“Oh my god, do you think Michelle goes there with him?” He gasps, and I shudder again. The thought of them swinging and tying each other up makes me want to vomit. They’re not a bad looking couple. In fact, they look great together. They are exactly how I picture a powerful business couple. But he’s so creepy and she’s so . . . well, strait-laced. Seeing her with Cree just now opened my eyes. I fill Kyle in on what I’d seen earlier, leaving out Cree’s identity.
“So, we don’t know him then?” he asks with disappointment.
“No. He left afterward, and I couldn’t get a good look at him.”
Kyle waves at a man across the room who is waiting by the door with his jacket. “I have to go, Eva. I have a little after-party of my own. Will you be okay with Mr. Creepy Balls around?”
I laugh and nod, kissing him on the cheek. “Have fun.”
I stay another half an hour and then decide to leave. I’ve schmoozed as much as I can for one night. I can’t find Michelle to say goodbye, and I imagine she’s gone off with Cree again. His kiss is playing on a loop in my mind. It was so gentle, so sweet, and so not like Cree. I groan. I have to forget about it. He’s an ass and the way he treated me afterward, that can’t ever happen again.
I step outside and look around for a taxicab. The queue is a mile long, so I take a slow walk to the back. I hear the rumble of a bike and I know without a doubt it’s Cree. I shrink down slightly, trying to hide behind the couple in front of me. As the motorcycle slows down, I close my eyes and pray he doesn’t spot me. The last thing I need is another mind fuck.
“Get on.” His voice rumbles through me and I shiver. When the hell did I start reacting to this ass? “Now,” he adds, thrusting a helmet at me. I glance down at my long skirt—we’ve been here before. He never wants to give me a ride home when I’m wearing jeans.
“I’ll accept your ride, but only because this queue is a mile long and I’m tired.” I push the helmet on and make a show of lifting my skirt, splitting it right up my leg, and then climbing on behind him. I push myself right up against him and then wrap the material around me and into my lap. I put my arms around his waist, but he removes them and points to a bar behind me. I roll my eyes. Ass. He revs the engine and pulls away at speed, and I do my best to grip on tight.
He stops outside my house and turns off the engine. “Thanks. Goodnight,” I say coldly, thrusting the helmet into his chest. He steps off the bike. “What are you doing?”
“Checking the house,” he says. He walks ahead and I stare after him, bewildered.
“You told me to stay the fuck away from you and your brothers. How can I do that when you force me to get a lift with you and you check my house?”
“Open the door.”
“Fucking ass,” I mumble under my breath.
Inside, he does a quick check of the entire house, then joins me in the kitchen as I’m filling a glass with wine. I catch him staring at it disapprovingly, so I slam the bottle down. “If you’re done, I have things to be getting on with.”
“What did Callum say to you?”
“He invited me to a sex party. Do you do that with his wife? Attend sex parties?” I demand. I don’t know why the thought bothers me, but it does. He stays quiet. “Do you join both of them?”
“No,” he snaps. “I don’t think he’ll ask you again. He was pretty mad about the whole kneeing incident.”
“Good. He deserved it. Unzip me,” I snap, turning my back to him and lifting my hair. He doesn’t even attempt to unzip me. I look back over my shoulder and see his hands hovering near me. A cruel plan forms to repay him for his rejection earlier. “I can’t reach it on my own,” I explain, softening my voice slightly. He gently takes the zipper and slowly pulls it down to my butt.
“You know,” I begin, heading into my laundry room. “I have the comfiest t-shirt in here somewhere,” I say, dropping my dress and letting it pool at my feet. I keep my back to him. The dress required a thong and no bra, so I’m sure his view is enough to make him take notice of me. I grab the t-shirt and smile to myself. It’s huge on me, and when I step back out into the kitchen, I hold my arms up and do a little spin. It almost comes to my knees.
“Are you fucking shitting me,” he growls.
I smile innocently. “What?”
“Lake gave you a shirt?” he hisses.
“He’s so sweet,” I gush.
“Take it off,” snaps Cree as he removes his own shirt. “Eva, take it off!” he growls.
I arch an eyebrow when he throws his shirt at my feet. I grip the bottom of the shirt I’m wearing and begin to lift it until he realises what I’m about to do. “Not here,” he yells. I lift it higher and he spins around so his back is to me. I laugh and pull his shirt on.
“Chill out, misery. I’m covered.”
He turns back to face me. I’ve purposely left the buttons open and he points at me. “Don’t poke the tiger in me. He doesn’t play nice,” Cree warns. “Put it on properly.” I sulkily fasten the buttons. I’ve never met a man so immune to female charm. He takes two long strides and swoops down to collect Lake’s shirt from the floor. “I’ll make sure he gets this back.”
I feel bad—he’s already broken Lake’s nose. “I asked
