Chapter 16
Fireworks.
Goddamn fireworks.
Nothing else could describe the eruption of desire and emotions uncapped as Reid held Eve in his arms and kissed her.
Not wanting it to end, he held her tighter and molded her body against his.
The feel of her breasts pressed to his chest and the way she slid one hand up to thread her fingers through his hair threatened to make his heart explode.
Why had he resisted this? Why had he struggled against the feelings he had for Eve for so long? Everything about her—about this moment—was pure perfection.
A moan purred from her throat, and she opened her mouth just enough for him to slip his tongue inside. She tasted sweet and tangy and tempting as hell. He deepened the kiss and glided one palm up her spine to rest at the nape of her neck.
She shivered and moved her lips in a slow rhythm with his.
He wanted more. Wanted to feel her warm, silky skin and to show her how crazy she made him.
Framing her face with his hands, he broke the kiss and his breath came out in sharp gasps. He stared into her kind hazel eyes. Damn, he could get lost in those eyes.
She blinked and her tongue swiped against her swollen lips. She didn’t say a word, but he could read the questions in her expression like a freaking book.
“I didn’t like watching you dance with another man.” He didn’t know where the confession came from, but he couldn’t keep it tucked inside. Hell, he didn’t want to. Not anymore. “Seeing you in Ben’s arms shook some sense into me.”
She frowned. “That wasn’t my intention.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I know that. It was a me problem, not a you problem.”
“So, what’s your problem now?” She tilted her head to the side, her auburn ponytail spilling over her shoulder.
He could open up all the way, really confide in her the problems he faced in his life—in his past. But something held him back. He wanted this thing with Eve to be real, solid. Exposing all his scars too soon might scare her. Hell, might remind him of all the reasons he should stay far away.
“Right now, I have no problems at all. What about you?”
She twisted her lips to the side as if giving the question serious thought. “Right now, my biggest problem is that you stopped kissing me.”
“I can fix that.” Leaning down, he caught her mouth in his once more.
Her arms slid around his neck, and she nipped playfully at his bottom lip.
Chuckling, he rested his forehead on hers and breathed in the subtle floral notes clinging to her skin. “I like this side of you.”
“If you take me back home, there might be more of that to see.”
His breath stuttered in his chest, and he gripped her hips in his hands. All he’d wanted was a dance and one little kiss.
Okay, scratch that, he hadn’t known how his world would be turned upside down after his lips met hers. Now he wanted anything she was willing to give him. “Are you sure?”
She took a step back and linked their hands together. She kept her gaze locked on his. “Positive. Take me home.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said, grinning wide. “Grab your stuff and let’s lock this place up tight.”
He waited by the door as she hurried around the room, flipping off lights and snatching her purse from behind the bar.
By the time she met him, his body was vibrating with lust. If he didn’t want their first time to be special, to really take his time and show her what she meant to him, he’d carry her into the back room and make love to her against the wall.
The thought of her legs wrapped around him as he pushed inside her made him groan.
“You all right?” she asked.
He placed kisses up her jawline until he reached her ear. “Just thinking of all the things I want to do to you tonight. I hope you’re ready.”
She gasped, eyes wide. “I’ve been ready for longer than you know. Let’s go.”
Stepping outside, cool night air did nothing to calm the raging fire building in his core.
Only one thing could put that out, and if all went as planned, it’d take hours for that to happen.
He’d waited a lifetime for Eve, and he wanted to take all the time in the world to give her everything she deserved.
With the door locked, he captured her hand and led her to his truck parked on the street in front of the bar and grill.
He kept vigilant, glancing in all directions to make sure no one waited in the shadows to attack.
Once he got Eve settled in the passenger seat, he jogged around the front of his vehicle and hopped inside.
Eve slid closer on the bench seat, twining her arm through his and joining their palms. She used her free palm to lazily run her finger up and down the inside of his forearm.
The energy inside the truck was filled with anxious anticipation. He struggled not to push the gas pedal all the way to the floor for the two-block drive to her house.
Turning in to her driveway, he shut off the engine and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
As much as he wanted to sweep her out of the truck and carry her straight into her bedroom, he needed her to understand she was more to him than a quick lay.
“Eve, before we head inside, there’s some things I want you to know. ”
Concern rippled her brow. “Okay.”
“Since I’ve moved to Cloud Valley, you’ve become one of my favorite people. I look forward to seeing you all day long. You have this way of smoothing my edges when they’re all out of whack. Of making me feel better after the shittiest day. Besides Madden, you’re my best friend.”
She squirmed in her seat. “Is that how you want to keep things? Friends? I mean, I know you don’t like to get serious with anyone.
I respect that, I really do. I don’t want to change you.
I just want…heck, I don’t know. I just want to forget all the craziness of the last couple days with someone I trust.”
Well, hell. He hadn’t expressed himself the way he’d wanted, but maybe it was better not to admit that. He didn’t want to stay just friends with her. Even if right now, all she was looking for was someone to take her mind off her troubles.
He could be that person. And then he could figure out if there was a way to open Eve up to the possibility of taking their relationship past the friend zone.
“I’m glad you trust me,” he said. “Now let’s get inside.”
He jumped down and met her at her side. He pressed his hand to the small of her back and ushered her up the porch steps.
She dug in her purse for her keys and pushed open her door.
The overwhelming smell of flowers slammed against Reid like a punch in the gut seconds before he registered that the security system didn’t sound. Alarm bells went off in his brain, and he grabbed Eve’s elbow to lock her in place.
He flipped on the hallway light and anger slammed against him with more force than a charging bull.
Hundreds of flower petals filled the living room, as if someone had tossed handfuls of colorful blooms in the air and let them rain down.
Clumps of dirt dangled from stems torn from the ground, and ripped petals were ground into the carpet.
