Page 50 of Tempting Eden

“What was that?”

She rolled onto her back and draped her forearm over her eyes. “You can’t be looking at Gray like that, understand? You just can’t. Thishasto work.”

I was at once angry that she wasn’t taking my side and also sorry that I’d caused her even more stress. “Look, I’m sorry. The way he talked to you, I just… Anyway, it won’t happen again.”

“Gray is the key to this. This deal has to close. Ihaveto get this sold.”

“You will.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I have faith.”

She threw her arm off her face and let it lay out beside her. I saw fear in her eyes. The kind I recognized.

I smoothed her hair from her face, brushing against her soft skin with my palm. “Hey now, what’s got you so worried?”

She blinked hard and turned her head out toward the dark expanse of the sea. “I just have to get it done, is all.”

We ordered dinner in that night—Eden, Bess, and I—and went over our game plan to make the lobby and the as-yet un-tiled and un-filled pool area a wonderland for potential buyers as we ate. We stayed up until the early hours, Bess talking and me sketching as she went. Eden’s eyes lit up at the many pages of ideas, the images in graphite of topiaries, flowers, lighting.

“This is really going to blow the lid off this place.” Eden lay back against the sofa and finally closed her eyes.

Bess rose from the floor and stretched, her lithe dancer’s figure unfurling before my eyes. “I’m going to take this opportunity to actually sleep. But I intend to be on the foreman first thing and drive him hard.”

“That’s my girl,” Eden said, her voice already cloaked with sleep.

I followed Bess out into the hallway, pretending to go to my room.

She trailed her fingers along my upper arm and down to my elbow. “Changed your mind yet?”

“Tempting, but no. Sorry.”

She smiled up at me, weariness weighing down her usual sparkle. “I’m just busting your balls.”

I laughed. She was growing on me by the second.

She hit the elevator button as I swiped my key card.

“See you two lovebirds in the morning,” she called before the doors shut.

So, Bess knew. No real surprise there. I dropped the pretense and went back to Eden’s room. She was snoring lightly on the couch. I picked her up and carried her to the king size bed before undressing her.

Her eyes fluttered half open. “Now this is what I call service.”

“You know me. I live to serve.” I tucked her under the covers, though I was sad to lose the sight of her pale skin, pink in all the right places.

I stripped and slid in next to her, the brand new sheets cool and smooth against my skin.

She scooted over to me and lay her head on my chest. “I’m glad you’re staying.”

She sighed, half sleepy, half sexy. I wanted her, but doused the thought, giving way to what she needed. At that moment, she needed sleep.

I turned over and pulled her into my arms. “Me too.”

The sun had barely risen when my phone rang. I reached for it, knocking it onto the floor and under the bed. Eden grunted and threw the duvet over her head as I disentangled myself from her. She turned into an octopus in her sleep, arms and legs slung this way and that over me.

The ringing stopped before I could answer. I finally found the phone and stared at the screen, my eyes taking more than a few seconds to focus. It wasn’t Ms. Temple’s ringtone, so I wasn’t worried. The number had a Birmingham area code. The phone rang in my hand. Same number calling.

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