AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Irritation warred with the annoying urge to see what she’d do if I kissed her again. Probably stab me with something. Or hire a hit man. Irritation won.
I adopted the smug smile I used to needle her. “I might have a solution for your housing problem.” The words surprised me almost as much as they seemed to surprise her. I hadn’t intendedto offer her a place to live, but it was too late to take them back now.
Her brows rose, then dropped in suspicion. “What kind of solution?”
For a split second, I considered proposing my bed, but even on my worst day, I wasn’t that hard up. She’d destroy my life without a second thought. Not to mention she expected me to make the suggestion. I hated being predictable.
“Not that kind, Princess. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
I watched her face struggle to maintain composure. Even murderous, she was pretty. Blue eyes the color of ice tried to skewer me as she tucked her pink-streaked hair behind one ear.
She surprised me by not engaging. Instead, Eva took a shallow breath and lifted her chin.
“You have a solution that can accommodate a duck?”
I ran a hand through my short hair, attempting to buy time. I’d forgotten about the damn duck, but her weird pet wasn’t the problem.Shewas. Her and my inability to stop myself from making a supremely stupid decision.
“Yes. I live in a house with some of my teammates, and we have an empty room.”
She laughed. In my face. Hard. “No. Not even if you had a magic dick that guaranteed multiple orgasms.”
Her absolute rejection of my offer made me even more determined to make it work. “My dick isn’t part of the deal.”
Eva’s smile slipped, and she tilted her head. “Whatisthe deal?”
“You and your duck can stay in the empty bedroom…” I didn’t have an ending to that sentence.
We used the room to hold junk and equipment since the house lacked a garage or any storage for big stuff. It wouldn’t be a problem to make space, but I hated the idea of letting her stay for free. Her attitude made it clear she assumed life would beeasy. Case in point, she didn’t see how her ridiculous insistence on keeping the duck could end with her homeless.
She raised a brow when I trailed off. “And I agree not to smother you in your sleep? I’m not sure I can make that promise. I can pay.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“What do you want then?”
I let my gaze trail over her. She was tiny. The top of her head barely hit my shoulder, but her personality made her seem bigger. Eva took up space unapologetically, and I was here for it even if she grated on my nerves. Subtle curves hid under her loose tee shirt, and her shorts showed off long, toned legs. I made my way back up to her face, and warning sirens went off in my head as my fingers twitched with the urge to touch her again.
Eva crossed her arms. “If you’re imagining me in a French maid costume, enjoy the visual because that’s all you’ll get.”
Like a lightning bolt, an image hit me of Eva on her hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor—her tight little ass in the air and her eyes on me. I swallowed a groan and forced myself to focus. The idea wasn’t half bad.
I shrugged. “The costume isn’t necessary, but whatever makes you feel comfortable.”
Her eyes widened slightly, the only sign I’d surprised her. “I’m not playing hide the feather duster with you for a room.”
“No, you’ll do the cooking and cleaning at the house if you want a room.”
“You want me to be the house mom? What is this, the 1950s? Do you even realize how sexist you’re being right now?”
“Not sexist. I’d offer the same deal to anyone who wants a room for free.” I hadn’t considered it before this moment, but as time went on, I liked the idea more and more. My roommates and I were pretty messy during the season, and I didn’t need the money from another renter.
She propped her hands on her hips. “I don’t want a free room. I want a room I pay for that doesn’t include domestic duties.”
“Too bad. You’re not going to get your way this time, Princess. We take turns cooking and cleaning, but it’s a hassle between classes and practice and games. Half the time it doesn’t get done and I’m tired of living in a pigsty.”
“You live with a bunch of athletes. Seems like a purposeful choice instead of a problem.”
My shoulders relaxed at her clear disdain. Eva would never stoop to manual labor. I could chalk this conversation up to temporary insanity caused by seeing the tears staining her cheeks. She wasn’t crying now. Mission accomplished.
