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CHAPTER SEVEN

BONES

I watch her disappear up the stairs and force myself to stay put, hands braced on the file cabinet, fighting the urge to take her right here and now. My cock’s been in a permanent state of need since the second I laid eyes on her, and watching her walk away is pure torture.

After I close up the shop for the weekend, I take the stairs two at a time and knock on her door. She opens the door wearing a simple blue sundress that hits me like a steel-toed boot to the chest.

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” I ask, voice a little rougher than I intend.

She smiles, and fuck, the sight of her in that dress nearly takes me out at the knees. Her hair’s half up, little pieces framing her freckles, and her lips are painted dark red. Fuck. I can’t wait to kiss that off her pouty lips.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Her words are pure sass, but I catch the way her voice wobbles just a little at the edges. She’s nervous, trying to hide it. Doesn’t matter—I’ll take care of her.

I crowd her up to the doorframe, stepping in close. She doesn’t give up an inch. Hell, she stands her ground, those eyes locked on mine, defiant all the way to the bone. My gaze shifts, sharp and fast, and I catch sight of her bag sitting right there beside the door, telling me she’s on the same page as me.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.” I let my eyes roam all over her, slow and deliberate.

“Thank you.” Her cheeks go pink, and her nipples pebble under the thin dress. My cock turns hard as stone. I want to pin her right up against the wall, drag the dress up over her ass, and see if she’s wet for me.

Instead, I take the bag from her hand and sling my arm around her waist, loving the way she fits tight to my side. I guide her down the stairs and out to my truck, watching every twitch of her body, every flick of her eyes checking shadows and alleyways. Her instincts are sharp as hell, and I fucking love knowing she trusts me enough to let me take her home.

“You pack light,” I say, loading her bag in the backseat.

She shrugs, arms folded. “Always have.”

I close the back door and open the passenger door for her. I help her up into the cab, and her dress hikes up her thighs, showing me her killer legs. Right now, my cock is hard enough to pound nails.

I slam the door and rush around to hop into the driver’s seat and fire up the engine. Eden doesn’t say a word at first, just watches the garage fade in the rearview while I drive through the busy city. I can’t keep my eyes off her. No way in hell I’m letting her slip away from me. Not now. Not ever.

She catches me staring and rolls her eyes. “Eyes on the road.”

Not happening. “I can multitask.” My tone makes it clear I’m not talking about driving.

Her lips curl up at the edges. “So, what are our plans for the weekend?”

“I’m making you dinner. Steak, baked potatoes, and salad. After, we can watch a movie if you’re up for it.” I keep my voice low, but she can hear the promise when I say it. I want her in my house, my space. The need to claim her is getting harder to hide.

She cocks her head. “That actually sounds perfect,” she says, voice steady, but her pulse jumps in her neck. She wants this. She wants me.

I grunt, satisfied, and reach over to rest my hand high on her thigh. I’m tempted to pull that dress up and bury myself in her right now. But I’ll be patient. First, I’ll feed her and do all the wooing shit she deserves.

We ride the rest of the way with my big hand covering her leg. The way she shifts under my touch? My cock is in straight-up agony. I’m not sure it’s healthy to have a constant erection, but I can’t fight it when she’s around.

Nothing else exists for me except Eden. I’m already plotting how to keep her with me, how to make this weekend the first of a hell of a lot more.

The house is twenty minutes from downtown, out in a little pocket of desert that doesn’t look like much on Google Maps. The drive is dead quiet, except for my fingers tapping out code on her thigh. I pull off the main drag and steer toward my secluded home.

Eden sits forward, squinting at the outline through my windshield as I ease up to the gate. Black iron fence, nearly eight feet tall, wraps the whole fucking place like armor. The sun’s setting behind the roof and the coppery light makes the stucco turn gold.

I punch in the code, and the gate unlocks. The driveway snakes toward a low house, all clean lines and floor-to-ceiling glass. I paid extra for the view. No neighbors to peep in or run their mouths. Just me, the open sky, and now Eden.

She shifts in her seat, eyes on the big steel door and the porch in shadow. “Wow. It’s beautiful,” she breathes.

I cut the engine. Crack my door first, then circle around to haul her bag and help her down. I lean close, voice low. “Welcome to my home, sweetheart.” I hear the hitch in her breath and it almost undoes me. My hand settles on the small of her back, just above her spectacular ass, and I guide her through the front door.

The second we’re inside, I lock up behind us. My house is all clean lines, wood and steel and glass, but it’s nothing compared to the view of Eden standing in my entryway. Her hazel eyes flick over every detail. “Holy cow,” she says softly, eyes wide as she takes it in. “This… is not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?” I tease.