“But you hate it here.”
“Do I?” Kellan asked. “Because I haven’t hated it here these last few weeks. In fact, some of them involve my very best memories. Like when I watched Eli kiss you.”
Holy heck.
“And I haven’t forgotten that I have yet to kiss you.” His gaze was intent as he stared down at her.
“Oh. Yes. You should do that.”
“Soon. I think I want to build the anticipation.”
Horse walked out of the bedroom, catching her attention. She hadn’t realized he had gone in there. In his mouth he held a . . . shoe.
“Hey!” Eli said, jumping up. “That’s my shoe. Give that back.”
Kellan shot her a look. “I told you Horse liked me better.”
She let out a surprised giggle as Eli chased Horse around the room.
There was a knock on the door and Eli stopped chasing Horse to answer it while Kellan settled back onto the sofa, cuddling her close.
A wave of exhaustion washed through her
Was it only this morning that she’d gone into anaphylactic shock? So much had happened since then.
Now, she had nothing to her name, nowhere to live, and two men who wanted to be hers.
And Horse.
As long as his owners didn’t turn up.
But she was beginning to think that they wouldn’t.
“Just hold on a bit longer, Butterfly,” Kellan told her in a low voice. “I have you. I’ll take care of you.”
“I can’t get hold of either Ravina or Mrs. Taylor,” Jake said as he walked into the room. “But I’ll keep trying and I’ve left them messages. Unfortunately it’s going to be pretty difficult to hunt down who did this without any witnesses. Did you guys have enough time to talk? Arabella? Would you like to remain under my care?”
“Thanks so much for everything,” she told him. “But no.”
He smiled. “I thought you’d say that. And does that mean you’re sticking around for a while?” He looked at Eli then Kellan.
“We are,” Eli replied.
“Good. You’ll protect her, then? I wouldn’t advise that she be left alone until we find out who did this.”
“Of course we’ll protect her,” Kellan said, looking offended.
Jake just nodded and turned to Arabella. “We’ll release the house back to you tomorrow morning, okay? I’m still going to have someone drive by tonight.”
“What?” Eli asked. “You had someone driving past her place? Why?”
“Ahh, they were meant to start tonight,” Jake said. “That’s why Arabella was in this morning.” He gave her a curious look.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell them. You don’t think that what I heard the last night could be connected to the break-in, do you?” she asked.
Jake frowned. “I don’t know. But it’s a possibility.”
“What are you talking about?” Eli asked.
