Riggs downs his drink and refills the glass. “I can’t watch her go crazy with hormones. Look what it did to Ziggy’s mum.”
“Pres, Michelle was different. For a start, we have bad luck with that name. Maybe all Michelle’s are just nuts,” I say and he smirks. “But Anna is a great mum. You love her. You claimed her. I think you’re just in shock. Sleep on it.”
“I thought you didn’t like talking about this kind of shit.” He smirks and I laugh. Maybe Eva is having a positive effect on me.
I drive Eva back home later that evening. Anna refused to leave her bedroom after her argument with Riggs, not even for Eva.
As she gets off my bike, she asks, “Are you coming inside?” I hesitate and she looks hurt.
“I want us to do things right,” I explain.
“You can’t have coffee with me?” she asks. Her lips pout and I melt a little. When she sees me giving in, she grins and heads up the path. “It’s just coffee,” she throws over her shoulder. I watch how her ass wiggles in that dress and know before I’m even in the house that coffee is off the menu.
I kick the door closed as I make a grab for Eva. She squeals as I pull her against me and nuzzle into her neck. “I pray coffee is code for something else,” I groan, pressing my erection against her ass. She laughs. “You don’t know how many times I’ve replayed your hot body riding me.”
“Are you ready?” she mumbles and my roaming hands still. “I don’t want you to feel rushed or anything,” she adds quickly.
My chest tightens. The thought of her pitying me pisses me off, but I don’t want this to turn into another argument. Luckily, a knock at the door saves us. I release Eva and open the door to find Anna and Malia. Anna’s eyes are red from crying, and when Eva sees her, she pulls her inside.
Malia rolls her eyes at me in that sassy manner she’s acquired since moving into the club. I laugh, my mood suddenly forgotten. “Ice cream?” I ask Malia, and she nods enthusiastically. “I know where aunt Eva keeps her best stuff. Come on.”
Eva
Anna wipes her eyes with the tissue I hand her. “I’m so angry,” she hisses. “Riggs accused me of lying. He came up to bed after everyone left and started a huge row. He watched me pack a bag without blinking an eye,” she says through her sniffles.
“What does he say you lied about?” I ask.
“He thinks I got pregnant on purpose. He said I’m trapping him. How can I trap a man who claims he loves me?”
“Anna,” I say softly. “You kind of said you were scared he’d leave you when you told me you wanted to have a baby with him.”
Anna glares at me. “I didn’t do this on purpose,” she hisses, and I hold my hands up.
“Okay, okay, I believe you,” I say. “I’m sorry.”
“I got sick. The pill must have got out of my system for a couple of days. I didn’t think about it. I honestly thought he’d be happy though.” She begins to cry again.
“So, you argued and you decided to leave, or he asked you to?” I ask, because if Riggs kicked her out, I’m about to go kick his ass.
“I told him I’d leave and he shrugged, said I should do whatever I wanted to. I’m so angry that he’d treat me like this. He was so cold and distant. Any man who thinks I’d do that on purpose doesn’t deserve me.”
“I’ll make up the spare room,” I say. She smiles gratefully.
I’m making the bed when Cree joins me. “She’s staying here?” he asks and I nod.
“Your Pres is an ass,” I mutter.
“He’s just in shock. He’ll come ‘round,” he says. “I’ll go. Leave you to it.”
I turn and face him. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to bring it up again. I just worry.”
He smiles sadly. “Goodnight, Eva. Good luck with work on Monday.”
“I’m not seeing you tomorrow?” I ask, hating that I sound desperate.
“Taking it slow, remember?” He winks, kissing me on the head.
Chapter Eighteen
Eva
Monday soon comes and my new boss, Gia, is keen to get me set up. We spend the first few hours before lunch looking at what she would like me to do. I show her an easier way to store files on her computer. It seems to relax her when she sees that I know what I’m doing.
I like her. She’s around my age and set up her business with the help of her father, who she tells me is a businessman and knows a good money-maker when he sees it. And by looking at what she’s showing me so far, this really is a little gold mine.
At lunchtime, I step out to get us each a sandwich, and on my way to the deli, I call Kyle. Apart from one text message, I’ve not heard from him. Riggs said I couldn’t tell him about what happened with Michelle and Callum, so as far as he knows, she fired me because she thought I fancied Callum.
“Eva, how the hell are you?” he says brightly.
“Good. How are you?” I smile at the sound of his cheerful voice.
“How’s the new job?”
“Oh, Kyle, it’s so much better. I’m going to love it here and Gia is fantastic. She’s a year older than me and she’s so friendly. Nothing like Michelle.”
“Speaking of that witch,” says Kyle. “She didn’t turn up to work today. I called her to check she was okay and she told me she’s not opening up anymore. She’s selling the business and she’s left town.”
“What?” I screech. “With no warning?”
“Nope,” he says, popping the P. “But I don’t care. If you ask me, it’s the best thing to happen. I closed up, put the
