“Don’t what?”

  Pity me. But he couldn’t even say it. “I’ve gotta go,” he said instead and headed to the stairs. He had a damn suit in his damn office closet for the very occasional meetings that required it. He needed to change into it and get to his dad’s retirement party, hoping that late was better than never.

  “So we’re back to you being silent and brooding because I overheard your message to your dad?” she asked, hugging herself in the cold night air. “Kinda rude, don’t you think?”

  “Go to the pub, Elle.” But he should’ve known better. Telling her what to do never worked out for him but he just shook his head. “It’s warmer in there.” Then he jogged up the stairs and let himself into his office. Five minutes later he’d changed and was back outside.

  Elle stood there waiting for him. And something deep inside him tightened. In spite of his being a dick, she cared about him. He’d been doing his damnedest since that insane kiss they’d shared to not give out the wrong signals, but that was hard when he no longer knew wrong from right when it came to her. He was completely upside down. He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped her up in it. “I told you to go inside, it’s too cold out here for that dress.” Which, just a side note, was hot as hell on her.

  “You’re not going to your dad’s retirement party alone,” she said.

  “Yes, I am.” It was his penance, and besides that, he didn’t want anyone witnessing what promised to be an incredibly awkward reunion. Archer hated awkward. Hated an audience to it even more.

  “I’ve texted Spence,” she said. “He’s on his way.”

  Shit. “I’m not bringing Spence. He’ll talk too much.”

  “You need to bring someone,” she insisted. “Finn’s working. How about Willa?”

  “She talks more than Spence.”

  Elle didn’t look particularly moved. “Okay then, one of your guys. Joe or Trev—”

  “Read my lips, Elle. No.”

  She crossed her arms, the stubborn look on her face said that she wasn’t going to let this go. He blew out a breath. “Fine. If you want someone to come with me so badly, then I vote for you. Get in the damn truck.”

  She arched a brow. “Out of all the people you know, you want to take the one person who drives you the most nuts? The one who’s mad at you? Really mad?”

  “I want the one person I trust to have my back for this.”

  That seemed to shock her. It certainly shut her up. And it had the added benefit of dissolving a whole lot of her resentment and anger too.

  But not all. Of course not. It was Elle, after all.

  “Fine,” she said, heading to his truck, heels clicking, hips moving in that innately sexy graceful way she had. “But don’t forget—this isn’t a date or a booty call.”

  He laughed. Laughed. Only she could do that to him, bring him out of a mood. Make his day. And maybe sometime he’d sit down and analyze that but it wouldn’t be today. “Can we just go?”

  “Oh by all means,” she said, “let’s get this over with.”

  He shook his head but had to admit that he loved her smartass mouth. In truth, he was crazy to bring her with him. Being around people right now was a bad idea. But being around Elle, the one person on the planet who knew the road map to getting beneath his skin? Insanity. There was a storm brewing big-time, which actually suited his mood. A big gust nearly knocked him on his ass as he opened the passenger door for her and she slid her warm, curvy body in past him, giving him a zing of awareness that rocked him from head to toe. Letting out a long, slow breath, he walked around and slid in behind the wheel. “You ready?”

  “I was born ready.”

  Yeah. That’s what he was afraid of.

  Elle watched Archer drive, his face as dark as the thunderclouds churning overhead. She knew the feeling of having so much going on inside that you felt like the storm was also raging inside your gut.

  “I can’t believe I almost forgot,” he said quietly, almost to himself.

  This shouldn’t have pierced her Archer-proof shield but it did. Archer spent a lot of his life being as tough and badass as possible. He had to be that way. But it was in moments like these that she realized he was human, just a flesh-and-blood man who made mistakes like everyone else. “Everyone forgets stuff,” she said. “Even important stuff. Like ‘oh, hey, I got you your job, no big.’”

  He slid her a look. “I should’ve gone this alone.”

  She sighed. “Could have, yes. Should have, no. Trust me, you need backup to deal with family.”

  This had his mouth quirking a little at the corners. “You going to keep me safe, Elle?”

  “Hey, I’ve got a knife.”

  “Yeah, you do.” He paused. “You ever going to tell me why you still have it?”

  Well she’d walked right into that one. “Sure. When you tell me why you got me the job.”

  “We’re still on that?”

  She sent him her best PMS look.

  “I didn’t get you the damn job,” he said. “I recommended you for it. And I did that because I could. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  She looked at him, watching as he drove the incredibly busy streets with an ease she never could have managed. “I carry the knife because it’s handy.”

  He shook his head. “It’s more than that.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Such a pretty liar.” He stopped for a red light and looked at her. “You want me to guess why you’re still carrying it after all these years?”

  Hell no.

  “Maybe you wanted to keep a piece of me,” he said.

  He was teasing her. Of course since it was also the truth, she got annoyed all over again. “Or,” she said, “I want to be able to take a piece out of anyone I need to. Including you, if you get too close. Don’t think I won’t.”

  This won her a small smile, like he understood her reasoning perfectly and he’d expected no less. “So you’re my body guard for the evening?” he asked.

