I felt added relief with his assurance and Daisy’s. At least relief for me, Dad was another story.

Someone opened my door but Lee wasn’t finished so I didn’t turn away.

“Vince is another story. He’s lookin’ for an excuse at payback for Einstein’s. Vince isn’t the kind of guy who’l take a blow like that to his reputation without gettin’ even.” My relief was instantly swept away.

“Stay careful, close to Eddie and if you can’t be close to Eddie, then cal Tex or Duke. If you’re stuck, phone me and I’l send one of my guys. Yeah?”

I nodded.

He stared at me.

“I’m being serious,” he said and he sounded serious.

I nodded again.

I was serious too. Serious as a heart attack, which I understood was very serious considering I’d nearly had one every day for a week.

He let me go and nodded behind me. A hand curled around my arm and I turned to see Eddie leaned into my door. He helped me out, closed the door and Lee took off.

Tex made it to us and put his big hand on my head.

“Shit, woman,” he said, then repeated himself, shaking his head, “Shit.”

I realized he was concerned and I felt tears crawl up my throat.

“I’m okay, Tex. They didn’t hurt me,” I told him.

His eyes turned to Eddie.

“I f**ked up, Chavez. Swear to Christ, it won’t happen again.”

Eddie nodded.

“Get home,” he said to Tex.

Tex took another look at me and then lumbered off to his El Camino.

I turned to Eddie and opened my mouth but didn’t get a word out.

“I’m spendin’ the night with you, in your bed, and I’m not arguin’ about it,” he said.

I felt relief sweep through me again.

I didn’t want to be alone tonight, no way, no how.

“Okay,” was al I said.

Chapter Ten

Eddie Thought I Was Worth It

I could swear I heard a knock at my door. Al warmth left me, my bed moved, there was the sound of clothes rustling and then I heard the door open.

“Eddie!” Mom gasped.

I burrowed deeper into the pil ows, trying to find dreamland again. I wanted to go where life was safe, normal and mundane. Where people didn’t hold knives to your throats, whisk you away against your wil or hot guys didn’t pursue you against al the laws of nature.

“Jet’s sleepin’ in today,” Eddie said quietly.

There was a hesitation while I was sure my mother mental y designed my bridesmaid dresses.

“Tel her Lavonne popped by for a surprise visit and she’s taking me to breakfast,” Mom whispered, “I won’t be back for hours,” she added meaningful y.

My mother.

I burrowed deeper into the pil ows.

Eddie didn’t answer verbal y but the door closed, there was more rustling of clothes, the bed moved and the warmth came back in the form of Eddie’s partial y na**d body fitting itself to my back.

“Was she in her chair?” I asked, my voice muffled by the pil ow.

His arms tightened around me.

“She was standing. Go back to sleep.”

I started to push up.

“She needs to take her chair. I’l have to show Lavonne how to fold it, just in case.”

Eddie pul ed me back down.

“They’l figure it out. Sleep.”

“What time is it?” I asked. “I have to get to the bank, the grocery store—”

Eddie’s hand came up and curved around my breast.

“If you’re awake…”

Electricity shot straight to my doo-da.

“I could sleep,” I lied, settling back down, already two-thirds of the way to completely turned on.

His hand stayed where it was but it didn’t move with intent and he pul ed me deeper into him.

Surprisingly, after a few minutes, I slept.

* * * * *

I woke up, happy and warm—For about two seconds, then I catapulted straight to freaked out. I was curled around Eddie who was on his back. He had one arm wrapped around me and the other hand resting in the middle of his chest, very close to where my face was.

I looked up to see if he was awake, my cheek sliding on his chest and I saw he was asleep, eyes closed, face relaxed.

I’d never seen him looking like that.

He was a cool, badass guy when awake, always exuding a certain somewhat dangerous magnetic energy. In sleep, he was somehow even more hot, more attractive, more magnetic and definitely more dangerous.

It total y freaked me out and I thought I was already total y freaked out.

I started to move away, his arm tightened, he rol ed into me and half on me. His head came up, his eyes opened and he looked at me.

“Hey,” I said, for lack of anything else to say.

His eyes were sleepy but his lips formed a half smile.

He didn’t answer my “hey”, instead, his hand came up and he ran his fingers through the hair at my temple, his eyes watching his hand move through my hair. Then it curled and his knuckles ran along my jaw.

“Payback time,” he murmured, his hand cupping my jaw, his thumb running along my bottom lip, his eyes stil watching his movements.

“Pardon?” I asked, out of my freak out and firmly established in an Eddie Daze.

His face disappeared into my neck.

“Yesterday, I took care of you. Today, we both get what we want,” he said against my ear. Then he pressed his h*ps against me and I knew exactly what it was he wanted because I felt it against my leg.

My heart skipped a couple of times and stuttered to a halt.

I felt his tongue touch below my ear and I shivered.

Okay, well , whatever. So, I was going to sleep with Eddie. So, he’d probably break my heart. Worse things had happened to me, right?

I ran my hands up his back, hooked my leg around his thigh and turned my head to give him more access to my neck.

Then I saw the time on my alarm clock and froze.

“Holy shit!”

I tried to knife up but Eddie’s weight was on me so instead, I hit my forehead against his jaw as he’d felt me tense and lifted his head to look at me.

“Fucking hel ,” he muttered, looking down, “what’s the matter?”

“Have you heard Mom come back?” I asked him.

“No.”

“Get off, get off, getoffgetoffgetoff,” I demanded pushing at him.

“Jet,” Eddie took my hands by the wrists and pul ed them over my head, “calm down.”

“I can’t calm down! It’s eleven o’clock. Mom left hours ago. What if something happened? Where’s my cel ?” I was looking wildly around.