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to her, he scared her into running away. It had taken him a long time to realize he wanted to be Ally’s “Rob” not some nameless chick’s “Dom.”
    And that was the truth of it. A truth he’d struggled to acknowledge over the years and had finally had the balls to admit. He was Ally’s. And if this was the only way she would let him get close to her, he’d go for it with everything he had. With a soft, heartfelt curse, he got into his truck and turned the key. Dammit, he was already committed. Whatever he’d started, he was determined to see it through to the end.

4
    A lly straightened up and rubbed her aching back. Between painting the house and not sleeping well, her whole body was complaining. At least the kitchen walls were a gleaming white now, the blue tiles scrubbed, and the gray bleached out of the grout. There was still a lot to do, but it kept her busy. She pushed her hair out of her face. Busy was good. It gave her less time to brood.
    A knock at the back door made her turn, and she frowned at the big brown shape through the frosted glass. Was it Rob again? He’d said he wouldn’t be back until she asked him, but he was so full of shit. She walked across to the door and then hesitated. Years of living in New York had sharpened her sense of self-preservation.
    â€œWho’s there?”
    â€œIt’s me, Jackson Smith.”
    Ally brought her hand to her mouth. She hadn’t seen Jackson since that night when she’d sought comfort in his arms and all hell had broken loose. She took a deep breath. He was just another obstacle she had to overcome. She’d faced Rob; surely Jackson would be easier? He certainly was sweeter.
    Ally turned the key and opened the door. Jackson took off his sunglasses, but he didn’t smile as he looked down at her. His skin was the color of burnished copper, courtesy of his Lakota father, and, as usual, his almost-black eyes concealed his thoughts.
    â€œHi.”
    â€œHi, would you like to come in?” Ally gestured awkwardly into the house.
    â€œSure.” He followed her inside and waited by the table, his gaze roaming the kitchen as if he expected an ambush.
    Ally folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the countertop. “You look well.”
    â€œThanks.” His gaze briefly connected with hers. “You look thin.”
    â€œModels are supposed to be thin. Don’t you know that?”
    He studied the faded linoleum. “But you haven’t been modeling for quite a while now, have you?”
    Ally tensed. “Did Rob tell you that?”
    A brief smile flickered over his stern face. “No. I can read.”
    â€œAll that shit on the Internet?”
    â€œNot just that.”
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œPolice reports, that kind of stuff. I worked as an NYC cop for a while before I moved back to California.”
    â€œOh.” Ally felt like he’d shoved his fist in her gut. “Then you know why I’m here.”
    Again he considered her. “Not really.”
    She sighed. “To make things right for one thing, to apologize to the people I hurt, and that definitely includes you.”
    His head came up. “Are you sure about that?”
    â€œJackson, I put you in an appalling position. I almost destroyed your friendship with Rob—and what about Susan? I sure did ruin her life, didn’t I?”
    He shrugged. “You had your reasons.”
    â€œWhat the hell does that mean?”
    His smile was gentle. “It means you should forgive yourself.”
    â€œEasy for you to say.”
    â€œI’ve had plenty of time to think it through, and the blame wasn’t all yours. I was equally to blame; you know that.”
    Ally studied him for a long moment. How come it was so much easier to be honest with Jackson than it was with Rob? “I know that now, but I’m still sorry, Jackson.”
    â€œApology accepted.” He dug his