I refused to let her go so easily. “Evie?”
“For someone who just earned his way back into my good graces and who’s on real thin standing, you’ve got a funny way of making yourself a good place, Rhys Archer.” Eve worked her hand free, glaring at me beneath her lashes.
“I do? By protecting what you love most?” I held her stare. “Someone is damaging your property, honey. I’m trying to work out thewhoandwhyfor you.”
“Or take over.” She whirled around, darting off in another direction.
“What?” I sidestepped, catching her on her return journey.
“Fuck.” Eve tossed her hair to the side when it fell out of its messy bun.
“You think I’m trying to steal your place out from under you? I demanded. “Is that what being around Black hill Boy has done to my girl?”
She shook her head, then nodded, tugging at her hair.
I caught her wrists, drawing her hands down. Eve looked up at me, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as I let her go.
“Maybe?”
“Maybe, huh?”And you let that fucker into your house, tried to comfort him?I tracked the motion with my eyes, swallowing hard as her waves tumbled free and wild across her shoulders. I forced the need to find Pierce and tear her neighbor apart aside. “That’s a pretty look, Eve. But you don’t get to distract me like that.”
“It was an accident,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Yeah?” I plucked the absent hairband from around her wrist, not calling her out on distracting me a second time, or her utter bullshit as she shook her hair forward to hide from me, looking at me through her lashes.Fuck. Me. I’m screwed.Blood roared to my cock. I dangled the hair band in front of her eyes. “This is the culprit, right?”
Eve continued to glare at me, kitten like. “Okay, so, fine. The ranch has issues. My neighbor is an asshole. Tell me something I don’t know, Archer. It’s not like I’ve had a whole lot of help.” She huffed at me, blowing a small puff of her hair out of the way. “I have people who are fixing it.”
“Or making it worse.” I wound her silken hair around my fist, drawing her closer. “Did you know that when Pierce loaned you his recommendations, or were you just figuring it out when I arrived?”
Fucking Black Hill Boy.
The range of emotions that crossed her face would have been comical in any other situation. Right now though, no one was laughing. Finally, Eve blew out a breath. “He needs help. You’re right, okay? You’re always fucking right, Archer. Jude and Travis used to keep him in line when they were here And I— It’s gotten…” she trailed off, spots of color rising in her cheeks.
I drew her into my space, leaving little air between us. “It’s gottenwhat, Eve?”
She licked her lips. “I’ve had to turn him down a few times,” she admitted. “He keeps asking."
I frowned. “Asking to take you out?"
Dating opportunities were thin on the ground locally, for sure. I got that. Eve was beautiful. It was one of the reasons that every male nearby insisted on eye fucking my girl, and why I kissed her in the kitchen this morning.
“Maybe asking to stay the night?" She winced.
I squeezed her waist. “And you let him in, firecracker?”
Eve closed her eyes. “Yes?”
“Did you fuck him?” The air evacuated from my lungs.
I fully expected that slap now. I had no right to ask when I hadn’t been here in the first place.
She tipped her head back. “No.”
I kissed her hard. Hard enough to walk her backwards to the bench and lift her tiny frame up against it. “Never. Fucking. Again. He doesn’t come into this house and he’s never alone with you. I don’t give a fuck if he’s dying. Is that clear, Evie?”
It was the only rule I’d ever give her, and only because I’d never trusted the man.
From the way she looked at me, she knew it too.
