She grasped Zane’s sleeve, tugging him after her. Once they got to Walker Road, she’d be home free.
At least she hoped she would be.
NO SERVICE.
Zane frowned at his cell phone, then powered it off. He’d been surprised when it had popped on, but little good it did him without a signal.
He shoved the phone in his pocket and glanced toward Eve, busy at work on the back-door lock of the rental house. Finding the place hadn’t been easy, but since it was the only dark house on the street, they’d decided this had to be it. And honestly, even if it wasn’t, he didn’t care. He wanted off his feet for a few hours. After he’d rested, then he’d figure out what to do next.
He watched Eve work the lock and frowned. “Where the hell did you get a screwdriver?”
“From the RV. I found it when you were sleeping. Snagged it just in case.”
“Just in case you needed a weapon to jam through my carotid artery?”
She smiled in the dim light. “Something like that. I think I almost have it.”
A click echoed through the quiet air, and then the door popped open with a groan.
“Got it,” Eve said in a victorious voice.
Moonlight reflected off the peaceful water of Puget Sound, and off in the distance, the lights of Seattle lit up the sky, but all Zane could see was Eve. The set of her determined chin, the lock of hair falling over her cheek, the way her whole face lit up when she smiled. And the longer he stared at her, the stronger the buzzing in his head grew, telling him he needed to park it for a few hours before he did something really insane. Like tie her to another chair so she’d stop fucking with his mind. Or kiss her until she fucked with something else.
Turning his back on the view, he followed Eve into the one-level home. The kitchen was dark, but he could just make out a long island, a small breakfast nook, and to his left, a great room filled with plush furnishings.
Relief filtered through his veins. Three hours of shut-eye. That’s all he needed. Just enough time to regroup.
Eve moved to the refrigerator and pulled it open. Light spilled over her, highlighting her long, shapely bare legs, the soft line of her jaw, and her tousled hair, framing her face like a halo. She frowned. “Nothing. We should have grabbed food in town. I can head back and find something for us to ea—”
Zane closed the refrigerator door with a snap. “No food. I just need sleep.” He grasped her arm at the wrist and pulled her along behind him. “Come on.”
She didn’t jerk back on his grip, and he was thankful for that, because he wasn’t sure he had enough energy to fight her right now if she tried anything.
“I need to look at your shoulder again before you lie down,” she said at his back.
He didn’t answer, just found the closest bedroom and pulled her inside. Closing the door with his boot, he tugged off his jacket and tossed it on a chair to his right, then did the same with his T-shirt and pulled her toward the bed.
“Impatient, aren’t you?” she mumbled. He set the bag of supplies they’d picked up on the bed beside him while she shrugged out of her sweatshirt, dropped it on the ground, and then began gently peeling away his bandages.
Zane closed his eyes. “I’m a man, darlin’. We’re always impatient.”
“I remember. This actually looks pretty good. I’m just going to change the dressing.”
He didn’t want to think about what she remembered. He had enough memories pinging around in his brain for both of them—and most were the X-rated variety. He sat still while she removed the soaked bandages, added antibiotic ointment, and covered the wound again. But his stomach clenched every time her soft fingers grazed his skin, and with every breath he drew, a whiff of that sweet peach scent bombarded him, amping his awareness and sending blood straight to his groin.
“There,” she said, placing the last piece of tape over the wound. “Now you just need to take these before you pass out, and you should be good.” She handed him two pills from the bottle they’d picked up at the pet store and stepped away.
He snagged her by the wrist. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To get you a glass of water.”
“No water.” He popped the pills in his mouth and dry swallowed them.
There was just enough light coming through the window to see her exasperated expression. “Wow. What a stud you are.”
He ignored the sarcasm and patted the mattress beside him. “Get comfortable, sweetheart.”
She sighed. “Look, Archer. I—”
He jerked her toward him. A yelp slipped from her lips just before she fell into his body. Heat immediately enveloped him, but he quickly flipped her to her back, then climbed over her.
“Archer—”
Her warning was laced with just a touch of fear. Just enough to tell him he’d surprised her. And considering nothing seemed to surprise this woman, he was using that to his advantage.
He grasped both of her arms at the wrists and pinned them above her head. Pain ricocheted from his shoulder down his arm and back up again, but he ignored it. Just like he tried to ignore her trim hips locked between his knees and the way the light from the window spilled over her breasts and bare abdomen in that revealing top. “Here’s how this is going to work, sweetheart. I’m going to close my eyes for a few hours, and you’re going to stay right here beside me where I know you can’t get into any trouble. Then, when I wake up, I’ll call Carter, and we can both be rid of each other for good.”
She pursed her lips and lifted her chin, a clear challenge glinting in her eyes. “I’d like to be rid of you right now.”
“Too bad. You’re stuck with me.” He lowered his weight onto her, let go of one arm, and cinched the zip tie hidden in his hand around her wrist.
“Archer . . . What the hell?”
Zane looped the second zip tie through hers, tightened it around his own wrist, and then rolled off her onto his back.
“Oh my God.” She sat upright. “You did not just do that. Where the fuck did you get more zip ties?”
He yanked on her arm until his lowered back to the bed. “I stole them. You’re not the only one who can filch goods unnoticed, beautiful.” He relaxed back into the pillows and closed his eyes. “Now lie down.”
“You are so gonna pay for this.”
He didn’t need to see the smoke pumping from her ears to know it was there. He could hear it in her voice and feel it in the heat radiating from her skin. A wry smile curled his lips. “I figure I’m already doing time in purgatory, thanks to you. A few more years won’t kill me.”
“And to think,” Eve snapped as she flopped back onto the bed, “I was actually worried about you.”
Zane’s humor faded. “We both know you weren’t worried. You were just biding your time until you could run. I’m not a stupid Southern hick, sweetheart. Now shut up so I can get some sleep.”
“Don’t mind me,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and dragging his hand with her. “I’ll just be sitting here plotting all the ways I can murder you in your sleep.”
He chuckled. Now that was the feisty brunette he remembered. “Just do it quietly. I’m beat.”
She let out a long, frustrated sigh, but the sound didn’t irritate Zane like it should; instead, it relaxed him. And man, either he was seriously losing it, or all those drugs had finally fried his gray matter. Because lying next to his archenemy, feeling her heat, and smelling her soft, arousing scent, he suddenly wasn’t focused on revenge. Losing himself in all her softness sounded a hell of a lot better. And more fun. And, holy hell, way more fucking erotic.
He just wasn’t sure what to do about it.
The sound of metal scraping metal roused Olivia Wolfe from a restless sleep.