Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“That you might be wrong?” she finished with a watery smile.
“That I might be wrong,” he agreed, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I’ve spent eight years regretting how things ended between us, Eve. Not just because of what happened with Midnight, but because I lost you.”
The raw honesty in his voice made her heart clench. “You have me now,” she whispered.
Hunter’s eyes darkened at her words. For a breathless moment, she thought he might kiss her, might finally take what she’d been offering since that night by the pool. Instead, he stepped back slightly, creating a small space between them.
“It’s late,” he said gently. “You should get some rest.”
“Can I—” Eve hesitated, suddenly shy. “Can I stay here tonight? Just to sleep,” she added quickly. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
Something complicated passed across Hunter’s face—desire, tenderness, and something deeper she couldn’t quite identify. Finally, he nodded.
“Of course.”
He led her to the bed, pulling back the covers. Eve slipped off her shoes and lay down, still in her dress, too emotionally drained to worry about pajamas. Hunter moved to the other side, shedding his shirt but keeping his pants on as he joined her.
For a moment, they lay side by side, a careful few inches between them. Then Hunter reached out, drawing her against his chest, his arm settling protectively around her waist.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his breath warm against her ear.
“Yes..." Eve's tone was already drowsy, and she was already struggling to keep her eyes open. “It’s perfect.”
Eve drifted off in Hunter’s arms, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Hunter remained awake, watching her in the dim light filtering through the curtains. Her face in sleep was peaceful, vulnerable in a way she rarely allowed herself to be when awake. The tear tracks on her cheeks were still visible, a silent accusation of his past cruelty.
How had he been so blind? So quick to judge, so unwilling to listen?
The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow: he was in love with her. Completely, irrevocably in love with Evelline Ramirez.
The knowledge settled in his chest, both terrifying and exhilarating. He should tell her. The words were there, just waiting to be spoken.
But for some reason, he just couldn’t make himself say them.
Chapter Six
HUNTER WATCHED FROM his office window as Eve’s truck disappeared down the long driveway. Third time this week she’d gone off with Braxton, claiming they had “errands to run.” What kind of errands required his stable manager and his fiancée to spend hours away from the ranch together?
Stop it, Ferguson.You promised to trust her, remember?
The memory of her tears and her broken plea—
Please don’t hurt me like that again.
It should have been enough to quell the suspicion gnawing at his gut. Yet here he was, watching the clock and counting the minutes until her return.
He tried to focus on the quarterly reports spread across his desk, but his mind kept drifting. What were they doing right now? Why all the secrecy? And why the hell did the younger man always look so damn pleased with himself lately?
Evelline wouldn't betray you, Ferguson...
He wanted to believe this. But all he could think of was how his own mother had left her own son without regret. And if the very woman who gave birth to him could do that, did he have any reason to think Evelline couldn't do the same?
The sound of tires on gravel jerked him from his thoughts, and Hunter resisted the urge to go downstairs, to demand explanations. Instead, he moved to the window, watching as Evelline jumped from the truck, laughing at something Matt said.
His table manager reached into the truck bed, pulling out a small package wrapped in a tarp. He handed it to Evelline, who quickly tucked it into her jacket before looking around as if not wanting anyone to see what they were to.
Hunter’s jaw clenched. Whatever was happening, he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
THE NEXT DAY, EVE WAS nowhere to be found at breakfast. Cathy informed him she’d left early, something about helping Matt with a new mare.
“She said not to wait on her for lunch, either,” Cathy added, refilling his coffee cup. “Said she’d be busy most of the day.”
Hunter grunted in acknowledgement, ignoring the twist of unease in his stomach. He had a ranch to run, after all. He couldn’t spend his days tracking his fiancée's movements like some lovesick teenager.
Or so he told himself. But by mid-afternoon, Hunter was already heading towards the stables, and the sound of Evelline's laughter had him feeling murderous.
He rounded the corner to find her standing with Matt near one of the empty stalls, both of them hunched over something in Matt’s palm.
“It’s perfect,” Evelline was saying, her voice warm with approval. “She’s going to love it.”