The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (81)

I peeked again at the bathroom door.

“If you made an effort to know him, you’d see.”

I shuddered. No…never that. Thomas was a nice guy but getting attached was a huge mistake. It was already too late to turn back with Ever.

“I want you to be happy, Rosalyn. You have my blessing.”

I felt like a coward when she cupped my cheek, and grateful tears fell down her own. I wanted out of Blackwood Keep, and I’d let no one convince me otherwise.

Rosalyn hugged me. These came few and far in between. The sensation was foreign, yet I fought against the urge to hold her as she held me. I won the battle and held myself rigidly in her arms.

Another moment, and she released me. Her gaze traveled over my shoulder, and my heart dropped to my stomach when she said, “He really is a cutie.”

“What?” I quickly glanced behind me, and my heart rate slowed when I found Jay D in the middle of a stretch. His mouth expanded as wide as it could before he settled his head on his tiny paw, and his blue eyes drifted shut. “Oh…yeah, he is.” I didn’t dare look toward the bathroom door before facing Rosalyn. “Well, I should probably get started on this homework if I want to keep him around.”

I debated the necessity of my statement when she flinched.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

The sound of her heels quickly faded, so I shut the door and forced all the air from my lungs. I wasn’t sure how much time passed before the bathroom door slowly opened. Ever stood on the threshold, his face a blank canvas.

“Your mom’s missing a few marbles.”

I didn’t respond.

“Four?” He took a step closer.

My stomach tightened, and my next heartbeat came slower than the last. I watched through blurred vision as thick eyebrows bunched just before his gaze dropped to my chest.

His eyes flashed with anger when they met mine. “Breathe.”

The deep-timbered command sounded far away.

“Damn it, Four! I’m going to spank your ass for this.”

A ghost of a smile lifted my lips as my body fell and everything went black.




Opening my eyes took some time, but the reward was a beautiful sight. Tanned skin over hard planes with dusky peaks…my gaze traveled from chest to throat until I met Ever’s unflinching stare.

“Don’t ever do something as remarkably stupid as that again.”

I tried to sit up, but he tightened his arms and rolled on top of me.

“How many times have you done that?”

I averted my gaze. “It wasn’t my first time.”

“Make it your last,” he bit out.

“It’s not a big deal,” I said despite my pounding headache. “I did it a lot when I was really young. The day I found out my grandparents died was the last time.” The grief and hopelessness had been so overwhelming that I had been willing to do anything to escape if only for a moment.

The anger left his eyes, but the determination was still there.

“Promise me.”

“Okay.”

Satisfied, he kissed my shoulder a couple more times and then settled beside me while leaning over to stare into my eyes. He actually looked afraid for me.

“You do realize you’re worried about a person whose existence is debatable, don’t you?”

“A name means nothing. You decide who you are, and then you show the rest of the world.”

I had trouble meeting his gaze. He was always so sure of his place in the world and I envied that. “What if I can’t convince them?”

“Fuck ’em.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“If your name bothers you so much, why don’t you change it?”

“Rosalyn would stop taking her pills.” My life had been reduced to keeping her sane.

He settled on his side, and when I turned to face him, he rested his hand on my hip. “How did you get into racing?”

“Benny West.”

Ever’s brows bunched. “The NASCAR driver?”

“The very one…he’s my father.”

“Wow.” His dazzling grin made it hard to catch my breath. “Think you can get me an autograph?”

“I’ve never met him.” His smile fell as he winced. “The closest I ever got was watching his races on TV. I knew from the first that racing was what I was meant to do.”

“And the bikes?”

I told him all about Gruff, and he barely blinked the entire time I spoke about my life in Cherry.

“Your mother really wanted you to quit because of calluses?”

“Yup, and she would have succeeded if not for Gruff.”

“I’d like to meet him one day.”

“He won’t like you. Your hands are as soft as a newborn baby’s ass.”

“If I had your hands, I’d have carpet burns on my dick.”

I gawked. “Did you just admit to masturbating?”

“You didn’t know? I’ve done it at least twice a day since you moved in.”

I slapped his chest and snorted, but when he didn’t laugh, I met his gaze. “Really?” I squealed when I saw his serious expression.

“You’re sexy without effort, and it drives me crazy.”