He reached her center and drew his hands through her slick heat. “Yes?”
Her moan blended with his. “I get to pick one out.”
At the moment, as her grip tightened on him, he would have let her do anything she wanted. “You want me to get a unicorn or a rainbow, don’t you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I want you to get ‘Property of E.B.’ right here.” She ran her thumb from his base to his tip.
“Possessive, are we?”
Her eyelids drooped with carnal hunger. “Very much so.”
He took her by the wrists and folded her arms behind her back. Holding her with one hand, he positioned himself at her core with the other. “Gonna make you so glad you said that, princess.”
And he did.
* * *
Forty minutes before everyone was set to arrive, Evie thought. Another forty minutes with Blue.
She looked at the food she’d placed on the kitchen counter, thinking to cook breakfast, then looked at Blue. He sat at the table, watching her, fire crackling in his eyes.
Food—or Blue? There wasn’t time for both. And there definitely wasn’t time to eat the food off each other, as planned.
Blue, she thought a second later. Absolutely. She couldn’t get enough of him, and she wasn’t sure whether the rush of adrenaline just hadn’t dissipated, or if she really was addicted to him and needed a fix—or, hell, if his earlier confession had permanently revved her to all systems go.
Maybe she needed him so much because she feared she would lose him all too soon. He’d said he wanted to be with her. Not just now, but later. He said he was falling for her and he didn’t care what anyone else thought, and she was certain he meant it. At the time. It was easy not to care when there were no consequences.
If Michael fired him, he would lose his agency job as well as his place on the football team. She could convince Michael to hire him back, no probs, but the damage would have already been done. Resentment would have its claws in both men.
Or maybe her fear was unfounded. Michael objected in the beginning, but once he knew Blue was committed to her, he might just give them his blessing.
Still. Maybe they should forget their bargain and wait until they knew beyond any doubt whether they did or did not love each other. That way they’d know if the potential consequences would be worth the risk.
Could a man in the process of falling in love fall out of love before the actual emotion was achieved?
Probably. Men in love fell out of it all the time. Right?
And what about her? She had never felt this way about any other male. The thought of losing Blue nearly destroyed her.
“What are you thinking about, baby?”
She blinked and discovered he was no longer in his chair. She turned, meeting his gaze. He crowded her against the counter, his body heat enveloping her, his power stroking over her, causing goose bumps to rise.
“You were giving me a come-hither look,” he said, cupping her cheeks, “and then you were frowning.”
To tell or not to tell? “Just thinking about . . . feelings,” she said, then cringed. “How mortifying. That was such a girl thing to say.”
“Well, you’re a girl.” He hefted her onto the counter. “Wrap your legs around me.”
She obeyed.
“Arms, too.”
Again she obeyed. “Feeling bossy, Mr. Hammer?”
“Just tit for tat, snookums. And maybe I’m a girl, too, because I’m one hundred percent invested in this feelings conversation. So, what kind are we talking about? Confusion? Anger?” A pause. “Love?”
“Yes, Evangeline. What kind of feelings?”
Michael’s cold voice echoed through the kitchen, and she gasped. Her father must have come in through the back door. He was clearly programmed into the security system; no alerts had sounded.
Blue stiffened.
Horrified, Evie jumped to her feet and gave him a little push to the side, hoping to urge him out of the room to save him from a confrontation. At least until she’d calmed things down. Because one thing became very clear as she met her father’s gaze. Blue was right. Michael would not be giving them his blessing anytime soon. His eyes were narrowed, his color high. His hands were balled into fists.
Blue remained in place, shoulders back, legs braced apart.
A battle stance.
“Let me explain,” she rushed out.
“Do you really think an explanation is needed?” Michael, who was dressed as a factory worker to disguise his true identity, looked at Blue. “I gave you everything, taught you everything you know, and only asked one thing in return.”
“I realize that,” Blue replied.
His tone . . .
He sounded miserable.
Sickness churned in her stomach.
“It’s my fault,” she said. “I came on to him. He was helpless against my potent seduction.”
Blue scowled at her. “Don’t lie. You’re better than that. But yes, I was helpless.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Michael growled, and took a menacing step forward.
As skilled a fighter as he was, he was still recovering from the blast. And Blue, with his Arcadian abilities, would always be stronger. Evie moved between them and held out her arms.
“Let’s take a moment to talk about this,” she said. “I’m an adult. Blue is an adult. What we do with each other affects no one but us. You never should have told him to stay away from me.”
“It does affect me. It affects your life and my ability to—”
He pressed his lips together.
But she could guess what he was going to say. “You’re more upset that you’re losing your resident slut than about the fact that he might break my heart. Do you know how lousy that is?”
“I’m concerned about the loss of those particular talents, yes, but not more than I’m concerned about your heart.”
In a show of comfort and support, Blue draped his arm over her shoulders. She was grateful, and it must have showed. Michael cursed under his breath.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Daddy, why are you here so early?”
Like Blue, he planted his feet. “I wanted to see you, to spend some time with you before we got to business.” He held up a paper bag. “I brought you breakfast.”
“Oh,” she said guiltily. “I’m . . . sorry.”
“How long has this been going on?” he demanded.
“Since I broke things off with Pagan,” Blue said.
“Another woman scorned.” Michael frowned at Evie. “Is that what you want for yourself? To be one in a line? Sunbeam, I hoped you would have so much more.”