Page 38 of From the Shadows

Sweet, sweet, misguided man.

“I love that for you, I do, but that’s crazy. I’m going to be in it in no time, probably way faster than either of us even realize, but if I’m not prepared, I can’t help. I can’t jump in for you, or for Evie, if I don’t know what I’m looking for, right?”

Whatever this is between us, aside from my living dream, has progressed quickly. Comically fast. Maybe I’ve always been a few steps ahead of him, or leaps and bounds, but he did literally just say that I was right. Some couples go full lifetimes without ever realizing, saying, or hearing those magical words.

But even with all of that, the concern clouding his face is breathtaking. And overwhelming, apparently, because Eddie spills the motherfucking tea while I clip and place flowers.

“It’s not Garrick, I’ll tell you that,” I say, fully facing him with my hands firmly on my hips. As if my stance lends credence to my statement.

“He’s on the list along with other names that may or may not surprise you.” He’s lawyering and lawyering hard. Nothing like stating repeatedly that there is a conversation that needs to be had, only to tap dance on the edge while juggling fire batons and chugging Everclear.

I stab the stems I seem to have clutched in a death grip into the arrangement and give him my full attention. Not an easy thing, but here we are. “Just fff—fluffing tell me.” I roll my lips between my teeth when Evie adds the word “fuff” each time she plucks a tiny flower from the bells of Ireland stalk Eddie gave her. This girl is quickly becoming my life. I never thought I’d have a kid, or even want one, but I can’t imagine my life without her.

“Good save.” Eddie sweeps the discarded buds into a pile. “It’s a lot of the regular staff. Garrick was high on the list, but I think he’s been usurped by others in the last day or so.” Because while Eddie has spent every waking hour, and some that he should have been using more wisely, at the estate, my workload has been decidedly light.

“Who? Give it to me, all of it, not just the tip.” His free palm lands on the back of my neck, drawing me close so he can kiss me stupid. “Don’t distract me,” I mumble against his lips when I can finally breathe.

“Keep working.” He sets a wiggly Evie on the ground and leans back on the worktable to keep an eye on her. “Christophe is suspicious of the new driver; pretty much everyone he brought in to replace his uncle’s men. The list is fucking long.” He glances across the shop to confirm that Evie’s out of hearing range.

“And the doc?”

Dark gray eyes, full of storm clouds, swing in my direction. “What do you know about him?”

“Nothing solid. He just creeps me out.”

Eddie stands to his full height, his composure and calm façade gone. His back is ramrod straight, feet planted wide, and his broad shoulders somehow widen even more. He makes an imposing figure. One that I want to climb like a tree and take a swing around his redwood branch. “Has he touched you? If he’s laid a fucking finger on you, I’ll⁠—”

“You’ll get sick if you hit him too hard and break his nose. That’s a lot of blood.” All that bravado goes a little bit sideways, because blood is most definitely not Eddie’s thing. “And he hasn’t touched me, B-T-dubs, he just gives the ick. That feeling like, I don’t know, I just don’t like being around him.”

Eddie stares, taking in my words… waiting for more.

“I’m inappropriate, right? I say things that would get me in serious trouble with HR if we had a normal business environment. But I only say that shit to you. Occasionally to Teague, but less so now that he’s got Tru.” The last thing I ever want to do is offend that girl. She’s been through way too much to be concerned by my tight friendship with her man. “But Hibou just… he gives ick energy. When he fixed up Teague, and Tru fell asleep on the floor so she could see him, doc stood just inside the room leering at her. Hands in his pockets. Distinct movements. All the ick.”

Eddie’s face clouds. Brows lowered. Jaw muscle jumping and pumping like he doesn’t just have an axe to grind, he’s gnawing on that steel and making it submit to him.

“Gross? Yes. Proof of nefarious intentions? Meh.” I place the last of the stems and step back to assess my work. Fully prepared to hate everything about it, I’m pleasantly surprised. I adjust a few pieces, add in some eucalyptus. “Well, shit. That does not suck.”

I feel the promise of his body at my back before he even touches me. My skin prickles with his close proximity, goose bumps popping as his words skim the side of my neck.

“Fucking beautiful.” He slips his arms around me and presses his lips to the juncture where my neck meets my shoulder.

The familiarity, the closeness, is enough to make me swoon. But the shear possessiveness of his grip when his arm bands my chest and he locks onto the opposite shoulder—that has lightning zinging through my body.

I lean into him and twist my arm between us. His cock is thick in my hand, and I curl my fingers around him, to caress. To tease. To drive him as high and wild as he does me.

It’s a stolen moment that crashes and goes up in flames at the sound of a sweet little voice from across the workshop.

“No, ’nake. No. ’Nake p’ay wiff Ebie.”

Every muscle contracts in fear and I freeze, dead where I stand.

“Evie, baby, let it be,” Eddie calls over his shoulder as he grips high on my wrist. He squeezes hard, and my grip, my poor unfortunate grip, releases freeing him from my fist because that’s exactly what happens when one of those things is near. Honestly, I feel pretty good that I didn’t pee my pants.

“You’re going to have to kiss that and make it better later,” Eddie rumbles in my ear.

In a flash, he’s scooping up Evie and sending her my way. His hand darts out, and he tags the hoe from its spot on the wall.

“Get in the house, girls. I’ll be there in a minute.”