I yanked a length of saran wrap from the box a little too violently. Nope. I wasn't going down that path. Sure, I wantedto unbutton that swishy dress of hers, peel it off her soft curves, and get a good look at the beautiful body I'd glimpsed the other day. And yes, I wanted to lick her skin and see if she tasted as good as she smelled. But the one thing I wasn't going to indulge in waslikingher. That led to attachments, and that led to heartache. Not interested.
She stood again, coming to stand next to me and watching me as I put the marinading fish in the fridge. "Are you sure you don't need help?"
I faced her, folding my arms. "Will it kill you to relax?"
"I relax," she retorted defensively. "But not when other people are working. It makes me… itchy."
"Itchy." I tilted my head, trying to suss her out. "It makes you uncomfortable to let people do things for you."
"A little," she acquiesced. "Sympathy makes me…"
"Itchy?"
She smiled faintly. "Yeah."
Against all the chiding I'd just given myself, I reached out and pressed my fingertips to the top of her scalp, rubbing playfully like a jellyfish in her hair. "Let me scratch that itch for you. I like being busy, too. And it makesmeuncomfortable to witness your workaholic tendencies. Okay?"
I seemed to have amused her, and her gaze volleyed up to my hand and then back to me. "That does feel kind of nice."
"Good kitty," I teased, rubbing her head.
She laughed, batting my hand away. "Alright. I'll sit."
I went to the sink to wash my hands, taking in the way her mouth quirked to the side when she was happy. "I might even make you watch a movie tonight."
She gasped as she floated back to the table. "Wait, like hanging out? Are we friends? I'm not sure I've ever hung out with friends like that."
I straightened away from the sink, staring at her. "Evelyn, I will make you a real human if it's the last thing I do."
She laughed, holding my gaze. "That is above and beyond bodyguard service."
I turned away again, hiding my expression. There were definitely above and beyond bodyguard services I wanted to offer her. The question was, did she want them?
Chapter Twelve
EVIE
I inhaled, facing my warden as resolutely as I knew how. "I need to leave the Farm."
"No." Benjamin didn't even look up from his book where he sat under his oak tree. He'd given up standing like a British Royal Guard a few days ago, and he'd taken to sitting in an old-school, webbed lawn chair with a cooler of drinks at his side and book in hand. He'd offered to help several times, but I preferred to handle the bees on my own unless I needed something heavy lifted.
I put my hands on my waist, under the long-sleeved crop-top that I wore over a navy blue, floral skirt. "Hear me out."
"No." He turned a page. His eyes were shaded by designer sunglasses, and he'd had a friend send him more clothing for the rest of his two-week stay. Today, he wore a light beige button-down that looked airy and expensive—linen, maybe. His chinos were perfectly pressed, as usual, and he'd remained ever the practical bodyguard by choosing white leather sneakers. He looked perfectly relaxed, like a spring catalogue model. I wanted to throw dirt on him.
"I have to take stock to the store or we're going to fall behind. They have customers expecting our soap." I came to stand over him, glaring as hard as I knew how to. I had the impression that it was probably like a lemur trying to glare at a tiger.
He lifted a look to me, pulling down his sunglasses. Slowly, he enunciated, "No."
I plucked his book from his hands, holding it out of reach. "You're supposed to be helping me."
Benjamin pulled his sunglasses off, spinning them over his finger once before closing them, his bright blue eyes on me. "Don't start games you'll lose, Evelyn."
I held the book away higher, taking a step back. "I mean it. Micah relies on me to bring him merchandise as much as I rely on him to sell it. People other than me depend on this farm."
Frost sat up, his eyes still on me and darkly amused. "And you think taking my book is going to make me relent?"
My eyes volleyed to the side. "Yes?"
