Drunk Dial (Hard Core #1) (Hard Core Series) by Carly Michaels Page B

the gourmet kitchen, which opened to the sunken family room. “Positive. But my ex was an interior designer, so I let her have her way with the place when I bought it.”
    “Is this the ex who cheated on you?” she asked, jumping up onto one of the bar-height chairs at the center island.
    “Yeah, but I try not to let that color my opinion of the house.” I shrugged. “She may have been a bitch, but she had good taste.”
    “Was she a bitch?” Lacy asked, propping her chin in her palm. “Or are you just bitter because she broke your heart?”
    I stepped between her legs, resting my hands on her hips. “She didn’t break my heart. She hurt my pride. There’s a difference.”
    “I guess there is,” she said, setting her hands on my shoulders. “I was glad to see you tonight. I couldn’t stop thinking about you after what happened this morning.”
    I slipped my hands under her hair, circling the back of her neck. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.” I chuckled. “Got my goddamn bell rung a few times because of it too. Having Ace as a sparring partner can really suck. He shows no mercy, especially when I’m distracted.”
    “I like that I distract you,” she said, licking her lips.
    I groaned, leaning in to taste her moist lips. “You keep distracting me like that, and Morales is going to kill me when we step into that cage.”
    “I’m not worried,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You can take him.”
    Her faith in me warmed me in places that had been cold for a long, long time. “Thanks, babe.” But I’d brought her here to talk, not make out, so I gestured to the stainless steel fridge. “You want something to eat or drink?”
    “Maybe just a water?”
    “Sure.” I pointed at the brown leather couches facing each other in the large family room. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right in.”
    Since I wasn’t sure whether she’d had a chance to eat at work, I made a platter of fruit with cheese and crackers and brought it in to her, along with a couple of bottles of water.
    “Thanks,” she said, tucking her legs under while reaching for a stem of grapes.
    “My pleasure.” I realized I liked taking care of her, tending to her needs. Other women expected that from me, so I resented it. But Lacy was used to taking care of herself and wanted nothing from me, which only made me want to do more for her.
    She grabbed a couple of cheese squares and popped one in my mouth.
    “You seem nervous,” I said, noting that her gaze kept darting around the room. “You sure you’re okay?”
    She took a deep breath before taking a sip of water. “There are some things about me you need to know before we take this any further.”
    My heart was suddenly hammering, and I didn’t know why. Maybe because I didn’t want her to give me a viable reason for ending this before we’d explored how far it could go. “Okay.”
    “I’ve been married before.” She peeked up at me beneath a veil of long, dark lashes, obviously waiting for my reaction.
    I opened my mouth, then closed it again before running a hand over my head. “Okay, uh, wow. That’s not what I expected you to say.” I wanted to know everything about the guy who’d been stupid enough to let her get away, but I could tell this wasn’t easy for her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “Do I want to? No. Do I have to? Yes.” She ran her thumb over the faint scars peppering my knuckles. “You see, he was in prison. He’s out now, and my brothers and I have reason to believe he might come after me again. That could put you in harm’s way too, if you’re involved with me. So it’s only fair that I tell you.”
    I couldn’t believe she was worried about me when her own safety was on the line. “Why was he in prison?” I held my breath. Something told me I wasn’t going to like the answer, but learning her deepest, darkest secrets was more important to me than anything.
    “He tried to kill me.” Her voice