If only

adopted.”

“Poor puppy.” Vance wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his solid chest. “We’ll be at your graduation and your party too.”

“Really?”

“Ayuh.” Galen agreed.

All her unspoken emotions dammed her throat. Finally she managed to speak. Her words came out husky. “Thank you.”

* * *

Vance watched as Sally came to a sudden halt just inside her studio apartment. Poor girl.

“Christ in a cave,” she whispered.

He put his arm around her and surveyed the mess. She’d undoubtedly been too upset last night to comprehend all the damage done to her apartment. Broken glass glittered from everywhere, including on the bed and embedded in the carpet. Spilled liquids and bloodstained walls and carpet. Broken furniture. “It’s a mess, sweetheart.”

“Yeah.” She leaned against him, pleasing him.

What was there about a woman’s need that made a man stand straighter? “We can pick up the worst of it, but the wall stains and carpets need professional help.”

“But—”

He gave her a level look. “Galen and I will handle that part. And if it bothers us, we’ll visit Borup and make him foot the bill.” Galen said the guy had no priors so he wouldn’t do much time. More like probation, alcohol and anger classes.

Yeah, a quick visit after the asshole was released would be fun.

“Vance. I can handle this.”

“I know you can.” He ran his fingers through her silky mink-colored hair. Fuck, he loved long hair. Instant hard-on. Reluctantly he released her and watched her limp into the apartment. “I’m going to help anyway.”

“Right.” Awkwardly, she turned in a circle to study the room, her forehead endearingly wrinkled.

He waited, figuring she needed more time to adjust to the trauma. Considering how the senseless destruction outraged him, he could only imagine what she must feel. Despite the small size of the studio and the extent of the damage, he could see she’d made herself a cozy, colorful place. The apartment had the typical off- white walls and beige carpet, but her couch was dark red, the chairs black. Floral pillows blended the colors together, as did the scattered rugs on top of the carpet and the black-framed pictures.

Bold yet warm, much like Sally.

“Okay,” she said finally. “I saw a good-sized box at the end of the hall. I can use that to toss the broken stuff and glass into, if you’ll put the furniture back into place. If I can just get the worst of it up, I can vacuum, and then as long as I remember not to jump out of bed without putting on shoes, I can manage.”

While he’d thought she was mourning, she’d been formulating a plan of action. How did he keep underestimating her?

But did she seriously think they’d let her try to live here? “Sally, you do realize that after we’ve cleaned up, you’re going to pack some clothes and come home with me.”

Her jaw dropped. “I’m what? No way.”

Good God, she’d thought he brought her back to drop her off like that fucking puppy at the pound? “Sweetheart, if we’re going to work with you, we need you available, don’t you think?” Leaning a shoulder against the wall, he watched her face.

It clouded over like a Tampa thunderstorm. “I can’t live with you.”

She’d make a lousy poker player, but once they finally got her in bed, those unrestrained expressions would be a delight. “Why not? Do we make you that nervous?”

Her back straightened. “Of course not.”

Liar. “Try again.”

“I…” She bit her lip. “Kind of. Besides, putting me up would be an imposition.”

She really was cute. And more fucking vulnerable than they’d realized. He and Galen would have to walk carefully around her. Oddly enough, the thought didn’t bother him at all. He pulled her back into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “Do either Galen or I look like the type of Doms who’d do something we didn’t enjoy?”

“Actually, yes.” She rubbed her forehead on his chest. “I think you really do take on a lot of stuff you don’t like.”

Mmm. Very perceptive. “But not with women.”

In fact, they’d been careful to pick ones who wanted a fun night or scene and nothing more. He molded her against him, enjoying the soft curves. “You’re going to be a bit of work, sweetness, but we’ll demand things from you to compensate.”

“Sex.”

He chuckled at her matter-of-fact tone, then without warning, fisted her long hair and tugged her head back so he could watch her face. When he cupped her breast, her nipple peaked immediately. Pink surged into her face, and her pupils dilated. As he slowly caressed her breast, feeling the heat against his palm, he said quietly, “If we didn’t think sex would be a treat for all of us, we wouldn’t have played with you to begin with. Were we wrong?”

He held her in place although she looked down and tried to pull away. No, she wasn’t going to hide her face. “Eyes on me.” He waited until her gaze met his. “Answer my question.”

“No… I mean, you’re not wrong.”

“Do you like my hands on you?”

The pink increased to an alluring red. “Yes,” she muttered.

Damn, he liked throwing her off balance. “Good answer. As to compensation for room and board, I think Galen wanted you to recover a hard drive that a virus trashed.”

She blinked, looking so startled he laughed. “Oh. Well, sure. I can do that,” she said.

“Good. Let’s get your place cleaned up, and you can fill a suitcase.” He waited until she made it to the middle of the room before adding, “I will—of course—help you decide what clothes you should pack.”

Definitely not a poker player.

* * *

That evening, Sally followed Galen into a room she hadn’t seen before. She stopped and stared. Wow. The entire house was a rehab patchwork. Some rooms were a broken-down mess; some were spectacular. This office was fantastic—very masculine with hardwood floors and light wood wainscoting. Leather chairs. A dark wood filing cabinet and bookcase shared one wall. At least, the oriental carpet and arched windows softened the testosterone. A bit.

Two antique desks held computers—and as far as she was concerned, that juxtaposition of old and new never looked quite right.

A massive round table filled the center of the room; the polished wood surface looked big enough to hold a person, which was a very…interesting thought. When Galen stopped at the table and tapped the surface, her cheeks flushed.

One of his eyebrows quirked up. He didn’t comment on her undoubtedly red face—thank you, God—but simply said, “You can set up your laptop here. The center compartment holds electrical plugs.”

Plugs. She’d heard the guys liked everything anal. Oh God, her mind was totally in the gutter, because the thought of his lean, ruthless fingers pushing a plug into her ass totally fizzed her hormones. She could feel her color heightening, so she shrugged and turned away. “Nice techie setup. And quite amazing. Considering your age, I figured you’d think a hard drive was a long trip on the road.”

His fingers gripped her chin and turned her to face him. He gave her a level look. “Yes, I probably have a decade on you. I definitely have enough years to know a little subbie is tossing out insults because she’s nervous.”

Oh shit. She could actually feel her color moving past red into fluorescent levels.