CHAPTER 25
Nash
I knocked on Eve’s door and stepped back. She’d ignored me the night before but I wasn’t going anywhere until I saw her. I knew Aiden had eventually gotten in and spent the night with her and I was glad she’d let one of us in. I would’ve preferred if it’d been me, but I’d take what I could get.
I heard her on the other side of the door and sighed when she didn’t open it right away. “I’m not leaving until you open the door, Eve.”
After a few more seconds, the door opened and Eve stepped back. “Just barge on in.”
I stepped inside and pushed the door shut behind me. Eve was already walking away from me, her ass swaying as she went. In tiny shorts and a t-shirt, she looked edible. “How’s your hand?”
She put the island between us and frowned down at her bandaged hand. “Aiden wrapped it up before he left this morning. It’s annoying. I can’t work with my hand like this.”
“Want me to look at it?” I allowed her to keep the space between us but all I wanted was to pull her into my chest.
“Will you let me leave it uncovered?”
“Nope.”
She groaned. “Then I don’t want you to look at it.”
I smiled. “How are you doing, other than trying to set yourself on fire?”
“I didn’t try to set myself on fire. I helped put the fire out. I could’ve taken your job yesterday.” She bit her lip to fight a smile and then turned away when it was clear she was losing that fight. “Do you want something to drink?”
“I can’t stay. I have to go to the job you could’ve taken. I just wanted to check on you.” I walked around the island and stopped in front of her. Our feet were inches apart and she stretched her neck back to look up at me. “You didn’t tell me how you’re doing. What we did, it can be overwhelming. I just want to make sure you’re okay, Eve.”
A small smile stretched her mouth as she looked down. “I’m okay. I might’ve panicked a little yesterday but it’s fine.”
“Aiden said your ex was calling you over and over again.” I frowned and cleared my throat. I wasn’t going to act like a jealous prick. That wasn’t our thing. We didn’t get jealous because we had no claim over the women we slept with. It was all temporary.
“Aiden is a gossip.” She absently fiddled with the front of my t-shirt, running her fingers over the material. “I haven’t talked to my ex in months. When I came home yesterday, he’d texted me and it threw me for a loop.”
“Do you still have feelings for him?” I had no right to ask. I should’ve shut up and just left for work.
“Does it matter?” Her eyes met mine and I saw the challenge in them. She was quietly calling me on my bullshit.
I knew what I was supposed to do. We would leave town in just a few more months. If that long. I didn’t want to lie to her, though. “Yes. It matters.”
She tipped her chin higher. “Why?”
I smiled and backed away. “I should get going.”
She gasped and grabbed my arm, doing her best to force me to stop. “Wait a second!”
I laughed as she wrapped both hands around my arm to stop me. Turning back to her, I easily lifted her and put her down on the island. “Gotta go.”
Before I could move away, she locked her legs around my waist and held on tight. “Why does it matter, Nash?”
I hesitated before grabbing her face and lowering my mouth to hers. Kissing her slowly at first, I told myself to back off and leave but I couldn’t. My hunger for her took over and when I did manage to pry my mouth from hers, we were both breathing hard. Stroking my thumb over her cheek, I kissed her once more before untangling myself from her arms and legs.
“That wasn’t an answer.”
I got to the door and looked back at her over my shoulder. “Yeah, it was.”
I laughed as her lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed. Winking at her, I left with a smile on my face and an oddly happy feeling coursing through me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel happiness normally. I did. Since starting our traveling business, I’d felt a lot of happiness. What I was feeling after walking away from Eve was something different, something bigger.
“Well, aren’t you all smiles?” Tate was leaning against his truck, waiting on me. “How is she?”
“Seems fine. She didn’t want me to unwrap her hand unless I agreed to not rewrap it so I didn’t get to check it.” I straightened my face into something normal. “I left the door unlocked if you want to go over.”
He smirked and shook his head. “I have to run to town. If I go over, there’s a pretty big chance I’m not leaving.”
I ran my hand over my hair and blew out a big sigh. “I asked her if she still had feelings for her ex and she asked me if it mattered.”
“And you said?”
“That it did. Because it does. I didn’t tell her why but there’s something there that makes me want to go find her ex and knock him out just so he’ll stay the fuck away from her.” I groaned. “I’m jealous. I can’t even tell you the last time I felt jealousy, Tate, but it’s there.”
He looked uncomfortable as he nodded. “I wanted to kick Aiden’s ass this morning when I saw him come walking in with a giant smile on his face.”
“Feels like dangerous territory.” Straddling my motorcycle, I knocked my knuckles against the body. “I’m not willing to back off, though. Not while we’re still here.”
“I feel the same way. We just need to focus on what it is she can be to us. And what she can’t be.”
Permanent. She couldn’t be permanent. Looking away, I tried to rearrange my thoughts into something happier. “I’ve got to go. I’m helping out at the fire station.”
“We need to talk to Aiden. If this thing gets too big, we may need to cut it off before it’s time to leave.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “It’d probably be better for Eve, anyway. She’s done her best to avoid us from the start. Maybe we need to let her.”
I started my motorcycle and pulled away without answering him. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.