“Merry Christmas, Eve.”
“Merry Christmas, Archer.”
Red Hart Ranch was once again full of the people who loved the land, and who adored the woman who ran it. I settled with my back to the wall, Eve held to my chest as Jude started a round of bawdy songs, and promised myself I would hide the damn vodka from him.
When I managed to extract myself from the woman I’d crossed the country to find again, which might take a while.
Because in no way was I ready to let her go any time soon.
I spent more time over the next two hours cleaning than I did with Eve in my arms. A problem I’d rectify as soon as everyone left for the night, I promised myself.
“We’re gonna use the cabin that I never unpacked into, right? Now that you’re brother’s here? Because he sure as hell doesn’t want to listen to you coming all over my cock all night,” I murmured into her ear as I pinned Eve top the wall in the pantry, squeezing her hips possessively.
“You can’t say that,” Eve hissed, her resolve breaking the moment my mouth sealed over hers.
“Hell, I can’t even get a bottle of whiskey to take to bed,” Travis grumbled, walking into the pantry and straight back out again.
Eve giggled into the crook of my neck as I grinned down at her.
“So, my place?”
“Mmhm.” She murmured, tracing patterns on my torso. “You know this is your place now, right?” I swore she’d perfected looking up at me through her lashes.
“Yeah. but still I don’t really want to fuck you to your twin’s commentary all night. And we are going all night, Evie,” I growled, licking my way across her throat.
She moaned appreciatively, tipping her head back to gift me access.
“Shit. Archer!” someone called from the living area. Possibly Will, from the stifled laughter. “Your girlfriend’s back.”
“What the hell?” I frowned down at a giggling Eve. “You’ve had too much coffee.”
“You made yourself a friend. She peeked around the edge of the pantry to a chorus of catcalls, waving them away as her cheeks stained a pretty scarlet. “Oh, hello.”
The doe who had been following me about trotted up to the kitchen the moment I stepped out with Eve.
Now who let you in?
“Ah. Shit.”
The house broke up as I sent Eve a rueful glance over my shoulder.
“Dump him!” someone yelled from the long table. Probably Joe.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Mhmm.” She gave me a finger wave and looked at the doe pointedly. “We are having words in the morning.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I grabbed my coat and a carrot, busting the vegetable up into the smallest pieces I could in my hands. “Come on, honey. You belong outside. Was your gate left open?” I frowned as I slid my feet into my boots, shrugging my jacket on as I glanced over to the field adjoining the house yard.
The light barely made it that far, but the doe trotted obediently with me as I strode across the hard packed dirt. Sure enough the gate banged against the far fence post.
“Fuckers didn’t latch this.” I tossed a handful of carrot into the snow. The doe looked at the carrot and back to me. “Come on. In you go. Fuck.” I bent down to retrieve the carrot pieces.
The doe wandered into the field, nibbling out of my hand. I sighed.
“There you go. Much better.” I closed the gate, praying she was the only one who wandered out, and how long the damn thing had been open for. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I lit the flashlight app, but there wasn’t a single deer in sight.
Shit.