  “Just for the evening, and then we go back to World War III. But yeah, for tonight, I’ve got your back, whatever you need.” She realized her mistake the minute the words left her mouth.

  And so did Archer as he sent her a gaze so sizzling she had to look down to make sure her clothes hadn’t melted off. Holy. Cow. Where had all that heat come from? “Well,” she finally managed. “Within reason, of course.”

  “Look at you,” he murmured. “Always a ready answer for everything.”

  Is that what he thought? “Have I ever gone back on my word with you?” she asked.

  Another considering look. “No. Never. Are you trying to tell me something?”

  Was she? She decided to stop talking before she got herself in trouble.

  At her silence, he shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he continued to drive through the city, still easily navigating the anything but easy to navigate streets of downtown San Francisco.

  “Since we’re in a momentary truce,” he said, breaking their silence. “You’re a knockout tonight.”

  She looked at him but he was concentrating on the road. “Are you trying to soften me up?” she asked.

  “Definitely,” he said. “But it’s also true.”

  She was wearing one of her favorite dresses, now with his suit jacket around her shoulders. This left him in a button-down that along with his trousers fit him perfectly, emphasizing his broad shoulders and powerful long legs. His sleeves were rolled up. Tie loose. His hair was slightly mussed and he could clearly care less, which of course only made him all the more drop-dead sexy.

  He made it hard for a girl to not fall head over heels. “You’re not looking too bad yourself,” she grudgingly admitted, telling herself not to read into his statement. Not that her body got the memo because it was humming with hyperawareness.

  They didn’t speak again. The only reason she even knew where they were going was because she’d read the invitation that day in his office. And sure enough, ten minutes later they were in the financial district, parking in the underground parking lot of a beautiful brick and glass building.

  “The restaurant that’s hosting the party is up on the top floor,” he said as he opened his door. He turned back to her, maybe to ask her to stay while he checked to see if they were even welcome, but she slipped out of the truck too quickly for that. “Guarding your body,” she reminded him.

  “Within reason,” he said, mocking her, but then he surprised her by taking her hand.

  Which she allowed only because of their truce. They took the elevator up with another couple who were lip locked for the entire ride. And not just lip locked but hand and leg locked too, really going to town, running their hands over each other like they were searching for ticks. They got off on the floor before the restaurant and she let out the laugh she’d been barely holding on to and met Archer’s gaze. His mouth was curved into a smile but his eyes were dark and heated. She felt an answering heat in the pit of her belly.

  And south.

  Just before the door closed, the couple stumbled back into the elevator, looking sheepish.

  “Sorry,” the woman said. “We missed our floor.”

  Elle bit her lower lip rather than laugh again. She could appreciate that they’d gotten lost in their lust. Appreciate it and maybe even envy it a little. Because that had never happened to her. She couldn’t imagine getting so lost in someone as to lose track of her surroundings. She was just too aware of herself and others.

  Still, she was overheated when the elevator doors opened and Archer put his big warm hand low on her back to guide her off. He glanced at her, letting his gaze linger. “You’re all flushed.” He paused. “Envious?”

  “No.” She added a scoff. “He probably leaves the lid up and snores.”

  He looked like maybe he wanted to say something to that but the hostess asked him how she could help him.

  “I’m here for the Hunt retirement party,” he said.

  She thumbed through her iPad. “I’m sorry but that was cancelled.”

  Archer was hard to rattle but he looked stunned. “Do you know why?”

  “Uh . . .” The hostess swiped around on her screen for another moment. “There’s only one note here—the retiree decided against a big shindig and cancelled. He had a much smaller dinner party a week ago instead.”

  Archer, still as stone, didn’t answer. Elle slipped her hand in his. “Thank you,” she said to the hostess and she tugged Archer aside so the woman could help the next people in line.

  “I’m sorry,” Elle murmured. “He didn’t tell you?”

  “No. I think he cancelled because he didn’t have any family who RSVP’d.” He paused. “Because I’m his only family and I’m an asshole.”

  She shook her head. “No. Archer—”

  He made a rough sound and turned back to the elevator. This time there were no lovebirds and Archer didn’t speak. Neither did she. The energy was completely different. In the truck, he took out his phone and made a call. To his dad, she assumed, listening to the phone ringing.

  And ringing.

  At the beep, Archer pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dad,” he said. “I’m sorry. I should have RSVP’d. Hell, I should’ve called, okay? But I’m calling now.” He hesitated and then ended the call and tossed the phone aside.

  He drove her back to the Pacific Pier Building in a heavy wind, a few drops of rain hitting the windshield. He parked on the street and got out to walk her to the pub but she stopped in the courtyard.

  “It’s not all your fault,” she said.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Communicating is a two-way street and—”

  “We’re not talking about this.”

  “But—”

  “Ever, Elle.”

  The storm broke over them with a boom of thunder, and rain began to fall in earnest as she stared at him. For once she didn’t think of her poor shoes. All she thought about was the pain in her chest. “So much for letting me be there for you,” she said. “And all that other stuff last night about no debt, no price between us.”

  He just looked at her, impervious to the rain. To her.

