Page 34 of Reaper & the Lioness
“He’s a foster. Within a few weeks, I’m sure he’ll get adopted, and I’ll have to say goodbye.”
We stood too close, and her sweet scent wrecked my focus. I stepped back and nodded toward the copse of trees and shrubs.
“My entire property is fenced and lined with motion sensors. But stay on this side of the tree line for now. It’s thick, and no one can see you from the road.”
Eva’s lips quipped up. “Paranoid much?”
“My paranoia is what kept you alive last night.”
She tilted her head in consideration and nodded in agreement. “I guess I can’t argue with that. I didn’t get a chance to thank you.” Her eyes bore into mine, mixed emotions swirling in their blue depths.
Hawk barked, shattering the moment. I tossed the ball harder than necessary. “I have to go check on a few jobs. Linc will let me know when he makes progress in tracking down Abell. Once I know more, we can talk about the next steps.”
“Next steps,” she echoed, voice flat. “You mean hiding here?”
“I mean surviving.”
Her chin lifted, defiance flashing in her eyes. “I don’t want to hide.”
“You will.” I moved into her space, crowding her against the porch post and reclaiming my nearly empty coffee cup. “Or I’ll cuff you to my bed until this blows over.”
Her breath hitched, but not in fear. Something darker, more primal, flashed in her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would.”
The challenge hung between us. Hawk whined and pawed at my leg. I tossed the ball again, and he yipped excitedly as he chased it.
Eva shrugged, attempting to show a calculated nonchalance that didn’t quite mask her interest. She turned away, sauntering back into the cabin. “Come on, Hawk. It’s time for breakfast.”
The image of Eva wearing a set of leather cuffs in my bed seared into my brain. Desperate for distraction, I flipped to my security cameras on my phone, checking the perimeter. I’d have received an alert for any movement, but I needed to think of anything but Eva. Otherwise, I’d call off work and spend the entire day figuring out what else she liked.
By the time I walked back into the cabin, Eva had stepped into the shower. I left her a note on the kitchen counter, along with a burner phone.
Do not turn on your phone. Use this one for now. The Wi-Fi password is on the back of the router. I’ll be back around lunch. Also, I took your keys. I’ll have a prospect pick up your Jeep from downtown and drop it off at the clubhouse.
I poured another cup of coffee, leaving half of the pot for Eva, and started my work truck. I had three construction jobs to check on, materials to order, and a meeting with an architect.
Two hours later, as I spoke to the drywallers at a custom home my company had built, my phone pinged with the chirp I’d assigned to Eva’s burner phone.
Eva: Where do you keep your food?
My brows furrowed. Did she hit her head?
Me: Generally in the kitchen. Did you check the refrigerator and the pantry?
Eva: I’m not an idiot. You have ingredients. Do you not have cereal hidden somewhere? Maybe a granola bar?
I’d gone grocery shopping the day before. There were a dozen eggs in the refrigerator, fruit for smoothies in the freezer, and vegetables in the crisper. Sourdough bread sat on the counter beside the toaster.
Me: I’ll be home in less than an hour, and I’ll bring you lunch. Just text me what you want from the sub shop.
I went back to work, ignoring the pings that followed until the fourth one. Fuck, this woman was needy.
Eva: Turkey sub on white. Extra mayo and avocado. Lettuce, tomato, jalapeno.
Eva: And a bag of their pickle-flavored potato chips with a large Mountain Dew.
Eva: And a chocolate chip cookie or two!
