Page 75 of Dust Storm

I gripped the doorframe so hard I thought it would splinter in two. I gritted my teeth. “Cassandra?”

Her eyes went wide. “Yes?” It was barely a whisper.

I didn’t look at that hideous diamond ring. I looked at her. “Get that goddamn ring out of my house.”

And with that, I turned and stomped out the door.

I was a goddamn idiot.

Sweat beaded down my neck as I wedged the crowbar behind the cabinets and waited for the crack. Dust danced off every surface I touched. As the old, dry-rotted wood fell off the wall, I sneezed, stumbling back and nearly catching Mickey with the crowbar.

“Shit—”

I dropped the crowbar and grabbed onto the countertop, but it cracked and crumbled. I landed on my ass as a hailstorm of dust and debris rained down on me. I coughed, trying to get the asbestos out of my lungs.

I probably should have been wearing a respirator, but going without one was just another idiotic choice I had made today—right after walking away from Cassandra.

Make yourself useful.

She made it pretty damn clear I was welcome to join her. So why didn’t I?

Well, I was filthy for one.

I had shit to get done before the kids got home.

I had just stopped by to make sure she made it back alright, though I already knew she had after watching the fit she pitched in the barn from a distance.

The way I saw it, Cass was a lot.

I didn’t mind that. In fact, I liked it. But not everyone could tolerate it. CJ hadn’t been put off by her and responded to her just fine, so I didn’t step in.

So why did I step in when she was playing with her body?

The devil inside me won this afternoon.

I rested my elbows on my knees as I resigned to sitting on the floor.

If Cassandra was going to be here any longer, things were going to be weird if we were under the same roof.

I had only meant to walk through the cabin to make a list of what needed to be taken care of to make it habitable.

Honestly, I would have bulldozed it, but the bones were good. It just needed work.

A lot of work that I didn’t have the time or energy for.

The walk through turned into hauling all the old furniture out for the boys to pick up as I thought about the way her chin tipped up and the tendons of her neck stretched tight as she chased that orgasm.

That turned into me grabbing the crowbar to take a whack at the ramshackle cabinets while I pictured those long legs tipping open to give me a peek at her pretty pussy over and over again.

Blood trickled from the side of my thumb where I had hit the countertop. A shard of wood stuck out of my skin. I hissed as I pulled it out and used my shirt to wipe the blood off.

“Give up already?”

I looked over my shoulder and found Nate lingering in the doorway.

“Shouldn’t you be on baby watch?” I asked as I pushed off the floor and wiped my dust-covered palms on my jeans.

He lifted a radio. “She kicked me out of the house.”

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