The knock on the door sent me into a dizzying array of fear. I knew Dr. Right was coming, but when she announced her arrival, it sent me straight into Dax's chest. His robust arms enfolded me, hugging me tightly, reassuring me. With a soft kiss to the temple, he attempted to separate, but I wouldn't let go. I needed to be close to him like rain needed clouds. Without one the other didn't exist, and without space between us, no one could hurt me. "Kitten, I need to answer the door." I stayed firmly planted, unwilling to let go. Dax tried to pry me from him, but when he made zero progress, he murmured something I couldn't hear just before he hefted me into his arms. I quickly moved my grasp from his middle to his neck, tucking myself into his frame. Nuzzling into his shoulder, I whispered, "I'm sorry, Dax." The doorbell rang again, but he stopped to try to look at me. Unable to find my eyes, he spoke into my hair with his lips touching my scalp. The warmth of his words tickle

The following morning, I resigned from the bank. I had no idea what I planned to do with myself, but fortunately, I didn't have to figure that out right now. I woke up this morning determined to start making small changes, progress toward becoming a new me. After I formally resigned, I shot Rachel an email soliciting her services but requested she keep a lid on my inquiry from both Dax and the other Fish. Rachel was a damn good real estate agent, probably because she was good with people and could sell cakes to a baker. She also had a knack for selling high-end homes. And while mine didn't fall into that category, I asked her to get back with me about taking on the listing. Almost instantly, I received her reply-not only did she promise secrecy, she wondered what had taken me so long to contact her. Without an answer to her question, she promised to have the house on the market by the end of the week. After I had her penciled in to stop by with the paperwork, I sat at my computer, w

My Fish knew the moment they saw my face that something was awry. They assumed it was panic from being out alone for the first time, but ironically, that hadn't occurred to me. I hated fighting with Dax-I abhorred it. I wasn't much of a warrior; I didn't need to be. I always found a way to get what I wanted, but with Dax, he wouldn't give in, he wouldn't let me manipulate him into giving me what I desired. That in and of itself frustrated the shit out of me, but to throw callous words at him just to get him to concede was not me. During the entire ride downtown, all I wanted to do was turn around and run back to him, to apologize, but I resolved to see this through so I could show him I was capable of moving on.I told them briefly about what had happened, twice in one day. They looked at me stunned. "What?" "Are you fucking kidding me with this shit, Cam?" Rachel was borderline pissed, and the rosy hue to her cheeks only accentuated her irritation."What do you mean? Rachel,

Most of my clothing was at Dax's house, but I still had enough here to make do for a few days-although, no cell phone or cash might really put a damper on how well I lived. I wasn't hungry tonight, which was good since I had no food, and I could deal with the rest in the morning. Sitting on a stool in my kitchen, I sorted through the mail, the majority of which was trash, but there were several envelopes from my attorney. My stomach churned before I tore open the first seal. I hadn't thought about the charges in quite some time-I had no clue how long it would take to go to trial, and my lawyer had little to do to prepare for the case in my opinion. My attacker's lawyer, on the other hand, couldn't have picked a worse client. I hadn't anticipated dealing with any of it on my own. Dax and I rarely separated-he was always my wingman-but tonight, I was flying solo. I didn't read the letters in order, not that it mattered. One letter stated the judge had set bail at one million dollar

I mentally tried to prepare myself. Dax and I had spent the day apart. He had been at the house, and I'd been hanging out with Rachel and Sutton, who took the day off. We'd done the girly thing indulging in manicures, pedicures, romantic comedies, and fattening foods. They knew what was going down tonight, and in all honesty, they'd given me the confidence to go through with it. They agreed with Dax that I needed to resume control of my body. I was hesitant to tell them anything-I didn't want Dax to believe they thought any less of him, but he wanted me to have moral support and agreed to it. Oddly enough, neither thought of him as less than a man-they both thought it was swoon worthy. Figured, they weren't the ones who had to play this part.When I left them, I stepped into the theatrical role of a character I didn't know. Parts of me remembered this strength; I'd always had it in every aspect of my life. I was the Boardroom Queen, a force to be reckoned with in the business world,