Free Dangerous Pleasure by Lora Leigh Page B

be, rather than the bastard he’s becoming.”
    “He’s so worried, Paige,” Marty whispered. “He’s pacing the floors day and night trying to keep you safe and worrying that Abram won’t return. He’s not a man that’s able to sit back and allow those he loves to fight the battle Abram is fighting, alone. But he can’t join him, he can’t protect you if he isn’t here, and he’s terrified Azir will go after your mother as well. He has to stay while Abram is in danger, and sometimes he feels as though he’s fighting ghosts in trying to protect you.”
    “Do you think I’m not aware of the stress he’s under?” Her breathing hitched as the tears threatened again. “Just take him to the damned party, Marty. I’ll be okay if I can just get away from him for a while.”
    Just long enough to call a cab and go home for a few hours.
    She needed her home for just a little while. The comfort of her surroundings, the soothing warmth of her fireplace.
    It was an electric fireplace, but still, it was hers. It was warm, and it looked close enough to the real thing. Like her vibrator. It did the job, even if it did lack the qualities or the warmth of the real thing.
    She needed it. She needed to get out of here for just a little while.
    “Once he thinks about it, he’ll realize what he’s doing,” Marty promised. “You know how he is. He gets overprotective and ends up pissing us off. But he still loves us. He’d still die for us, Paige, and knowing he’s hurting you is killing him. He just doesn’t know how to fix it.”
    “I know this,” she cried out in frustration. “Just give me a little while, Marty. I’m trying to adjust. I swear I am.”
    Marty breathed out heavily. Paige turned away and held the cold washcloth to her face.
    “All right then,” she said slowly. A second later Paige heard the door close behind her.
    Marty had left, and there hadn’t even been an accepting hug before she departed. God, that sucked. She could have used a hug today.
    Paige shook her head before turning back and tossing the cloth in the sink. Maybe it was just time to accept that she wasn’t the woman or the adult that those she loved really wanted.
    Her mother was upset that she was working, her father was disappointed that she refused to head the charities his companies oversaw. Her brother disagreed with the men she wanted as lovers, and the lovers were pissed because she wanted to be independent and still live with them.
    It was a no-win situation.
    Maybe it was time to stop silently begging them to accept her. She needed to find a way to live and stop hurting like this. Khalid had threatened to either disown his brother, or her. Either one would simply break her heart.
    Moving back to the bedroom she changed out of her comfortable sweats and T-shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Warm socks, sneakers. As she tied the leather running shoes the lights of the limo lit up the darkness outside her bedroom window.
    Khalid and Marty were going to their party. They were leaving, and they were leaving her alone. Just as she had asked.
    Picking up her cell phone she called a cab, then grabbed her purse and made her way quietly downstairs to wait on the transportation, and hopefully to keep anyone else from turning it away.
    She didn’t have to wait long. The intercom from the front gate pinged at the wall next to the door. Stepping to it, Paige accepted the summons.
    “A Plus Cabs,” the voice on the other end announced.
    “Come on up to the house.” Paige pressed the security lock and before the cab was passing through the open gates Daniel Conover was walking into the foyer from the back wing of the house.
    “You can follow me, or you can wait for me to return, your choice,” she informed him as he leaned against the wall opposite her, his dark blond head tilting to the side as he regarded her curiously.
    “You know I can’t allow you to leave,” he stated.
    “But you will,” she told him.