Wanton. Lori Foster

heard a shuffling, and the next words were muffled. “Shh, just a minute honey. It’s Alec.” Then into the receiver, “Good job. I never doubted it, Alec. Now I’m kind of busy—”

      “She was dressed like a tramp, hanging out in a bar trying to pick up Jacobs.”

      Dane uttered one short, crude word.

      “Yeah, that’s how I figured it. I got her out of there, but she’s determined to go back. She has some damned vigilante attitude about saving Hannah Barrington.” Alec couldn’t quite keep the disgust from his tone, but every time he thought of Celia putting herself on the line for the Barrington girl he wanted to rage against the injustice of it.

      Very quietly, Dane said, “I’m glad she’s concerned, despite how you feel about it, Alec. But I don’t want her involved in that mess.”

      “I threatened to fire her if she didn’t back off.”

      Dane cursed again.

      With a wry twist to his mouth, Alec said, “I see you already guessed how she reacted to that.”

      “You’re slipping, buddy.”

      “Like hell. I’ll drag her home if I have to. But I’m not leaving her here alone to tangle with Jacobs.”

      “Why are you so worried if you really think there’s no problem for Hannah?”

      Alec stilled as he realized he’d backed himself into a corner. Even Dane didn’t know his complete reasoning for wanting no part of this particular case, but being Dane, he was likely making some pretty damn astute guesses. Alec tried for a bluff. “Hannah’s probably having the time of her life. But your damn sister alone is trouble waiting to happen.”

      “Celia’s not as fragile as you think.” Alec heard a voice in the background, heard Dane whispering, and then he said, “Angel wants to talk to you.”

      “No! Damn it, Dane, don’t you dare—”

      “Hello, Alec.”

      Alec sighed. When he got Dane alone, he was going to strangle him. “Hi, hon. How’re you feeling?” Angel didn’t seem to have any problems carrying this baby, but like Dane, Alec would feel a lot better if she took things a little easier. The trauma she’d gone through with her first son, Grayson, was still fresh in everyone’s mind—except maybe Angel’s.

      “I’d be feeling a lot better if you’d quit trying to bully Celia.”

      “Well—”

      “I’ve gotten rather fond of you, Alec, despite my first impressions. And Grayson adores you. But if you don’t stop pushing Celia around, she’s going to kill you.”

      “Well—”

      “Not only that, but I’d think you could be a little more understanding. She’s trying to start a new life, which means putting the old life behind her. But you won’t help her at all! All you keep doing is telling her that she can’t possibly do it.”

      “Well—”

      “I’ve finally gotten Dane to lighten up on her a little, and what do you do? You step in and pretend to be her father and big brother and husband all wrapped into one.”

      Alec held the phone away from his head and stared at it, appalled. He sure as hell didn’t feel like a blood relative where Celia was concerned, and he’d be damned if he’d ever be a husband again. He was a man who learned from life’s little lessons, and that one in particular was one he’d never forget.

      When he cautiously returned the receiver to his ear, he caught Angel in mid-tirade, still going strong. The water shut off in the bathroom and Alec quickly interrupted Angel. “I gotta go, sweetie. Tell Dane not to worry. I’ll take care of things.”

      “Wait a minute!”

      He sighed again, feeling very put upon. “What?”

      Angel wasn’t the least put off by his surly tone. “Will you stay there and help Celia or not?”

      Tonight appeared to be his night to reason with unreasonable women. “It’s dangerous, Angel. She could get hurt.”

      “Not with you there to watch over things. Dane says you’re the very best. I know you can handle this and make sure Celia stays safe.”

      He felt cornered, damn it, and his tone lowered to a growl. “I don’t want to stay here and make sure she’s safe. It’s a wasted trip.”

      “Celia doesn’t think so.”

      The soft way Angel spoke made him feel guilty. Was he being insensitive to Celia? Was it really so dangerous that he couldn’t indulge her, or was it just his own personal prejudice against this case that was deciding him?

      It took him less than two seconds to realize it was both.

      Angel wasn’t done laying on the guilt. Funny how all women seemed to instinctively know the shortest route to manipulating a man, even a man they couldn’t claim as their own.

      Why the hell didn’t Dane step in and provide some distraction?

      “Alec, are you listening to me?”

      “Yeah.”

      “If you’re not going to stay, then I can’t possibly go off on a trip and leave Celia alone. She’ll need someone who understands and supports her.”

      Alec wondered if offering understanding and support would soften Celia a little, help remove that damn “no” from her vocabulary.

      Dane’s hard tone interrupted his musing, blaring into the phone even though Angel still held it. “He’ll stay.”

      Giving in to the inevitable, now that he’d admitted to himself he could keep Celia safe, Alec echoed with a sigh, “I’ll stay.”

      “Good.” There was a second’s pause, just enough to prepare him, before she added, “We love you, Alec.”

      He heard Dane snicker in the background and felt his entire face heat. He hated it when Angel did that, got all mushy on him, and Dane damn well knew it, which was probably why he encouraged her in that melodramatic crap. He didn’t want her to say the words and he sure as hell didn’t want her to feel them. Not for him. He could do without love, just as he always had. In fact, he preferred it that way.

      Of course, what he preferred never seemed to matter much once Angel had her mind set on something. And she’d made him a part of their family, which meant she was determined that he accept her love. Unaccountable female.

      Trying not to sound too surly, or worse, like he was embarrassed by her affection, Alec muttered, “Yeah, well, good night.” He hung up quickly, just as Celia opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

      She had on faded jeans that fit her slim legs to perfection and a soft, thin T-shirt that draped over the small mounds of her breasts. She looked great dressed up, but he found her just as appealing when she dressed down, maybe even more so.

      The first thing that clearly registered in his beleaguered brain was the fact she was braless. Then he took in her bare feet, her scrubbed pink face and slicked-back, still-wet hair, and everything in him tightened. Brother, father, husband hell. He wanted to be her lover.

      He stood slowly, unable to pull his gaze away from her. “I ordered up some food. It should be here soon.”

      She nodded, not quite meeting his eyes. She had that killer dress and the high heels in her arms and she laid them aside on the dresser. As she moved, Alec noticed her limping slightly and he scowled.

      “Are you hurt?”

      “No.”

      He stepped closer, just about sick of her playing so timid. On some level, he enjoyed scrapping with her, though he’d never admit it to her. But fighting with Celia was, in many ways, more enjoyable than having sex with other women. It surely