Last night, I thought I made the best choice for both of us. The safest choice.
I blew out a harsh breath as Jude’s hand gripped my shoulder tight, hard enough to hurt. I took the pain he offered, turned it into something useful.
“What jobs have you got for the rest of the day?” I turned the rope over in my hands that I’d been splicing.
Jude was silent for a second, then his hand dropped away. “Maybe I’m not the best person to ask that.”
I raised my head, thankful my vision was clear as I looked up. Eve stood before me, her hair slung back over her shoulder, phone clutched in her hand. My lips managed to turn up at the corners at that one, though my smile died a short death at thefire that blazed in her eyes as stared back at me. Not impassive, and it was a glare, but somewhere in between.
I wanted to fall on my knees and beg her forgiveness.
I wanted to kiss the hell out of her before every man in the yard.
I wanted to take her upstairs and spank the shit out of her and?—
Damnit, Jude was right.And that advice wasn’t a one way street. The realization hit me far too late, but I couldn’t rectify that right now.
“What can I do for you today, Miss Eve?” I risked the use of her first name, holding her gaze as I always had, daring her to meet me head on.
Last night was everything I wanted.
Falling asleep with her in my arms, exhausted and boneless and stunning. I could only pray it was enough. What she wanted too.
“I don’t need you today, Archer,” Eve’s voice was distant, her gaze fixed at some distant point beyond me.
“You don’t.” My teeth clenched hard. Pity my tongue was in the way. My eyes watered.
Fucked that one up well and truly.
Over Eve’s shoulder, Joe sent me a wink.
“Maybe you could work with Jude for a while,” Eve murmured, drifting away. I could almost see her mind ticking over as she moved on to other things, the way she always had.
I caught her hand as she turned away. A deep flush stained her cheeks. I managed not to brush my knuckles over the spots of color or kiss her.Just.
“Eve—”
“Please, Archer,” Eve murmured, tugging her hand from mine.
I let her go.
Jude met me out at his truck, but I shook my head, grabbing the driver’s door to my own vehicle.
“I don’t want to break yours.”
“Fair enough.” Jude made it around to the passenger’s door before I threw my truck into gear and peeled out of the yard in a cloud of dust.
It was childish, but a far better option than laying Joe out cold on the hard packed dirt in front of the big house where Eve could see the venom ripping through my veins.
Maybe.
My gaze narrowed, zeroed in on that firm, round behind that I wanted to slap, or maybe bite. But it wasn’t where my brain was at.
Eve needed cowboys. Real ones. I’d get them for her, with a little help.
“Jude, we’re going into town.”
The introverted foreman groaned, lifting pain-filled eyes to meet mine. Though he hadn’t spoken, I answered him anyway.
