turning away. The crumbling house where we’d met only a couple hours before loomed ahead in the shadows, and just when I thought I was in the clear, he threw over his shoulder, “I will never trust you…Danny Boy.”
I WAS HAVING A DREAM. A very good dream. A dream I’d never in a million years admit to having under any circumstances. Not even torture.
Sadly, my dream ended, and I was jarred awake drenched in sweat. The T-shirt I’d worn to bed was bunched around my waist, showing off my cotton panties. I blushed when I recalled in vivid detail what caused such disarray.
And then I froze when I realized I wasn’t alone.
A quick glance at the foot of my bed showed a figure in dark clothing leaning forward with his forearms casually resting on his knees. The scream that tore from my lips was silenced when the figure leaned over and calmly rested his palm over my mouth.
“My father is a light sleeper,” Ever calmly warned. “And I’m sure you don’t want to explain to your mom why I’m in your bedroom at three in the morning.” My heart continued to race even after he lifted his hand, but I didn’t scream. “Good girl.”
“Why are you here?” I hissed while scrambling to pull down the T-shirt still bunched around my waist. I lifted the comforter I must have kicked away in my sleep and covered my lower half.
Oh, God, he’d seen everything. I felt like I had been caught red-handed considering he’d been the one I’d—
Fuck my life.
“You told my father I went to the store for deodorant.”
“And?” I sounded as exasperated as I felt.
“He didn’t buy your story.”
I could imagine considering he was sitting in my room fully dressed at three in the morning. It didn’t take seven hours to buy deodorant.
“Not. My. Problem.”
“But it is. We made this deal together, and we’ll honor it…together.”
I sighed. “So, what did he do to your highness? Take a spoon?” I mocked.
“Grounded,” he grunted.
“Poor you.”
I didn’t expect his smile. It was soft. Indulging. My overly large T-shirt had slipped from my shoulder, so he trailed his finger over my skin. “I’ll have to punish you, Four.”
“Punish me?” That was laughable. “I’m not your child.”
“No, swamp girl. You’re a puppet. My puppet.” He stood from my bed and headed for the door. “If I’m grounded, so are you.”
I told myself I was still dreaming and that he wasn’t actually saying these words. “What does that even mean?”
“It means I’ll have fun anyway.”
Too exhausted to argue, I sighed and met his gaze. “Get out of my room, McNamara.” I thought there was nothing else he could say or do until his parting words.
“You sound lovely when you come, Archer.”
I knew the moment he had entered the kitchen the next morning. He didn’t speak and hardly made a sound. I simply felt him. I ate breakfast at the island and was already dressed in my uniform when he sauntered in shirtless with long gray pajama bottoms hanging loosely around his hips. He didn’t acknowledge me as he filled his plate with the food Mr. Hunt, the cook, had made. After last night, I expected more.
I’d lain awake for at least an hour after he left my room, thinking about what would happen come morning. And when I finally slept, he’d invaded my dreams once again, but this time, the hands that roamed my flesh had been covered in blood. It was obvious Ever had been out doing Exiled’s bidding, and it was surprising just how much it bothered me. What evil deed had they demanded from him, and more importantly, what price would he eventually pay for those deeds? The boy who invaded my dreams had brought warmth, and light, and love, but the boy who caused my nightmares… I shuddered.
After filling his plate high, instead of keeping the table between us, he sat next to me, giving me a whiff of his shampoo.
Or maybe it was his body wash.
Whatever it was, the intoxicating scent had me forgetting all about the ruthless gangbanger. No way could anyone other than Ever McNamara make me blush. I could feel him everywhere without even touching him. It was distracting.
“Why are you sitting so close to me?”
“Because I make you nervous.”
I could feel my lip curl. “Gets your rocks off, does it?”
He licked his lips and grinned. I felt kicked in the stomach.
“No, but I like how my nearness takes your breath away.”
“It does not.” It so does.
He put