As he handed it to her, she leaned around it and grabbed his notebook from the guitar case. “What’s this?”

He snagged it from her, his chest knotting up. “Shit. You don’t need to see.”

“Sorry. I know we’re not…I didn’t mean to pry.”

She started to get up, but he pulled her back down between his legs, belting one arm across her. “It’s not that. I don’t share it with anyone.” He didn’t know if it was the deflation of her tone or the emotions rattling the chains of the dungeon, or both, but he wanted to give her some kind of explanation so she would see that it wasn’t just her. “I write to get over shit and figure things out.”

She peeled his arm off her and turned so she could see him again. “Lots of people have diaries. I do the same thing, but with songs.”

Her gaze was soft, her voice compassionate, unraveling the knots in his chest. “It’s not a diary.”

“Then what do you call a guy’s diary?” she asked playfully. “A journal?”

“It’s just a notebook. I’ve got dozens of them. I’ve been writing since I was a kid.”

“Since your mom died?” she asked sweetly.

“Yeah.”

“That’s a good thing, Tobias. You didn’t have to go all gruff and mysterious on me.”

“Sorry. I’m not used to people touching my stuff.” He put the notebook back in the case and handed her the guitar. “Are you going to play me a song, or what?”

She moved next to him and began strumming a tune, swaying to the beat with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she sang. “Just sittin’ here with a guy I screwed.”

They both laughed.

“He’s mysterious, sexy, and a little bit rude.”

He shook his head, loving her sense of humor.

“It’s a good thing he’s great in bed, because I can’t get into his head.” She smirked. “But he’s not here to stay, no, no, no. This broody boy just wants to play, play, play.”

He took the guitar, both of them laughing as he pulled her into a kiss. “You’re pretty cool, Blue Eyes.”

“I like hanging out with you, too, broody boy. But I am curious about how long you think you’ll be sticking around.”

“Long enough to get you back into that leather outfit and to my place, so we can live out a few dozen of our darkest fantasies.”

“Oh, goody. I have a bag full of toys in my Jeep. Maybe you’ll meet Mistress Madigan tonight.”

He uttered a curse and hauled her into a deep, passionate kiss. “I look forward to being a very bad boy.”