Page 58 of Eden's Joker

“What the hell do you know aboutother things?”

“I know you’ve been very tense lately,” she says, running one of her long, sharp nails down my chest. “And I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep. I thought I could help you with that.”

I’m sure she knows a lot more than that. I don’t like my men sharing too much with these women, but guyswill talk to whores, it’s one of those age-old things that will never change.

“I’m just fine, Cherry,” I say. “No need to worry about me.”

“But I do,” she coos and purses her lips at me. “Can’t help it.”

The other three are now standing in the arched doorway that leads from the foyer to the dining room, all smiling enticingly too.

“We worry about you guys all the time,” one of them says. “You’ve all been gone so long this time.”

“And now you’ve sent so many away again,” another adds.

I really should learn their names. I think they’re Foxy, Minx, and Bubbles, but I could be completely wrong.

“I see you brought a couple more women over to play with,” Eden says behind my back. “I guess that means you won’t be needing me anymore.”

Her voice is sharp like a whip cracking.

They all glare at her and she’s glaring right back. The long dress with flowers all over it might as well be a ball gown, that’s how regal she looks.

“Don’t talk to him like that, you Devil scum,” Cherry hisses at her.

I very nearly snap at her to shut up.

“And who’s gonna stop me?” Eden asks. “You?”

Cherry grows very red in the face and I’m sureshe’s about to charge up the stairs and do just that. I grab her arm to prevent it.

“Thanks for bringing dinner, ladies,” I tell them. “I’ll see you later down at the Saloon.”

Cherry looks offended as she faces me. “You want us to leave? I thought she was locked up.”

“She’s locked up in the house,” I say. “And yes, I want you to leave.”

“But the door was unlocked,” Cherry whines.

“Go. Now!” I holler.

That sends them scurrying out of the house, not bothering to close the front door behind them. I wait until they’re packed into the truck they drove up here in before turning to Eden.

“I thought you were gonna starve.”

She grins and comes down the stairs, stepping so lithely her feet barely touch the ground.

“I decided I’m too hungry for that,” she says as she passes me. Her hair is wet, she showered too, and the sweet smell of peaches on a quiet summer evening is strong about her. The way she staked her claim on me with the hoes is doing things to me too.

She turns and smiles at me over her shoulder. “Besides you’re not really gonna hurt me, are you, Joker?”

I don’t like hearing her call me by my made-up name. I prefer her using my real name.

“Don’t mean I won’t let others do it,” I tell her. “My brothers are all dying to get a piece of you.”

That wipes her sweet little smile right off her face.

“So go ahead, eat,” I say and start back up the stairs to get dressed. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

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