Page 111 of In the Danger Zone
I hummed. “I’m awake. Good m-morning.”
My eyes fluttered open and I took in the sight of Evan’s bedroom. It was funny how it was my first time ever seeing it. Properly, at least. It had been dark when Evan brought me over last night. We had both arrived in the middle of the night, got changed, and fell asleep.
His room was a lot bigger than mine. Dark grey walls surrounded me and the window to my right let the morning light shine in. Evan had a rather large tallboy by the window; on top of it sat what looked like a couple of textbooks. They looked suspiciously untouched. But then my eyes narrowed on the painting that hung on the wall directly in front of his bed.
“You weren’t lying about having that painting,” I murmured at the vision before me. There sat a giant painting ofA Friend in Needby Cassius Marcellus Coolidge – better known asDogs Playing Poker.
Evan lifted up a hand. “They’re playingpoker, babe. Where can you go wrong?”
“You’re still so silly.”
“Maybe. Did you sleep good? My bed’s not as comfortable as yours.” He patted the mattress before pulling me to his chest. “I’m much more comfy, though.”
I sighed, loving the warm feeling of him. “I agree with that.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said lowly. “I thought I’d never get to do this with you again. That I’d never get to wake up to your pretty face.”
I thought about his words carefully. Because I needed to know that he truly meant them, and I was certain that he did.
“I m-missed you so a lot when we were apart. Even though you hurt m-me,” I murmured. I felt Evan squeeze me a little tighter when I said that. It was a gesture I appreciated. “I knew A-Asher got into your head and m-made you think I had wronged you. He’s good at that sort of stuff.”
Evan literally tensed up from the name alone. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but I kinda lost it on him when I found out he had been lying.”
With a frown, I shifted so that I could look up at Evan properly. “Wait, what do you m-mean?”
“When Murph told me the truth. When he showed me that photo…” Evan’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening at the same time. “I lost it, Daisy. I had never been so angry in my life. I nearly killed him the other night. Iwantedto kill him. So, so bad. But… I knew you’d never forgive me if I went down that road. And all I wanted from the second I found out was your forgiveness.”
I slowly took in his words. Sincerity was what I was searching for and I got that. “Well, I’m pretty sure you scared him straight. If A-Asher had tried to do anything to m-my parents, they would have told m-me b-by now. Looks like you taught him a lesson…”
“I’ll teach him a hundred more lessons if he ever gets close to you again. If he gets near you, Daisy, I swear to God, you need to tell me,” Evan told me with a sharp hiss.
It was obvious Evan was still coping with the fact that Asher had done what he had done. That he didn’t just hurt me, but he tried to end my life. It was a fact I had accepted long ago. I didn’t have much choice laying in that hospital bed, anyway. But Evan? Evan had only just made the discovery. It was new for him. Beating up Asher was probably cathartic for him.
But in that moment, the only thing that mattered was that Evan had apologized and meant it.
“You’ll b-be the first person I tell if he shows up,” I whispered. I moved back into his arms so that my head was on his chest.
Evan kissed the top of my head once more. “Good. You tell me if anyone fucks with you. I might have messed up before, but I won’t do it this time. I’ll look after you. That’s a promise I intend on keeping this time.”
“M-My hero.” I smiled up at Evan. “Speaking of… What was that thing you were saying the other day? About you letting m-me shoot pucks at you as punishment?”
The anger that had been on Evan’s face faded at that. Suddenly there was a little light in his eyes. “Oh, you wanna take me up on that offer, huh?”
“Hm. M-Maybe. And no cup for you.”
Evan reached down with one hand, covering himself up. “You’re bad. Actually, I’d like to see you shooting some pucks. You already look like a new born fawn out there on the ice. Would be pretty cute.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m n-not gonna go easy on you.”
“Good. I don’t want you to. And you know what? I’m not gonna go easy on you either.”
I squealed, all of a sudden feeling Evan’s big hands on me as he flipped us over. Suddenly I was underneath him, giggling as he pressed kisses all over my neck before he moved down more and more, his lips ghosting over my stomach.
There was a sudden bang at the door and I jumped, grabbing at the sheets.
“Wake up, Wentworth!” It sounded like Colton screaming from behind the door. “Tanner’s making pancakes for the boys! Get up! Your girl can have some too!”
I blushed even though no one could see me. “Oh m-my God.”
