how many calls I got from West Anaheim ER, letting me know my baby had broken another bone.” Billy’s voice hardened. “Especially, since my no-good sister, Marty…”
    “Billy, please?” Riley said, cutting her off.
    With a sheepish grin, Billy