Page 15 of The Rancher's Wedding Betrayal
“I’ll talk to her,” he said grimly, dropping his napkin beside his untouched soup.
He reached Eve’s door in seconds, not bothering to knock before pushing it open. “Migraine, my ass—”
The words died in his throat as he took in the scene. Evelline sat cross-legged on her bed, calmly eating a sandwich while reading a book. She looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in perfect innocence.
“Can I help you with something, Hunter?”
“You’re supposed to be at dinner.” His voice came out harder than he’d intended.
Eve took another bite of her sandwich, chewing deliberately before answering. “Since you made it clear the entire day that you didn’t want to talk to me, I thought I’d save you the effort and spare you from my presence.”
Fuck.
He should’ve expected she’d confront him straight on like this, just like before. Evelline had never been one to play subtle games or drop passive-aggressive hints. She went straight for the jugular.
He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, okay?” he bit out.
“Not good enough.” Eve set her sandwich down, fixing him with a level gaze.
“What the hell do you want?”
“I should ask you that. You’re the one who changed the rules, you’re the one who touched me, and then you’re suddenly acting like I’m invisible.”
“It’s not like that!”
“It’s exactly like that!”
“You fucking confuse me!” The admission burst from him before he could stop it.
“So do you! You fu—you freaking confuse me, too!”
His anger disappeared at the way her voice unexpectedly cracked at the end. “I’m sorry about how I acted. I’ll never do it again.” He paused. “Truce?”
She hesitated, then stuck her hand out formally.
He raised a brow. “You really think that’s going to cut it?”
“Well, how else—”
Her words were cut off as he pulled her into his arms, his mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss. She stiffened for a split second before melting against him, her arms winding around his neck.
The sandwich and book tumbled forgotten to the floor as he pressed her back onto the bed. Their kisses grew more desperate, hands tugging at clothing, bodies seeking each other’s heat.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he confessed between kisses, his hands sliding beneath her t-shirt. “Trying to stay away, trying to give you space.”
“I don’t want space,” she gasped as his fingers found her breast. “I want—”
Whatever she was about to say dissolved into a moan as his mouth replaced his fingers.
With a growl of impatience, Hunter moved back to the small table where her dinner had been, sweeping everything to the floor with one arm. The crash barely registered as he lifted Evelline and set her on the edge, stepping between her thighs.
“Here?” she whispered, eyes wide.
“Here,” he confirmed, capturing her mouth again.
Afterward, they lay tangled together on the bed, both breathing hard. There was so much Eve wanted to say, but the moment was completely ruined when her stomach suddenly growled.
Oops.
