“Are you hurting her?”
“Would I be answering the door if I was?” Decker rolled his eyes.
“Are you taking advantage of her?” Though nervous, the stranger looked ready to dress him down.
Decker tried not to laugh. Taking advantage of her? Every chance I get . . .
“None of your business. Who the hell are you and why are you standing on her porch when you weren’t invited?”
If it was possible, the guy got even more uptight, and some suspicions about his identity took root. And if this was who he thought, that would really fuck up everything.
Before he could say another word, Rachel came skidding around the corner and into the foyer. She stopped at the door with a gasp. “Owen, what are you doing here?”
Yep, that confirmed his suspicions. Damn it. While it seemed awfully convenient that Four-eyes was in town when Decker had been solicited to kill her, the truth was Owen hadn’t been the guy on the next barstool, offering him twenty-five thousand down and another twenty-five when the job was done. Yes, Owen could have hired someone to employ him. But why? Rachel’s ex looked more like the sort who would protest violence, not create it. With a curse, Decker surreptitiously tucked his pistol in the small of his back before Rachel could spot it, and leaned against the wall.
If Owen hadn’t solicited him to commit murder, then he was back to square one, trying to figure out who had.
• • •
WEARING LITTLE MORE than a frilly robe with her hair in disarray, Rachel stared at her ex-husband, who gave Decker a derisive glare, then sent her a look filled with scorn. She bristled. He’d moved on with his life. Hers was none of his business now.
“I’m here to talk to you,” Owen said stiffly. “I didn’t realize you were occupied. New boyfriend?”
“We just met,” she admitted softly.
But Decker talked over her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Yes. I’m possessive, too.”
Rachel nudged Decker, wondering what the devil was wrong with him. Then she tugged him away from the door, pulling it open. “Come in, Owen.”
Val had other ideas. The fat orange tabby pranced to the door, sniffed at Owen, and hissed. Beside her, Decker laughed.
“You’ve still got that beast?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm . . . And now you’ve added another.” He shot Decker another disdainful stare.
Annoyance flared through Rachel. Who was Owen to judge? She hadn’t met his new girlfriend, Carly, but she sounded like she could be a bimbo. So she’d gone for the hot guy who was good in bed this time. So what? She was entitled.
Except Decker was way more than that. When she’d met him at the bar, then texted him for what amounted to a booty call, she hadn’t expected anything beyond a good time. Instead, he’d put her at ease while challenging her notions of herself and sex. He’d been patient, understanding, willing to listen, and ardent in bed. If he wasn’t a one-night stand, he might be everything she wanted.
“Can you make him put a shirt on first?” Owen sounded nothing less than acerbic.
Suddenly, Decker dragged her closer. “Only if you stop being a judgmental asshole. If you want to talk, you can wait while we put on some clothes, which I’m opposed to by the way.”
Rachel gaped at him. “Decker . . .”
“Hey, I offered to get dressed. After what he interrupted, I think that’s pretty magnanimous of me.”
She felt a furious blush creep up her cheeks. Why not just take out a billboard announcing that they were having sex. “Would you—Shh!”
“I think he could have guessed what we were up to, beautiful.” He grinned at her, and damn it, there was no way she could stay mad at him. Mercy, she must be out of her mind.
She turned back to Owen, doing her best to stand tall and look prim, despite wearing a robe designed for seduction, with her hair a wild tangle all around her. “The living room is straight to the back of the house. If you need coffee, I’ll make you a cup quickly before I—”
“No, you won’t.” Decker picked her up, lifting her against his chest. “He’ll survive without caffeine for five minutes.” He sniffed her and nuzzled her neck. “Or thirty.”
She gasped. “Decker!”
“I am not amused, Rachel.” Owen glowered.
He never was. She tried not to sigh.
Decker got in his face. “You came over here unannounced and uninvited early on a Sunday morning. Don’t expect her to just drop everything for you. You should have had the common courtesy to call first, but you didn’t because you’re either an inconsiderate bastard or you wanted to see if she’d be alone. Either way, that makes you a prick. If you’re just rude, then shut the fuck up and stop acting like you’re the most important person here. If you hoped to find her still alone, sorry to burst your little bubble. Rachel is far too gorgeous and kind to spend her life without someone who knows how great she is. You’ve moved on, and she’s doing the same. If that’s too much for you to handle, then scoot your annoying ass down the road. If you’re staying, then I expect to hear some courtesy and respect for her, especially since you knocked on her door. I’ve heard all the asshole I’m going to take from you. Are we clear?”
Rachel pressed her lips together to hold in a gasp—and a cheer. Decker had just defended her in the most beautiful way possible. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, tell him how grateful she was. Not only was he funny and great between the sheets, he was protective and kind in his brutish way. Everything she’d always wanted and never gotten from her ex. She melted inside, especially when Owen had the good grace to look contrite.
“Yes,” he mumbled. “I . . . You just startled me.”
Decker didn’t look like he believed Owen, but he let it pass. “Like I said, you can wait for us in the living room. We’ll be out soon.”
“I need to talk to Rachel alone,” her ex-husband protested.
She wanted nothing less than to spend quality one-on-one time with Owen.
“Not going to happen. If you have something to say, you can say it with me in the room,” Decker answered for her. Normally, she’d hate that, but if it kept her ex’s visit brief, then she’d agree to anything.
Owen adjusted his glasses, bristling. “It’s quite private.”
“Too bad. If you want to talk to her, that’s the deal. I don’t have to negotiate.”
Owen’s hands curled into fists and he pinned them to his hips. “This is ludicrous. What exactly do you think I’m going to do to her?”
“I don’t know, but this craptastic attitude of yours isn’t giving me a warm fuzzy. If you want to talk to Rachel, we’ll be out shortly. If you want to leave, don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. That’s the deal.”
Without waiting for a reply, Decker turned and carried her through the foyer and down the hall. Shock still pinged through her. What the hell was he up to? Why did he give a rip about Owen wanting to talk to her? Even with the uncertainty, she couldn’t hold in a smile.
He wandered back to the bedroom and set her on her feet. Rachel’s head raced as she shut the door and whirled on him. “I don’t know whether to thank you from the bottom of my heart or ask you if you’re psycho. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to set Owen on his butt?”
“I’m sure a while. It’s obviously long overdue, since the prick seems to think that you should ask, ‘How high?’ whenever he tells you to jump.” He cocked his head. “You did that for years, didn’t you?”
She frowned. “Probably longer than I should have.”
“Then he deserved what he got. You’re no longer his, and you don’t have to do a damn thing he says.”