I touched Rock’s hard shoulder. Tingles shot through me at the contact.

He turned to face me, his emerald eyes burning. “Lacey.”

I cleared my throat. “Thank you. You didn’t need to do that.”

“I heard your date ask for separate checks.”

“I’m perfectly able to pay for my own dinner, as you well know.”

He smiled. Damn, he was gorgeous. Those green eyes twinkled like no others. He stood, took my arm, and walked me out of earshot of his brothers.

“I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow,” he whispered in my ear. “And we won’t be getting separate checks.”

A warm shudder ran through me. His breath on my ear, his husky voice, his nearness. Everything about him put me on high alert. Everything about him made me want to forget all logic and hop into bed.

Still, I resisted. “I might be busy tomorrow night.”

“Get unbusy.”

My knees weakened. “I might be able to do that.”

“Make it happen.”

A jolt landed between my legs. “Rock, I—”

“Just do it, Lacey.”

I gulped. I was never one to take orders, but everything in me screamed to take this one. To obey him without question. To cancel anything and everything to accommodate his needs, wants, and desires.

“All right, Rock.” I smiled. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wrong,” he said huskily. “You’ll see me tonight. As soon as I get done with those two bozos.”

“But you—”

He cut me off with a quick kiss to my lips. “I won’t be long.”

31

Rock

“So Dad’s attorney is still your flavor of the week?” Reid said when I returned.

Lacey Ward had me hot and bothered. Damn, I could still smell her. Her fresh fragrance was all over me. For some reason, Reid’s comment irked me. “I’m not you, Reid. I don’t have flavors of the week.”

“Sorry. Flavor of the month, then?” He gestured for the bartender to bring another round.

“No more for me, thanks,” I said.

“We’re not done talking about this,” Roy said. “This has me freaked.”

“I get that,” I said, “but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

My brother didn’t look convinced.

And then something dawned on me. Did Roy have anything to do with our father’s murder? No. Not even in the realm of possibility. Roy was an old soul. A gentle soul.

Still, he’d taken the same beatings the rest of us had, and God only knew what had occurred after I’d left at fourteen.

Had Derek Wolfe broken Roy? Had our middle brother gone rogue?

Roy Wolfe was anything but rogue. I’d never believe he had anything to do with Dad’s death. But I had to ask.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Roy?”

He shook his head as he sipped the last of his drink, not meeting my gaze. “Just the call.”