Page 37 of Tempt Her

Ignoring my tone, she’s still happy, joking, “Well, don’t y’all look like you’ve been rode hard and hung up wet.”

I can’t believe she said it. Then again, it’s fresh on her dirty mind.

She opens the door for us to enter while I growl, “Where’s Luke?”

“Eating my Christmas cookies.” She’s on a fucking roll today. And it would be cute and sexy and funny, but…no. “Want some?”

“I bet they’re yummy.” Mateo is clueless, clearly enchanted by her as well.

I’d fall for her pussy power too, but I know just how deadly that would be. “Luke,” I growl again, my anger rising.

“This way.” She ushers us into her kitchen, where I find Luke standing by the stove, munching on a plate of pre-made cookies that wasn’t there thirteen minutes ago.

Fuckers, literally. At least they’re trying to hide it.

“Y’all,” Luke talks with his mouth full, “try these. They’re gingerbread.” He heads toward the coffee machine like this is his house. “Want some coffee too? Stacey’s making a fresh batch.”

Mateo’s eyes roll at his slip.

“Stacey?” I say her name like it’s acid in my mouth. “Don’t you meanMrs. Gentry Evans?”

“Uh.” Luke halts, his jaw ticking. “Yes, sir.” He looks me in the eye, explaining, “Mrs. Evans told Mateo and me to call her Stacey when her husband ain’t home.”

“Is that so?” I glare at Stacey, and it makes her breath stall.

For a moment, she’s quiet. Fear, then worry fogs over her blue eyes before anger rolls in.

“What’s your problem, Mr. Alexander?” She steps to me like she has nothing to lose. “It’smyname,myhouse, andmyjob. And Mateo and Luke have enough respect for me to call me as I ask.”

My chest tightens with the fucking storm I’m holding back.

Glancing up, I clock the camera in the corner of the kitchen again. “Myproblem,” I hiss through clenched teeth, “is we’re being watched.”

“I told you the system records video, not audio.” She keeps enough distance from me with her back to the camera; we could easily be talking about how many gallons of paint to buy.

“Well then, hear me now,” I seethe. “You’re notStacey. You’reMrs. Gentry Evans, just as you introduced yourself because that’s exactly who can fuck up Luke’s world if he gets caught fraternizing with you.”

Her face twists. “Fraternizing?”

“Yes. Luke will address a senator’s wife by her husband’s name, or that same senator can fuck his military career up before it even starts, and I won’t let that happen. You hear me? You’reMrs. Gentry Evans,”—my nostrils flare— “whether you like it or not.”

CHAPTERTEN

Ihate Ford.

I hate the truth.

Suddenly, it hurts more than ever.

The prison bars on my life slam shut again while I see everything I despise in Ford Alexander’s eyes—because he’s right.

Luke can give me hope. He can make me feel so beautiful and sexy and powerful for a stolen hour like he just did, but here I am, back in my lonely life.

And Luke can get me a cell phone that Gentry can’t monitor, and yes, it would help, but it would also only remind me—I’m letting another man help me get away from this man, and when does it end?

When will I stop belonging to a man and just belong to me?

The look in Ford’s eyes is cold and calculating, and I hate him. I hate the facts he’s throwing in my face.

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