Page 109 of Fall Into Temptation
“Oh, they’ll love that,” Eva said. “I think you’ll like my dad. He’s pretty much the best human being I know. Ranks right up there with your son… if he’s smart enough to accept my apology.”
Hazel gave her that crooked grin. “He’ll make you work for it. But you’ll do okay, Eva. You and Donovan will be just fine,” she predicted.
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Donovan noted the smoke coming from his chimney as he pulled into the garage. It was dark, and there was a bite to the night air. There was a frost warning tonight, and his parents must have lit the fire to warm up the house.
Maybe there was a small benefit to having his parents crash with him. He might even be lucky enough to find dinner on the table.
He sighed and ducked under the garage door as it closed. Damn if he didn’t need something to go his way today. The mess with Eva weighed heavy. She hadn’t texted or called after he’d dropped her unceremoniously in her father’s lap. Not that he’d expected her to. He needed her to work through this on her own, and he hoped she’d find her way back to him.
In the meantime, he’d personally made sure that every station in a five-hundred-mile radius was on the lookout for one Agnes Merill. He’d find her, and when he did, she’d never go near his Eva again. Between spreading the word, he’d taken half a dozen calls and plowed through a fraction of the backlog of reports that his desk was buckling under.
He checked his phone as he trudged up the porch steps.
Still no messages from her. God, he needed her tonight. Wanted her naked in his bed or curled up against him on the couch. Any way he could get her, Donovan needed Eva. It killed him to think that she could have asked him for help. That she’d gone to Beckett with hypotheticals rather than trusting him to help her.
He got it. He did. It was important to her to stand on her own two feet. But dammit, she’d put herself in danger. He didn’t know what Agnes was capable of, but it wasn’t the upstanding citizen that bilked their own daughter out of $26,000. He could—and would—take care of the legal end of things, ensure that Agnes was out of Eva’s life forever. But he’d have to wait for Eva to do her best to clean up the situation on her end. She needed to solve it herself. And he needed to let her.
He opened the front door and wondered when the hell he was going to get a dog. He’d meant to. As much as he enjoyed the privacy and solitude of his cabin, sometimes it was downright lonely. The property was perfect for a dog, and he wouldn’t mind a four-legged pal to take to the station with him. Maybe after this cosmic shitstorm was over and everything went back to normal he’d visit the shelter and see who looked like a cop dog. He’d take the Pierces with him. After all, they had experience adopting every single homeless animal in Blue Moon.
His house smelled like garlic and basil and a dozen other scents that had his stomach growling.
“I’m home,” he called, not wanting to catch his parents in an embarrassingly intimate moment in his kitchen as he had so often growing up.
His heart rolled over in his chest when Eva appeared, barefoot in leggings and an off-the-shoulder t-shirt. A cheery red apron covered most of her except for the lacy bra strap peeking out from under her shirt. He itched to touch it.
She was holding a beer.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” he repeated. He clenched his hands at his sides so he wouldn’t grab her and hold her.
She wet her lips, and despite his best intentions he went rock hard, his dick straining against the zipper of his uniform pants.
“I made you an apology dinner,” she said, offering a shy smile. “Spaghetti.” She held the beer out to him.
“You’re apologizing with food?” Their fingers brushed when he took the beer from her, and the contact jolted him as it always did.
“Among other things,” she said lightly. “I hope you don’t mind if I stay tonight. I’m not supposed to stay at my place.”
If Donovan had his way she’d never go back there again. She’d stay here, write, cook, play with their future dog, let him rub her feet. Hell, whatever she wanted to do. But she had to choose him, choose them.
“Do I have time for a shower?” he asked, still careful not to touch her.
She nodded. “I need a few minutes for the garlic bread. I laid out some comfy clothes for you on the bed. I hope you don’t mind.”
Her hesitancy cut at him.All he wanted was for her to be happy and safe… and here with him.
“I love you, Eva. Don’t think that just because I’m supremely pissed at you that I don’t mean that anymore.”
She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. “I’ll make it up to you,” she promised.
“It better be one hell of a dinner,” he said lightly.
She smiled softly. “Cardona, you have no idea. Go shower and change,” she ordered, slapping him on the ass. And damn if that didn’t make him even harder.
One cold as fuck shower and a pair of sweatpants later, Donovan wandered back into the kitchen pulling a t-shirt on over his head. Eva bobbled the bowl of pasta that she was carrying, and he smirked.
