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Hurt her. And what was worse was that Dustin was there for her, helping her deal with it all.
    She started when Dustin climbed into the truck and sat next to her. Luke got in and started to back up his truck and did a U-turn in the middle of the road. The tension was thick in the air as they all sat in complete silence on the drive back to Stacy’s.
    When Luke pulled up in front of her house, Dustin hopped out first and then helped Stacy down. She turned and thanked Luke for the ride home. “And please don’t tell Bell about this. I don’t want her to worry.”
    “No problem, Stace, but please be safe, okay?” Luke said from the driver’s seat.
    “I will, thanks.” Stacy turned to say bye to Dustin, but he put his hand to the small of her back and led her up to her door.
    “Dustin, you didn’t have to walk me up,” she protested.
    When Stacy turned to look at him, his brow was furrowed and a muscle in his jaw was ticking. She tried to step back because the look frightened her a bit.
    “Please don’t, Stacy. I want to make sure everything’s okay in there before I let you just waltz in.”
    “Okay. I’m sorry you’re getting drug into this. I—”
    Dustin put his hand over her mouth. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. Now come on.”
    Stacy unlocked the front door and let Dustin go in first. She looked around and didn’t see anything out of place. Dustin went through the rest of the house while Stacy stood by the front door, waiting for the all clear.
    A moment later Dustin came back and told her the house was clear. She watched him as he walked towards her and couldn’t help but take him in.
    He was over six feet tall by at least a couple of inches. He had the body of a swimmer. His muscles were tight and compact, but he was freakishly strong. His hair was so dark it almost looked black. His eyes were the prettiest shade of blue she’d ever seen.
    He had a strong jaw covered in the lightest amount of stubble and he always seemed to have the same cocky look on his face.
    Dustin was so handsome and sometimes she wondered what it was he ever saw in her. Growing up, she always saw him with the willowy types, and that was just not her. Stacy knew what she looked like, and she knew that when people saw her she was judged immediately.
    Girls hated her. They thought she was easy and guys only wanted her because they thought she was. It made growing up very painful for her. Even as an adult it wasn’t easy.
    “What?” Dustin asked as he walked towards her.
    Great, he caught her ogling him. “Uh, nothing. Did everything look in order?”
    Dustin reached out and pushed the hair out of her face and gave her that smile that could make her knees weak and panties wet. “Yep, everything looks normal and untouched. Lock the door when I leave. What time are you going to the studio?”
    “I told your mom I’d be there at five-thirty so she could go out to dinner with your dad,” Stacy said.
    “Do you want me to come up there when you’re ready to lock up? I can walk you to your truck and make sure you’re safe.”
    This was so not what Stacy wanted to happen. She knew it’d be smart to have him do it, but there she went, being dependent on a man again.
    “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I’ll park right out front and I’ll make sure I leave when my students do. Go do your thing. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than play my bodyguard.” Stacy knew she sounded bitchy, but she didn’t want to be an obligation.
     
    ***
     
    Dustin was pissed that Stacy was being stubborn. She didn’t seem to get that he wanted to do this because he loved her, but dammit, he wasn’t going to tell her that, especially since she had just broken up with Mark.
    He reached out and cupped her face with his hands. “Sugar, the only thing I have to do is make sure you get home safely.” He could tell she wanted to protest so he cut her off. “I’m gonna be there because there’s no place I’d rather be than with