Page 11 of Eden's Joker

What I want is for this date to just keep going. I feel like I’ve known him forever, like he’s one of my oldest friends, like Hunter or Chance. But there’s this electricity flowing between us, this attraction, that I’ve never had with anyone else, and it adds a whole new level to the whole thing.

I’m sorry now that I left my car right next to this park. I wish it was on the other side of town instead. Or at least by the tea shop.

“This is me,” I say as I spot my beat-up silver coupe. I never gave much thought to the car I’m driving. As long as it starts with no issue and gets me where I need to be, I’m fine with whatever. But right now, I wish I was driving something cooler.

“This is me,” I say and unlock the door.

He gives the car a once over, then me, and then he holds open the door for me.

“I had a great time,” he says, leans over and kisses me on the cheek. The ground turns to quicksand beneath my feet and that’s not an exaggeration in the slightest. If a kiss on the cheek floored me this badly, what would a kiss on the lips do? I want to find out. Now.

But he’s already standing back and I slip into thecar, glad that I don’t have to trust my legs to hold me up anymore.

“Tomorrow night,” he says. “Eight PM. I’ll pick you up.”

“You better,” I hear myself say, making him chuckle.

“Nothing could stop me.”

I really, truly, with everything I have, hope he’s not just saying that.

He hands me the pie box, but I shake my head. “No. I got those for you. I’m sure you’ll get hungry again soon.”

I have no idea what that look in his eyes is, but it’s not something I’ve seen there before.

“Drive safe,” he says and closes the door.

And then I have to start the car and leave. I don’t want to, I want to get back out and get that proper kiss from him. But I manage not to act on that and drive off instead. I feel him looking after me all the way down the main street and out of town. Long after he can possibly see me, I still feel him looking.

Is this what love at first sight feels like? Must be, because I’ve never felt anything this strongly before.

8

Joker

I hadn’t planned to spend the whole day with Eden. I was gonna feel her out, give her a taste of the old charm and leave her wanting more. Instead, I very nearly took her to the Inn like she wanted. And I stood on the sidewalk, watching the red lights of her car disappear and holding the stupid box of leftover stupid pie pieces like an idiot for a long time.

I won’t let Ice’s daughter get under my skin!

No matter how gorgeous, sweet, and nice to talk to she is.

No matter how much I want to show her there’s so much more to life than being a good girl. No matter how much I want to show her that life is so much better than any fictional piece of romantic crap shereads all day.

By the time I reached my bike, my head was pretty much back on Mission Eden—break her and ship the pieces back to her father. Right before I destroy him too. And all the rest of the Devils.

And as I enter the compound where my MC is waiting to start this greatest mission we’ve ever undertaken, my head is back to normal, focused on what has to be done now.

“Man, what time do you call this?” Scorpio asks from the darkness by the door of the main building. “We’ve been having meetings on whether we should ride to your rescue all afternoon. You were supposed to be back hours ago.”

I need him mothering me like I need a bullet hole in my head right now. So I ignore him and just focus on detaching my saddle bags and getting the pie out of them before they make even more of a mess. I push the scrunched-up bag into his hands, wishing I didn’t smell the pecans and chocolate so clearly. Or the cinnamon, apple, and cherries—all things Eden.

“What the hell is this?” Scorpio snaps.

“A snack,” I say and walk past him into the building.

The main room, which I’ve been using as the MC’s family room, while we’re here sounds like it’s packed. I avoid it by heading for the back stairs up to my room. Scorpio follows, so I round on him.

“I’m getting my stuff and then I’m leaving for the inn,” I say, annoyed that he’s already stuffeda whole slice of pie into his mouth while we were walking. He looks like a stupid chipmunk. But that’s not what’s annoying me. It’s something else. Something I don’t want to acknowledge. Eden got those pies for me. Me. What a dumb thing to think.

---