Page 42 of His Own Heaven

He caged her against the door. “I meant what I said earlier, Lucy. Fuck our rules.”

“No.” She refused to meet his gaze. “Rules exist for a reason. And I was wrong to break mine. I’m sorry.”

No. He tried again. “Lucy—”

“You should go,” she said, looking past him to the street. “Charlie looks like he’s about to chew through his seat belt.”

Scowling, Toby glanced over his shoulder and saw she was right. His brother was getting panicky again.

Pushing away from the door, he slowly walked backwards towards the truck, refusing to stop looking at his infuriating woman sooner than he had to. “This conversation isn’t over, Lucy,” he said. “I’ll call you later.”

“Just focus on your family, okay? And I’ll see you tomorrow. Boss.”

Before he could issue any further protests, she disappeared inside and her front door closed with a slam.

Fuck.

Chapter Fourteen

The drive to Nambour took a little less than two hours, and Toby spent the whole time trying to sort through his feelings for a woman who apparently felt nothing for him.

“Rules exist for a reason. And I was wrong to break mine. I’m sorry.”

She was sorry?

Fuck sorry.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. Didn’t want to believe it. This was why he didn’t date. This was why he kept to himself, why he only fucked women when his body absolutely demanded it, and why he never, ever let himself get too close to anyone who wasn’t related to him.

Except the tightness in his chest every time he thought about the sexy blonde with the sassy mouth and intoxicating eyes made him think that maybe, just maybe, he’d gone and done exactly that. He’d gotten close to someone without meaning to.

And that gorgeous creature had not only gotten under his skin, she’d dug in deep.

A woman who apparently didn’t want him.

The last time he’d let that happen had been more than twenty years ago, when he’d been a naive nineteen-year-old kid, flattered by the attentions of a thirty-three-year-old woman. He’d rushed headlong into that relationship—if it could even be called that—too. But he’d been able to blame that disaster on the inexperience of youth.

Not this time.

This time Toby knew better. At least he thought he had.

Charlie had barely spoken a word in the truck, just stared out the window or texted back and forth with their youngest brother, Oliver. Not that the messages ever changed.

Charlie:???

Ollie:Still waiting. No news yet.

As they entered the ER waiting room, they were confronted by chaos. A fight had broken out between two young women, and security guards were attempting to break it up. A small boy was wailing at the top of his lungs and clutching his arm to his chest, and another kid had just thrown up on the floor while his mother juggled an infant on one shoulder and dug thorough the large purse she had slung over the other.

From the back corner of the room, a familiar woman waved to them, and they hurried over the meet her.

“What took you two so long?” Abby said, their little sister frowning even as she hugged them in turn. “Slower than a wet week, the pair of you. We expected you half an hour ago.”

Toby stumbled to reply. “I… we… ah….”

“We had to drop a friend at home first,” Charlie said, coming to Toby’s aid.

He shot his brother a grateful look.

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