While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)(18)

“Eva, wait. Did you meet Low?”

Great, he wanted to introduce us. What was I supposed to say to her? I’d been the one kissing him last night and now she’d be the one kissing and probably screwing him today.

“Yeah, I did.” I replied as coldly as possible.

Cage frowned and looked down at Low as if she had the answer as to why I was annoyed. “Okay, well I’m heading out. I’ll see you tonight. I got the cows fed. Everything should be fine.”

With one curt nod, I turned and walked as quickly as I could to the house. I had to go inside and get a grip. All the guy had done was kiss me. Why was I acting like he and I had something more? We had nothing. He was as unavailable to me as a guy could get.

Throwing the sheets into the washing machine I scowled at the cotton bed clothes as if it were their fault. Stupid redhead had to come. She’d changed his sheets for him and bought him more towels and washcloths because I’d neglected to give him sufficient supplies. Great job Eva.





Chapter Eight


Cage



“What the hell did you do to Eva?” I asked as I climbed into the passenger seat of Low’s Volvo. I’d been hoping to smooth things over with Eva before I left today but she’d been prickly so I’d kept my distance. No reason to ruffle her feathers in front of Low.

“So you noticed that too? I thought I was just being paranoid. I’ve got no idea what I did to set her off but I got the distinct impression that she did not like me bringing you clean sheets and making up your bed for you,” Low shot me a warning glare. “You haven’t done anything with her, have you Cage? She’s engaged.”

I let my head fall back on the headrest and sighed. I almost felt like I was betraying Eva if I told Low the truth. But hell I had to tell someone. Low was the best friend I had and she was a female. Maybe she could help me figure this out.

“She isn’t exactly engaged,” I began.

“YES she is. I saw the diamond on her left hand.”

“Yeah, I know that but the guy who put that ring on her finger was killed in Baghdad eighteen months ago.”

Low’s sharp intake of breath was followed by an, “Ohmygod.”

“The guy I thought she was engaged to turned out to be her fiancé’s twin. They’re just good friends.”

“But she still wears the ring,” Low whispered. “How incredibly sad. When did she tell you this?”

I wondered if she ever would tell me this. Last night, even though it had sent her running, that had been one helluva kiss. Even before the kiss we’d talked and she’d laughed. Not just smiled but she’d laughed.

“She didn’t. Jeremy did.”

“Jeremy? He’s her fiancé’s twin?”

“Yeah.”

“That just breaks my heart, Cage.”

The ache that throbbed in my chest when I let myself think about Eva’s pain returned. “She isn’t the bitch she appears to be. She’s really a lot of fun if you can get past her walls of steel.”

Low cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. “Do I take it this means you got past those steel walls?”

“A little. I made her smile and laugh. Jeremy said she hadn’t smiled since the day before Josh’s death.”

Low reached over and patted my knee. “If she’s smart enough to let you in, the real you, not the one you share with the females whose panties you just want to get in, then she’s a smart woman.”

“It ain’t about her panties.” I replied, reaching down to squeeze her hand.

“No, Cage with you, it is about her panties at least a little bit. But I think that maybe this time you want more.”

Did I want more? Was it just because she was so damn hard to get? Or did I really want more?

“Yeah, you’re right. The panties are always on my priority list.”

Low shook her head and laughed. “I’ve missed you this week. Live Bay isn’t the same without you there with us. I even think Preston may have shed a tear when you weren’t there to sing Kid Rock’s part of Picture when they played it over the speakers while the band was on break.”

“Did he sing Sheryl Crow and Kid’s parts all by himself?” I asked.

“Yes, unfortunately he did. Standing on the table with some random stranger’s brush in his hands as his microphone.”

“Bet that was funny as shit,” I replied.

“Or nightmare—worthy. Depends on how you look at it.”

*

The one—hour trip with Marcus was easier this time. He wasn’t pissed off the entire trip. Probably because Low was so damn happy I hadn’t been fired yet. After he dropped me off, I thought of stopping by the house and talking to Eva. Her dad’s truck was still gone. She probably wouldn’t be real thrilled about me showing up at her door at nine o’clock at night. Might just need to wait until she came to me.

Before I could get to the far end of the house, I heard the gravel crunch in the driveway as a car pulled in. Turning around, I checked to make sure it was Wilson. I didn’t want just anyone showing up with Eva alone in the house.

The passenger side to Jeremy’s truck swung open and Eva jumped out.

“Cageisback!” she slurred happily. Her hand was gripping the side of the door to steady herself.