Either way, Adam had to keep his damn hands to himself. The last thing Eve needed was a militant overbearing asshole hitting on her while she healed and sorted through her feelings. Nope, his sole focus going forward would be her health and safety. Nothing more.
So what if she kissed him? So what if she asked him to sleep with her every night and nestled her body next to his every morning? So what if she requested multiple shoulder rubs that left him burning hotter than a three-alarm fire while she purred like a kitten?
Whatever Eve needed. Adam was prepared to do.
Except let her go.
The timing of her departure was the one thing they disagreed on, well, that and the culinary experience afforded by a Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo meal. Headstrong and craving fast food, Eve was in a hurry to hit the road.
Convinced she didn’t have a plan beyond taking off in the A-Bloom truck and hitting a MacDonald’s drive-thru, Adam wanted her here. Where she would be safe. Where he could protect her from the Matthews until he figured out what to do about them.
He needed another day. Two at the most.
As soon as Grant had found the connection to the Matthews’ housekeeper, Adam had contracted with the owner of Petrova Personal Protection to send one of his best men after the missing woman. Somehow connected to all of this, Yolande Seguin was a critical piece of the puzzle, and since Eve wasn’t talking, finding the judge’s housekeeper had become an imperative.
Despite the delay, Adam still needed to get his ass in gear, deal with Johnson, and unearth a lead on Tak. Plus, he had the rest of the JTT to manage. Kicking ass and taking names being their usual modus operandi, the men were getting restless. They needed a purpose. A mission. A target.
If Adam didn’t give them one soon, they were going to break rank and take matters into their own hands. Not that he could blame them. He hadn’t stepped up to lead, and the lack of direction left them vulnerable. He needed to figure out his next move, but at this point, his to-do list stretched for a hundred miles, and he had no fucking clue where to start.
He hoped the colonel’s computer would give him some idea.
As if on cue, the deep rumble of a V-8 engine preceded the appearance of the newest member of the JTT family of vehicles. Back from California late last night, Grant drove the dark blue Denali into view, and before he could cut the motor, Davis jumped out, opening the rear passenger door.
“Eve awake?” he asked, lining his arms to the elbows with shopping bags. The two of them had met yesterday and decided they were friends over Adam’s homemade hot cocoa and a ruthless game of Snakes and Ladders.
“In the kitchen,” Adam replied, ditching his shovel by jamming it in a snowbank. “Need a hand?” In a rush to get to Eve, the kid had himself loaded down like a pack mule in about ten seconds flat.
“No, sir. I’m good.” Last bag in hand, Davis hipped the door closed. “I’ll just bring these inside if that’s okay?”
He waited for permission he didn’t need, and given the weight of the groceries he carried, Adam was quick to give it. “Yeah. Of course it’s okay.” He tilted his head at the cabin. “She’ll be happy to see you.”
Although in a hurry, Davis hesitated, his smile brighter than the winter sun glaring off the snow. “I like her,” he said, a rosy blush creeping into his cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. “She’s really nice.”
At the appearance of Eve in the kitchen window, Adam’s grin matched the kid’s watt for watt. “I like her too,” he replied, hitching his thumb at the woman in question. “Better get a move on. She’s probably wondering what’s taking you so long.”
“How’s she doing?”Grant asked indicating the woman in the window with the bill of his Golden Nuggets ball cap. With reddish-blond hair piled into a messy bun, sun-kissed skin, and piercing blue eyes, Eve was a riot of vibrant color, and despite the bruised cheek, sexy as fuck.
“Hard to say,” Adam replied, leaning against the hood of the Denali. “She’s not talking much.”
Coffee cup cradled in both hands; Eve glared at Adam through the window like she planned to commit testicular manslaughter in the near future.
“Not talking much, or not talking toyoumuch? Seriously, she’s been here less than three days. What the fuck did you do to piss her off so bad?”
Adam glanced her way. She cocked an already curved brow. He grinned and shook his head. She scowled and turned her back. If she could have stomped, Grant figured she would have. Instead, she slow shuffled out of sight.
By all appearances, the two of them were in the midst of a lover’s quarrel, and if he were a betting man, he’d be willing to wager good money Adam would find himself on the losing side. “She’s about to go ballzilla on your gooberries. You got that, right?”
Adam snorted and crossed his arms. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Surprise had any number of inappropriate comments springing to Grant’s mind, but because he valued his life, he choked them down. One look at Adam’s face was all it took. The man wasn’t messing around. Not when it came to Eve. “So, what’s the issue?”
Adam looked to the empty window. “She’s stubborn.”
“And?”
“She wants to leave.”
“And?”
