Was the fact she lived here a bonus? Definitely not. Although the one good thing was that he could be pushy about her safety and protection without her calling the cops on him.
But even if the timing, location, and logistics of it all were crap, that didn’t stop the fact that he was quickly becoming obsessed with her. Hell. He’d rushed over here because he thought she might be scared of storms.
And Eli had caught Kellan watching her. Kellan was indifferent to most people unless they were family, he knew them well . . . or they were this girl.
All Eli had to do was make sure that Kellan didn’t repress his feelings and push her away.
Because Eli knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t do this without his brother. They were meant to share a girl. Like they did everything else in their life.
Together.
He started opening boxes while Horse watched him suspiciously from a fluffy dog bed.
“That looks comfy,” he told the dog. “Seems like she isn’t expecting your owners to come for you.”
Horse just stared at him.
“I know you’re not my biggest fan,” he added as he kept an ear out for any cries of pain. “But I’m not going to hurt her.”
Was it his imagination or did Horse seem a bit happier?
Yeah. Maybe he was losing it.
“If anything, I want to help her. Okay? You and me can take care of her. Because part of me thinks she’s had some bad things happen to her. She seems sad . . . a bit like you. I guess maybe that’s why the two of you found each other, huh? Kindred spirits.”
Horse tilted his head to the side.
“Yeah, you know what I’m saying, don’t you? You understand that you’ve hit the jackpot with her and you’re not going to let anything happen to her. I admire that about you. Plus, you smell a whole lot better now. And no farting? That’s good. Smart. That will help you in life. No one likes a farter, man.”
“Are you talking to my dog about farting?”
He spun. He should have heard her moving up behind him. He could only blame exhaustion and the noise of the storm. Plus, she was in bare feet and the hallway was carpeted.
It wasn’t really good enough, though.
He was in charge of her safety.
“Yeah, just telling him that he did a good job on cleaning up the farting and his stench.”
She shook her head. “The vet said it was because he’d been eating whatever he could. Like roadkill. And he’s had a few baths. What are you still doing here?”
It was then that he noticed that she was dressed in just a robe.
Was she naked underneath that robe?
He swallowed heavily. She had to be. She hadn’t taken any clothes into the bathroom with her.
It was thin and nearly see-through. He could see her nipples pressing against the material.
Shit.
He wanted to take those nipples into his mouth and suck. He wanted to pull the sides of her robe apart and feast.
Calm down.
Might be a bit too soon for that.
Plus, it was clear she was still in pain. She was hunched and the skin around her eyes was wrinkled, her lips pursed.
