She noticed his knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel with all his considerable strength. Swallowing hard, she finally worked up the courage to poke the tiger. “What’s wrong?”

He looked over at her, seeming incredulous, before returning his attention to the road.

“So you’re just not going to tell me? It’s not my fault Jim did that! I hadn’t seen him in weeks.”

No reply. Fantastic.

She crossed her arms to contain her own fury, which was mounting by the second.

He pulled into the long driveway that led to their home a few minutes later, the truck swerving as he braked abruptly, threw the truck into Park and got out. Opening her door, he said, “Come.”

“I don’t want to. You’re acting like a madman.”

“I’m acting like a madman?”

“Yes! What the hell has gotten into you?”

“You want to know what’s gotten into me?”

“Stop answering my questions with questions!”

“Then how about you tell me what the hell you were thinking confronting a man who has professed his hatred for you to anyone who will listen when he’s wielding a fucking butcher knife?”

All of a sudden, she got why he was so upset. She’d scared him. She released her seat belt and turned to him, still sitting in the SUV while he stood outside. “Blaine…”

“Don’t do that. Don’t go all soft like that and think you’re going to get out of this by sweet-talking me. He could’ve killed you!”

Despite his reluctance, she put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her. “You were right there, and you never would’ve let that happen.”

“What were you thinking confronting him like that? He was clearly over the edge and looking for vengeance. You nearly made it easy for him.”

“I wasn’t thinking about anything other than trying to make him stop before things got even worse. I knew you were right there and would protect me if it went bad.” She leaned in to kiss him. “I knew you were right there.”

“Baby,” he said with a tortured moan as he hugged her so tightly she couldn’t breathe, “don’t ever do anything like that again. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you.”

“You have to promise me. I think my heart stopped for a second there when I saw you approach him. I need you to promise.”

“I promise.”

He scooped her right up and out of the truck and carried her to the house, kicking the door open and then kicking it closed behind them.

Tiffany wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love and desire he aroused in her every time he touched her. “You scared me, too, you know.”

“When? When did I scare you?”