She turned to face me, her hands sliding into her back pockets. I sighed inwardly, wishing she wouldn’t do that. All that did was emphasize her breasts in that shirt, and my willpower was pushed a little further.
“I did the best I could putting things away. I wasn’t sure where things went, so I stuck them in the pantry.” She shifted her feet and balled up the bags in one hand. “Do you keep these?”
I shook my head. “Usually I keep them for the elementary school to use, but I’ve got plenty already.”
“Elementary school?” Her brows met her hairline.
The way she said it put my back up. “Yeah, they use them for projects or recycling where they can collect money.” I folded my arms over my chest. “Why?”
“No reason. I was just curious.”
“Well, you don’t need to be curious. You’re not sticking around.”
Her eyes sparked with anger, but I had to admire how she banked it quickly, not rising to the bait I tossed into the proverbial stormy waters. “Right.” She edged her way out of the kitchen. “I’ve got to go out and get my suitcase—”
“I already brought it in. It’s by the front door.”
She stopped. Those turquoise eyes studied me for a moment before looking away. With a shake of her head, she looked at the floor. “Okay, then can you show me to my room? Well, let me rephrase that before you get your jockstrap in a knot. Can you show me the room I’ll be occupying for my very short stay?”
God, I’d missed her smart mouth. That mouth had brought me to my knees in so many ways, her whip-smart tongue one of them. Yeah, I know. Call me a sadist, but her defiance and not bowing down to me—she never had—was a huge turn-on.
“Follow me,” I muttered, putting away thoughts of anything that remotely made me want to be nice to her. The more of a bastard I was to her, the more she’d stay away from me. I hoped. This house was big enough for a family of ten to never see each other for days on end if so inclined. I was pretty sure just two of us could do it.
I’d just have to stay away from the kitchen if she was in there.
When we passed the foyer, I started to lift her bag, but she stopped me. “I got it. I don’t need your help, Hanover.”
“Just trying to be a good host.”
“I’m perfectly capable of handling my own luggage, thank you. I did manage not to lose it on my way here.” She put her hand next to mine on the handle and yanked, trying to dislodge it from my grip.
Some wicked part of me wanted to see how far she’d take this idiotic tug-of-war she’d started. I yanked back, hard.
“Give me my bag,” she said between gritted teeth, pulling again.
“Are we seriously playing tug-of-war with your bag right now? I’m not in the mood to play games, Eden.”
“Oh really? Why stop now?”
She shoots, she scores. The woman knew me too well. My lips curved in a smarmy smile. “Oh, sweetheart. I learned from the best, I’ll give you that much.”
She let go of the bag and rubbed her forehead, a sigh heavy on her lips. “Fine. Take it.”
“You sure? Cause if you want, you can take it.”
“Chase.” Her voice broke and it gutted me. “Please. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. I don’t care where I sleep, just please show me where you want me.”
I nearly bit my tongue in half to keep the automatic response ofin my bedfrom spilling out. That would have been a fucking disaster on so many levels. Instead, I nodded and turned away, knowing she’d follow me up the stairs. I showed her into one of the bedrooms on the far side of the house away from my room.
“This is a beautiful room,” she said, walking across to the sliding glass doors that looked out over the now stormy Gulf.
“My decorator will be pleased to hear it.” I dropped her bag on the bed.
She shot me a dour look over her shoulder before turning back to the storm-darkened landscape beyond the glass. “Well, she did a good job pulling in the water and earth colors from the outside.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and gave the room a once-over, careful to keep the king-sized bed between Eden and me. I have several rooms in this house with just as many bathrooms. I rarely set foot in any of them, and it was even more rare that I had visitors. I only knew each room was tastefully done thanks to the best decorator money can buy and fully stocked thanks to Linda.
“It was actually a guy. But thanks.” I gestured toward the door behind me that led into the bathroom. “Bathroom’s right there and should have everything you need in it.”