Eve shrieked and turned to bury her face in his neck. He held her tight and vowed to destroy the man who refused to leave her alone.
Panic mixed with the suffocating scent of flowers, stealing the air from Eve’s lungs. She clung to Reid, refusing to believe this was happening.
Refusing to believe Tyson Brown had invaded her home once again, taking her sense of security with him.
Reid skimmed his knuckles up and down her arms. “Listen. I know you’re scared, but I need to make sure no one is in the house then call the authorities. Okay?”
She nodded then took a step away from his protective embrace. The last thing she wanted to do was walk through every room of her house to see if someone had been there—to see if more terrifying surprises waited.
But Reid was right. They couldn’t just stand in the hallway and pretend like the rug hadn’t been pulled out from under her again.
“Stay close. Just like at my place.”
Again, she nodded.
Reid grabbed the gun she knew he kept tucked in the back of his waistband and inched through the house.
She’d been terrified at Reid’s apartment earlier, but that didn’t even begin to describe the almost paralyzing emotions circling through her nervous system.
Her body jerked with every groan of the house, every shift of the floor beneath her feet.
At the entry of each room, she held her breath and waited for Reid to tell her everything was all right.
He approached her bedroom door, and her heart broke a little.
This was not how she’d thought this night would end.
With fear and questions and the nauseating scent of flowers permeating her psyche.
She’d looked forward to kisses and passion and hopefully the beginning of something more with a man she’d never imagined was in her reach.
Reid pushed open the door and flipped on the light. The sight of red flower petals sprinkled on her bed made bile shoot up the back of her throat. Wind lifted the ends of her curtains, glass shattered on the floor, giving a glimpse into how Tyson had entered her home without the alarm going off.
She stood in the doorway while Reid crept around her space. She pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from getting sick. Her gaze found the painting on her wall she’d always cherished. Now the colorful blooms in the photo would forever remind her of her worst nightmare.
“All clear.” Reid crossed to her and dug his phone from his pocket. He swiped the screen and made a call before placing the device to his ear and ushering her out of the room. “Deputy Silver, it’s Reid. Eve and I need you at her house. There’s been another break-in.”
Disconnecting, he slipped his phone back in his pocket and steered her into the kitchen.
She marched along beside him, her body numb, her senses both dulled and extra sensitive at the same time. Her legs were wooden and stiff as she moved, her mind blank.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Reid pulled out a chair from the kitchen table.
She lowered herself onto the hard seat and stared up at him. “The alarm didn’t go off. We had no idea he’d been in here. Doing that.” She flung her wrist toward the sick offering left for her in the living room.
The familiar wildflowers she’d loved since childhood stared back at her from the attached room, taunting her. Cracking her heart down the middle. Frustrated tears spilled from her eyes.
“Hey, now.” Reid dropped to his knees and gripped her hands. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“He’s tarnishing everything I love. Everything I treasure. My home. My memories. How can I live here, knowing he’s been inside? Been in my bedroom!”
Reid picked up her hands and kissed her knuckles.
“You don’t have to stay anywhere you don’t want.
I’ll take you as far away as you want to go.
But honey, don’t let him win. Don’t let him ruin all the things you’ve spent a lifetime building.
He’s not worth it. And when he gets caught and thrown in jail where he belongs, you’ll take back what’s yours. However that looks for you.”
She wanted to believe him. Wanted to truly believe that this nightmare would end and she could go back to her life the way it had always been.
But was that really what she wanted? Yes, she wanted to live without fear and stop constantly looking over her shoulder.
What she didn’t want to do was return to a world where she didn’t see Reid every single day.
She didn’t want to go back to being friends who relied on flirty banter and surface-level conversation.
That was a discussion for another time. There was no need to think about what a future together could look like when she didn’t know what the next couple of hours would bring.
Besides, he’d given her a nice little speech in the truck about how she was one of his best friends.
Maybe that was as far as he wanted things to go.
“Eve,” Reid said softly, breaking into her spiraling thoughts. “Are you okay? The look on your face tells me you’re thinking of either sprinting out of here or passing out.”
“Sorry. My mind is spinning a million miles a minute. I’m not sure what the next right thing is. All I know is I can’t stay here tonight.”
He squeezed her hands. “We’ll stay at my place. I’ll call Tara and let her know we’ll head that way after we speak with the deputies.”
As if summoning the authorities with his words, the doorbell rang.
Reid stood. “I’m sure that’s them now. Give me a second.”
She stayed glued to her seat. Her legs probably couldn’t carry her too far now even if she’d wanted to walk with him. Low murmurs reached her ears seconds before Deputies Silver and Hill entered the kitchen with matching frowns.
Deputy Hill held his hat in his hands. “Sorry for your troubles, Eve. We just need to take your statement then we’ll look at the house. Figure out how this guy got in and out without being detected.”
Nodding, she crossed her arms over her chest. “The window in my bedroom is broken. He must have gotten in that way.”
Deputy Silver arched a thin brow and glanced at Reid, who stood at Eve’s side. “No alarms on the windows?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “The alarms go off if the glass is smashed. Looks like he cut the window, making a cleaner break. My guess, he knew Eve wasn’t here, or that would have been loud enough to alert her to his presence.
He got in, then tampered with the alarm from the inside.
I checked the panel by the door, and the power is cut and backup batteries disabled. ”
She gaped. “Can nothing keep me safe from this man?”
Reid rested a hand on her shoulder. “I can, and I will.”
His firm conviction chased away a bit of her apprehension.
“The more chances he takes, the more likely he’ll slip up,” Deputy Hill said. “And when he does, we’ll catch him. Just stay close to Reid until this is all over.”
She almost laughed at the advice, because with or without a madman after her, there was nowhere else she’d rather be.