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thing to you.”
    “What?” His grip slipped and she shook him off.
    She busied herself with watching the thin stream of steam coming up from the kettle. He had effectively blocked her in the kitchen by standing in the doorway to the living room. She would not touch him or ask him to move after that piece of her scarred soul had escaped her lips.
    “What in blazes are you talking about?” He gripped both her upper arms this time, his gaze intense in the shadowy kitchen. “Answer me.”
    “You have more important things to do and so do I. I’m tired. I didn’t mean it, okay? It’s been a long day. You should be out looking for bad guys and I need to go to bed. You let yourself in, so you can let yourself out.” She walked away with a small teapot and a cup, heading for the sanctuary of her bedroom. She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t follow. Jackson did not do personal confrontations. While he would always stand up for the underdog and help his friends, when it came to emotional situations, he ducked out. It was another reason she didn’t want to depend on him more than she already did.
    She heard her front door open then close and did not feel any satisfaction in being right.

Chapter Four
    He shouldn’t have come. The grand opening of Wicked Ink was in full swing, lights blazing in the front windows, people milling around. The noise was loud enough to be heard from across the street where he stood on the curb.
    Catching a glimpse of her as she crossed in front of the storewide plate glass window didn’t make him feel any better. She glowed like a dark fairy in a dress as black as night. It fell halfway down her thighs, ending in some kind of froufrou hem. Her pale skin glinted in the overhead lights, the same lights that shot blue-tinted streaks into her midnight-black hair. She looked like she was having the time of her life.
    The way he’d left her last night would not make this any easier. But he’d promised he would be here tonight. Even Dory had called him this morning to make sure he would show up to socialize. Well, Jackson was a loner and he made no apologies for it. Garrett was his only friend. He had plenty of acquaintances and could make small talk to seal construction deals when he needed to, but he preferred to spend his free time alone.
    And now he was about to walk into a crush of people. Maybe he could go invisible. Then he could tell Lissa he’d been there without lying. He nixed the idea before it had a chance to take hold. She was going to be pissed at him for last night and there was no sense in making it worse. Things had been so much easier when he didn’t see her on a regular basis. Talking with her on the phone never made him imagine the things he’d struggled with last night as he tried to get to sleep in his big empty bed.
    There was nothing to do now but bite the bullet and go in. He crossed the busy street at the light, his steps slowing as he came even with the front door. Then he made a quick dash inside before he could be seen standing out front like some outsider wishing someone would invite him in from the cold.
    No one paid him any attention at first, which was fine by him. He made his way around the perimeter of the room that was jammed with people from every walk of life. Based on the number of cars out on the street, she must have invited a lot of out-of-towners—probably old clients.
    He bypassed the punch bowl, wishing for something stronger. And then he spotted her in the middle of the room. The dress made her stand out. Paired with the bright red heels on her feet and those swirl-patterned stockings on her incredibly long legs, it was all he could do to keep his tongue in his mouth.
    His feet were moving before he could stop them, taking him to her side. But then he realized she wasn’t alone.
    “Lissa, this is magnificent. The lighting, the furniture… The atmosphere of the space is astounding.” The guy had light brown hair, overly long to Jackson’s eye,