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Oh, he had no idea!
West needed a happy home to return to every night—not some empty marbled and hollowed-out mansion devoid of love, but one brimming with joy and laughter, and… if there was any mercy in this world, children, lots and lots of rambunctious, wonderful children. She might be a mirror of her momma, but Eva had a heart that ached for a family. And of course, she’d take a collection of adorable animals like Lizardman! She’d first welcome in the family and pets West already had, and go from there.
“It won’t be all bad,” she said. “I’m sure you can find a way to enjoy yourself in my world of dreams.”
His hands tightened over her, though he didn’t answer. His gaze surprised her with its sudden storm of desire.
He was going to kiss her! She knew it.
West’s phone rang and he grappled with Eva and then Lizardman to get to it. He was pinned under them. She laughed, not helping him out in the least. They were having too much fun to lose him to another tense business call.
“Eva,” he muttered. He finally had to reach around her to dig his phone from his pocket. His eyes widened. She glanced over at his screen to see who was calling. It was her daddy.
She groaned. “Oh no, already?”
“You told your daddy you were coming with me, didn’t you?”
She giggled, hoping it sounded more lighthearted than she felt. “C’mon. No need to worry. He’s happy if his little girl is happy.”
West’s jaw stiffened. He shoved his phone to his ear to answer her daddy’s call. “Trout? Oh yes, yes, she’s here. I… uh… yes, sir, I’m taking good care of her.” West’s eyes ran accusingly over her, before he leaned his head back against his seat in exasperation. “Like delicate china… that’s exactly what she is.” He screwed up his face like he was in pain. “Yeah, yeah, you bet. Oh, I’d never, never.”
West stood while he assured her daddy that he’d never do anything to Trout’s baby. He picked Eva up with him. Her mouth dropped at his strength as he deposited her on the seat next to his, like doing that would convince her daddy that she was safe with him. How’d he manage to make her feel like both an irresistible tease and a child all at once?
Lizardman dropped to the ground, used to being discarded just as easily.
“Yeah, we’re good,” West said, nodding like her daddy could see him. “I understand. I promise. Your little girl’s going to have an amazing time. She just wanted to see Harvest Ranch and you know… I couldn’t tell her ‘no.’ She is uh… delicate china. Of course.”
He hung up, his knuckles white as he clenched his phone. His gaze shot to her then swept over her head to his brother coming back for his wife’s luggage. West stepped back from Eva, as casually as if they were coworkers getting off the same flight.
Nash brushed past West, completely oblivious to the tension emanating between his brother and her.
At the same time, Eva almost felt like nothing had happened by the way West looked through her. Had the kiss of a lifetime really been stopped by her daddy’s untimely call? It was like her daddy had a tracker on her or something. Wait, did he?
Nash reached around West to get the rest of his things. His younger brothers were taller than he was… at least the ones she knew were. She pushed stubbornly to her feet. And that’s the way shelikedit! West was built, athletic and quick. Being somewhat closer in height to her made it so much easier to throw her arms around him.
Not that it ever lasted long. She was the forbidden fruit! One word from her daddy and he’d turned into Frosty the Snowman.
West had already left her to give his instructions to his flight crew, leaving her to seethe behind him. Why couldn’t he fight for her? Didn’t she have a say on who she loved?
This was so pathetic!
It was time to show himandher protective daddy how no one could stop her from following her heart. Eva collected her purse and started to work out a plan.
Chapter Four
Cole pulled on his last pair of clean jeans after tidying up the room next to his and scrubbing out its bathroom. He was just tugging on his dark gray shirt when he heard the door open downstairs and Momma’s loud welcomes. There was a touch of hysteria in it.
Ignoring the dread that sank into him, he marched out of his room to save her. West was coming through the door downstairs, wrestling three stuffed cases of luggage through. They were neon pink with yellow flowers.
Clearly, they didn’t belong to West.
“Such a gentleman,” their momma said, beaming. West could do no wrong in her eyes anymore. She desperately wanted him to be the prodigal son that had finally returned home, except West hadn’t exactly become an angel overnight.
Sadly, it was the opposite.
His brothers might keep quiet about what West was doing in Nashville to spare their poor momma, but West was still up to his old ways.
Trout was practically a mob boss.
