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Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” Surprise tinged with hurt bloomed in my chest.

“That bad?” From what I remembered, our first meeting had been fairly standard. I’d said a total of two words to him. “No.” The word was a rough caress against my skin. “That good.”

“The personal matter wouldn’t happen to be Vivian’s ex-boyfriend showing up at your house, would it?”

Surprise coasted through his eyes, followed by fury. “What the fuck did you do, Harper?”

“I merely facilitated a reunion between your fiancée and an old friend.” One little text from “Vivian,” and the ex came running. Pathetic, yet useful. “Since you enjoyed fucking with me so much, I figured I’d return the favor. Oh, and Dante?” I paused with my hand on the knob. Dante’s anger was a pulsing force in the hall, but he’d get over it. He should’ve known better than to put on that little show in the lobby. “Touch Stella again, and you’ll no longer have a fiancée.”

“Otherwise, it’ll freeze that way, and women won’t like your face as much anymore.”

My cold smile told him how little I cared. “Perhaps if you took your own advice, you wouldn’t be sleeping in a different room than your fiancée.”

I didn’t like people touching what was mine.

I expected him to shake my hand, but to my surprise, he raised it and brushed his mouth across my knuckles instead.

“Well, you just called our friends’ children little terrors, so…” Her voice held a teasing note.

“Yes, but that won’t be our child.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t, Mr. I Don’t Believe in Love.”

“It is real.” He pressed his mouth to the base of my throat. “And if it isn’t, I’ll find a way to make it real.” His kisses burned a path up my neck to my mouth. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Stella.”

“You should captain a boat more often.” I stretched, luxuriating in the sunshine. “It’s sexy.”

“Careful how you finish that sentence, Harper.”