After We Fall (Take the Fall, #3)(50)

“Nice. Good to know that falling back on insulting my family is where you hit first.”

“Not your entire family. Just your dad.”

He pulls a face. “You got me there.”

“Still a low blow. Sorry, man.” I tap my gloves against his shoulder.

“Apology accepted, but you need to come clean. Lies always have a way of coming out when we least expect them.”

“Actually, I plan on telling her tonight.” If she can be brave and tell the world what happened to her, then I can man up and tell her the truth so she can decide if what I do is a deal-breaker for us.

That night, I have the fight of my life. My opponent can’t get off one single hit. I win easily in the first round.

“That was too easy,” Hayden complains as we gather our things and head to his SUV. “I feel like I didn’t earn it.”

“You don’t earn it. I do.”

Hayden pauses. “Point taken. Am I dropping you off at home or—?”

Evangeline texted me before the match began, letting me know that she would be waiting in the shower as soon as I gave the okay.

Me: Get your sweet ass in the shower, but don’t you dare wash anything until I’m in there with you.

Evangeline: But I’m so dirty.

Me: Plan to make you dirtier.

My cock stirs at the thought.

She sends me a kissy face emoji.

“Home, James,” I say to Hayden.

“I’m not your damn chauffeur.”

I smirk at him. “For twenty-five percent you are.”





Chapter 18


Evangeline


Monday morning comes far too early and I’m still rubbing my eyes when I walk inside the animal shelter.

Jake runs up to me, his tail wagging like crazy. “Jake, what are you doing here?”

Saylor joins us. “His forever family brought him back. Said Granny was allergic to him.”

“Oh no.” I drop to my knees, burying my face in his fur. “Hunter will be so happy to see you.”

“About that,” Saylor says. “I really need him to be with someone who won’t have to give him up again. The older he gets, the harder it is to adopt him out. Hunter’s schedule won’t allow for a dog.”

“I’ll take him,” I blurt.

“Jake or Hunter?”

With a smile, I say, “Both.”

Once I fill out all the paperwork, Saylor gives me the rest of the day off. “Go home and show Jake his new-old place.”

I know Hunter is off work by now. “I can’t wait to surprise him with Jake.”

“Your little family is so cute.” A raw look of pain passes over her face so quickly that I’m sure I imagined it. Besides, Saylor is such an open book that she would have told me whatever she was thinking by now.

“Thanks.”

It hits me…I am making a family. A new one. One that includes a man who cares for me, along with a dog that cares for us both.

My palms get all damp. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Awesome. You’re still going with us to that Lab place, right? FNG recommended it as a place to meet superhot guys who can throw mean punches.”

“Not too sure about that. I think I prefer a lover to a fighter…unless he was a Jedi or superhero. You have to fight then.”

Her face falls a little. “You are an odd, odd woman, but I’ll keep you.” She bites her lips, her eyes twinkling. “Go home, Eva!”

“Going, going,” I say as Jake and I leave.

In no time at all, I’m racing up the stairs of the Rose Haven shouting Hunter’s name. His door bangs open and he steps out bare-assed naked, holding a gun.

“What the hell?” With a thick sigh, he lowers his gun and eyes me. “Care to explain why you were—is that Jake?”

I try not to ogle him, but it’s hard. I giggle. Or rather he’s getting hard. “Yup.”

“I’m stoked as hell, but I need some clothes. Come inside.”

We follow him into his apartment, shutting the door behind me while he races away to his bedroom.

“Sorry, I’d just finished drying off,” he says as joins us a few minutes later, dressed for work.

“Really didn’t mind.” I smile dreamily, thinking of his hard abs and the tattoos of the skulls on his hips. “But I have to admit the uniform kind of does it for me.”

“I’ll wear it on our next date.” Winking at me, Hunter gets down on Jake’s level and starts petting him. “Hey there, buddy. What are you doing here?”

Jake’s tail begins to thump against the floor like crazy.

“He missed you.”

“Forever family brought him back?”

I nod. “Granny is allergic.”

Hope gleams in his green eyes, but then it dims. “I can’t take care of him like he needs.”

“You don’t have to because I adopted him. He’s my dog now…our dog, really.”

Hunter gets all serious as he looks up at me. “I love you.”

My head feels light. Surely he didn’t say what I just heard. “What?” I croak.

“I love you.” He stands, cupping my shoulders with his big hands. “You don’t have to say it back. My love comes without strings attached or conditions.”