I blow smoke out of the window, watching the clouds roll up the hill as she sleeps beside me, curled up on the passenger seat. Eva dozed off on the quiet, long drive back, after Kane, the fucker, saw her with me. But he is not the one I’m concerned about right now. It’s what she said back at the lodge about Kane’s father.
On what planet would Eva ever cross paths with Robert Berkeley? She must be mistaken. I want to follow that thread,ask her the questions. I have a feeling the answers will lead me to whatever Kane’s hiding from me. But that will have to wait. She zoned out watching random hedgerows hours ago. Her memories are obviously a minefield. It’s not worth the risk.
After considering taking her back to her room, and then deciding to keep her with me a bit longer, I drove around Fort all night, stopping only at the town square to grab a few things, then brought her up here—my hilltop spot.
You can see the whole of Fort from here. Every inch of it. At five in the morning, the lights still glimmer, the dawn starting to eat up the dark sky. I often ride out to this spot to get away from the noise.
Eva’s head bumps against the headrest when she shifts, rolling onto her side beside me, slowly wrestling her way back into consciousness. Her eyes flicker, but she doesn’t move. Not for a long minute. She does that sometimes. Pretends to sleep, waiting to steal a peek at me when I look away. If only she knew what she’s really like when she’s asleep, she’d know pretense is impossible.
“If you stare this hard, I’m going to have to start charging rent,” I quip, gazing out the windshield.
“Oh, really?” She smiles. Eyes open and instant brat. “Your fangirls stare at you all the time. They don’t get charged.” I love the bite in her voice when she’s jealous.
“Does that mean you are a fan now?” My head turns toward her. “And before you come up with some sass, I suggest you read the label on your dress.”
She looks down, red coating her cheeks, from embarrassment or anger, I’m not sure. Extending her arms and legs, she stretches out. A simple action that gives me a raging erection.
The cigarette twists between my fingers until the embers and ash split and melt over the dew of the morning grass, outside the car. It’s maddening how deranged this woman makes me. She unearths the monster inside me just by justfucking existing near me. And she’s never looked more beautiful than she does tonight. Branded as mine. In that fucking dress.
Curb it, arsehole.
I barely manage to control myself when I bury her under her duvet up to her neck, but now that I have seen what she looks like beneath that dress, know what it feels like to touch her bare skin every-fucking-where, I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.
Her cheeks flush bright red as she catches me staring, then straightens her seat and collects herself.
“How long was I out?” she asks, with pursed lips.
“Not long enough,” I mutter and look away.
“Wow. It’s beautiful here,” she murmurs, taking in the hilltop view, raking her fingers through her messy, long hair.
I reach for the large white box on the back seat that’s been waiting for her and drop it into her lap.
Her jaw drops. “Is that from Maisy’s bakery?” she chirps, practically drooling, then flips it open to find croissants, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and Danishes—her favorite. She gets her friends to buy them for her. Maisy can be blunt. And her family lost most of their ancestral lands to Elton, so I’m guessing Eva doesn’t have a pleasant experience there.
“What the hell? You got all this at five in the morning?”
“Being me has certain privileges.” I wave an arm. She smacks it away when it gets too close to her precious pastries.
“Thanks. I’m starving,” she says around her mouthful, chocolate dripping from her fingers, all the way down her arm. She stares at me, her eyes narrowed. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Since when do you ask permission?”
“How do you break into my flat?” she asks with curious eyes and I wonder how long her busy brain has spent trying to work this out. “I know it’s not the window.”
“Kings don’t climb through windows, princess.” I snort. “We barge through doors.”
“Buthow?”
“I have access to all surveillance, and I have a key to your flat.” I shrug.
She makes an annoyed face, thinking it over and slowly answering her question, before her eyes turn wild.
“You stole my keys?” she roars and points a chocolate coated finger at me. “I knew I didn’t lose them. Thea’s still on my arse about that.”
“As she should. You’re careless as fuck. It wasn’t even a challenge. You should be thankful it was me who took them.”
“Fuck you very much,” she spits.