  “So to be clear, it’s only okay if I need you,” she said. “But when the shoe’s on the other foot, you’re not willing to let yourself need help from me, is that it?” She shook her head, all the bottled-up emotions popping free. “God forbid you be vulnerable in any way or show a weakness, right? You probably faked not being able to use those chopsticks with your left hand yesterday, just to throw me off.”

  “Elle,” he said, sounding to-the-bone weary. “Get out of the storm and go get warm—”

  “No.”

  When he sighed, actually sighed, she narrowed her eyes. “You know what, Archer? You go get warm, okay? Go straight to hell for all I care.”

  “I’m already there.”

  “And that’s my fault?” she asked incredulously, having to squint through the rain now.

  “Yes. Shit. No.” He shoved his hands into his hair, making it stand up on end. “I don’t know. You’ve got me all twisted in knots and all sorts of fucked up.” And then on that rare, shockingly revealing statement, he hauled her up against him, spun them into the alley, and kissed the ever loving daylights out of her.

  And him too, if his heavy breathing counted for anything.

  When they finally came up for air, they were both drenched to the core and she’d completely forgotten the fact that she’d decided to keep her mouth off him. The only thing that helped was that he’d forgotten himself too. He had his hands on her ass, holding her tight to him, nudging her hips up close and personal to what felt like a very impressive erection.

  And she wasn’t much better. She was climbing him like a tree and making needy little whimpers that she couldn’t stop to save her life. They weren’t even having sex, their clothes weren’t off, they were standing in a damn alley for God’s sake, but she’d swear they’d both just nearly come from only a kiss.

  “You’re killing me,” he said, his voice as rough as gravel.

  She felt like she was literally going to die if she didn’t get him inside her, but she managed to give him a cool look. “So walk away then, Archer. You’re good at that.”

  But he didn’t move. Instead, he looked down at himself. “I couldn’t walk to save my own life. Hell, in this condition, I couldn’t even get you upstairs to one of our offices.”

  “This isn’t a booty call, remember?”

  He tilted his head, clearly taking in her flushed face, her crazy breathing, and then there was the fact that her nipples were poking against the material of her wet clothes like two heat-seeking missiles, which he could clearly see because his jacket was slipping off her shoulders. She tightened it around herself.

  He didn’t make a smartass comment. Instead he shocked her when he said, “At the moment, Elle, I’d get down on my knees and beg.”

  This revealing statement knocked her for such a loop that she was still staring at him when Eddie poked his head into the alley. “Hey, dude. Dudette. Listen, far be it for me to interrupt a melding of the minds and all but I’d like to come through here and—” He caught Archer’s expression and backtracked. “Actually, you know what? You two take your time.”

  When he was gone, Elle touched a hand to her mouth and stared at Archer. “That was not on my agenda,” she said. “You’re not on my agenda.”

  His eyes were dark and unfathomable. “Ditto. Tonight was just an overreaction to an emotional evening.”

  She stared at him some more and then stepped back, her heart thundering in disappointment now. She shrugged out of his jacket, thrust it at him, and then turned and left the alley, only to hear Eddie murmur “Don’t take it personally, son. Women are born crazy.”

  Hard to be insulted by the truth, she thought as she strode across the courtyard through the driving rain, not even feeling the chill as her blouse and skirt stuck to her like a second skin. She took the elevator, heading to her office simply because she needed a moment alone. An immediate moment alone. She’d gotten her key in the lock when she felt the air pressure change as someone came up behind her.

  Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who. “Overreaction to an emotional evening?” she repeated in angry astonishment, not turning to face him. “Seriously?”

  “I was wrong.”

  “Maybe I should get that in writing, you admitting you’re wrong. It’s like seeing a unicorn and I need to capture the moment.”

  A tanned, sinewy arm encircled her, taking over unlocking the door. Then he nudged her inside, flicked on the lights, kicked the door closed, and pushed her up against it. He was big, hard, and drenched.

  “You know what?” she asked, proud of her steady voice in spite of her trembling legs. “I’m going to have to pass on the caveman act—”

  His mouth came down on hers, fusing their lips in a hot, searing kiss that she felt from the tips of her frozen toes to the ends of her wet hair and every single inch in between. Huh. Turned out she’d been wrong too, very wrong to think she could resist this with him.

  Lightning flashed, followed immediately by a boom of thunder. Her office lights flickered once, twice. An electric surge, she thought dizzily, the scent of rain and sexy Archer making her press into him.

  “I want you, Elle,” he said, voice low and rough. “It’s a goddamn ache, I want you so much. Just like this, dripping wet in every way, blind with need.”

  “Yes.” Mindless at this point, she shoved up his wet shirt. He tore it off over his head and then unbuttoned her blouse and spread it open, a low, muttered oath on his lips as the lights flashed out again.

  And stayed out this time.

  In the far back recesses of her mind, she told herself to stop, that she was going to get hurt, but the part of her in control didn’t care. He needed her. And she sure as hell needed him. His fingers wrapped around hers and he gave a tug. She had to hand it to him, he knew her office as well as she did because in the next beat she was free-falling onto her small, narrow love seat, followed down by a hundred and eighty pounds of highly sexually motivated male.