Free Vortex (SAI Book 1) by Lea Hart

stared at her beautiful face and knew that it was pointless to fight it any longer.
    He’d never shied away from anything in his life. Why was he resisting her so strongly? Maybe it was time to try to put his demons to rest and see what he was capable of. It might not be enough for her, but he finally admitted that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t try.
    He grabbed the remote, turned the TV off, and studied Vivi’s sweet face. “Okay, Vivi. I’m going to quit hiding from the truth. I hope like hell we’re both ready.”
    Sliding her feet off his lap, he stood and scooped her up. She mumbled something against his chest, and he whispered against her hair, “Time for bed, honey.”
    Slowly, he moved down the hall and up the stairs and walked into her room. It smelled like her, and he realized that her fragrance had been in his memory from their first meeting. That was almost a year ago when they had met at Ronnie and Chase’s engagement party. Sitting down on the bed, he cradled her and finally had the guts to admit to himself what he had known all along. Vivi DuMond enchanted him, and she probably always would. It seemed that now was the time to see what it all meant.
    “Vivi, do you want to get out of your dress before you sleep?” Slowly, she opened her eyes and gazed around. “Did I pass out while I was talking?”
    “No, you were done with your story.”
    She slid off his lap and twisted around. “Can you undo the top two buttons?” Lifting her hair off her shoulder, she tipped her head forward and waited.
    He had the steadiest hands of anyone he knew, but right now, they were shaking slightly. “Sure, honey.” He released the top four buttons and rested his hands against her arms. “Anything else?”
    Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a small, sleepy smile. “No.” He reluctantly stood and moved toward the door. He was about to say good night, when he saw the dress slip off her body and pool at her feet. She stood before him in a pale pink slip that matched the dress she had worn, and nothing else. Literally nothing else. He could tell because she was backlit by the lamp next to her bed. Swallowing loudly, he tried to say something. Instead, he stood there and mutely stared at her.
    Waving slightly, she pulled back the covers and slipped into bed. Reaching over, she turned off the light. “Night, Joel. Don’t wake me up early.”
    “Okay,” he croaked out. Taking one last look, he smiled. Son of a bitch , he was cooked. Closing the door, he went downstairs and checked all the doors and set the alarm. As he turned off all the exterior lights, he smiled to himself. It seemed that he needed to come up with a plan for protecting Vivi and winning her approval. No other outcome was going to be acceptable.
 

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Joel sat at the kitchen table and heard the door open. He stood and went into the foyer and visually confirmed that it was Ben and Dane. They ambled toward him, and he didn’t have to ask how their evenings went. Based on Ben’s shit-eating grin, he knew that everything worked out with Ruby, and Dane’s relaxed manner told him that he and Trinity were getting along. It seemed this little trip to New Orleans was working out for his men, and maybe it was time he did something to help himself out.
    Seeing Vivi go out on a date last night had broken something loose in him, and he was going to do something about it. He remembered the story she told him about the kid that she’d been battling with and how a kiss behind the pool slide solved things between them. It might be time to kiss Dr. Vivi DuMond and see if it would get him straightened out. “I’m not going to ask how your evening went, because I can tell. So tell me what happened at the clinic.”
    Ben slapped him on the back as he passed and sat at the kitchen table. “Is there coffee made?” Rubbing his stomach, he grinned. “Ruby made a delicious breakfast this morning, but I didn’t get much