Page 133 of Play Dirty (Brooklyn Dawn 1)

He ignored George, anger vibrating off of him as he gazed at me. “Are you all right?”

“Of course.”

George blocked me from the stairs.

Nash was a little taller, but George had him on muscle and pure menace. Mostly. Nash seemed even pricklier than usual.

He came down the stairs to meet George, their chests brushing as they stood toe-to-toe. Nash tilted his head, cracking the bones in his neck.

“All right, back it up.” George held his hand out to me, shoving me behind him.

“Who the fuck is this, duchess?” Nash peered down the blade of his nose at George.

“For God’s sake.” I walked around both of them and stomped up the stairs to my front door.

“Lindsey.” George’s deep baritone had me pausing with my fingers over the keypad.

“He’s…an acquaintance.”

“Fuck that, I’m damn well more th

an that and you know it.” Nash’s Irish was thick and jagged.

“It’s fine, George. He’s mine.” Though I loathed to admit it right now. I was tired and pissed. Not one goddamn reply to my texts since last night. He knew I had a couple days off and still hadn’t bothered to commit to any time together. Now he thought he could just show up?

Nash took the stairs two at a time until he crowded me at the door.

“How the hell did you know I was here?”

He grabbed my elbow and turned me to face him. “Why the hell didn’t you call me?” His icy blue eyes were a bit wild in the dim security light shining on us.

George was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his arms crossed, his face stony. I peered around Nash. “Honestly, I’m fine. This is Alexander Nash.”

George’s shoulders relaxed fractionally. I was positive he’d heard me talking about him with Jamie. Then again, he’d also heard me bitching about Nash. And his gaze was directed on the proprietary hand on my arm. “Do you want him here?”

I honestly wasn’t sure. Did I really want to let Nash wrap his damn arms around me? Maybe I could lean on someone for a freaking moment. I was so tired of being strong all the damn time.

At the same time, I really didn’t want to be the woman he felt guilted into seeing. Obviously, someone had told him about the incident.

The steely backbone I’d relied on for the entirety of my career activated. I could only count on me. “I can get rid of him if it becomes necessary.”

Nash bristled behind me, and I gave him a shove with my elbow for good measure.

I disengaged the security. The scent of beeswax and fresh mint told me the cleaning service I used had been there recently. I was tempted to close the door on Nash, but of course he pushed his way inside.

“Make yourself at home.”

“Don’t give me that snide tone, duchess.”

“What are you doing here, Alex?”

As soon as the door closed, he had me up against it. I turned my face away from him, anger spiking and rattling inside my already jangling system. I was so tired and now that he was in front of me, I didn’t know what to do with all of my feelings.

He cupped my face and urged me to meet his gaze. Tears rose up and flooded at the echoing emotions in his eyes.

Everything with us was so wild and new. And fuck, I’d missed him. I knew he was pushing me away. I could feel it in every text and too-short conversation. I really didn’t want to let him inside my heart any further if he wasn’t going to stick around.

I didn’t want to want him.

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