that piss him off?
“Then again,” she said, “it’s got to be more real than that, right? I mean, we’ve known each other really well. And we’ve slept together. I haven’t done that with Matt.”
Kevin closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. “This is not how I thought this conversation would go.”
He’d honestly thought he’d show up, probably notice how great she looked, feel a few pangs of the old heartbreak, tell her they were still married, share in her shock, then sign the papers and move on. Or pretend to move on, as he had ever since the day she broke every promise she’d made to him.
“I suppose you found out about the annulment thing when you and Heather went to get your marriage license.”
He dropped his hand from his head and sighed. He wasn’t surprised by her assumption. He knew the news that he was taking Drew in had already circulated. He was a smart guy and knew how it looked, or sounded, or whatever.
“Drew’s not mine. I’m just helping out.”
Eve crossed her arms across her stomach. “That seems strange, you know.”
“Almost as strange as being married without knowing it.”
“Are you involved with Heather?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since high school. Until last night when I met Drew for the first time.”
“But why—”
“None of this is Drew’s fault. He needs someone. That’s all I’m focusing on.” It was all he was supposed to be focusing on, anyway. But there was a willowy brunette with big brown eyes that was making it hard to focus on anything except the fact that she claimed to want to kiss him.
His body couldn’t ignore something like that. Not to mention his heart. He’d wanted her since she’d first smiled at him when they were seventeen.
Eve had always seemed small to him. She was five-eight with legs that went on and on, but she was thin and lanky. Not that she would have appreciated either term. She’d always called herself awkward and skinny. She didn’t have much for curves, it was true, but he’d found plenty to appreciate. Her breasts were perfect, her hips just right. Her long dark hair, her big brown eyes, her creamy skin made him want to touch everything—and never stop.
This was bad.
She frowned. “How did you get involved with this whole thing then?”
He blew out a long breath. “I’m asking for temporary guardianship of Drew.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “While Heather’s in jail?”
He nodded.
“That’s really nice. But… why ?”
He didn’t see a way around the truth here. Yeah, it wouldn’t make Heather or his father look real good, but hey, they were grownups who should have known better. “Because Drew’s my…little brother.”
The sound of stainless steel clattering against the tile floor came from where Monica was still working, but Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off of Eve.
She stared at him. She swallowed. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Finally she managed, “He’s your brother ?”
Kevin nodded.
“Oh. Wow .” It was clear she was calculating the fact that Drew was ten and Kevin was thirty-two and that all of this would have to mean…
“Your dad … and Heather ?”
There it was. He nodded, feeling the surge of anger he’d been periodically tamping down over the past several hours. “My dad and Heather.”
Eve huffed out a long breath. “Holy crap.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re helping Drew out,” she said. “That’s really cool of you.”
He shrugged. He didn’t feel cool about it. He felt a driving desire to do something to make some good come out of all of this.
“Seriously, Kevin, that’s great.”
He pushed a hand through his hair again. “Yeah, it would be great. If I had any clue about what I was doing.”
Suddenly Eve smiled and he had to force his feet to stay put. He couldn’t cave into her sweetness. He’d done that far too many times. He’d been tricked into thinking that sweetness was all there was.
He’d been wrong.
Still, she
“Then again,” she said, “it’s got to be more real than that, right? I mean, we’ve known each other really well. And we’ve slept together. I haven’t done that with Matt.”
Kevin closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. “This is not how I thought this conversation would go.”
He’d honestly thought he’d show up, probably notice how great she looked, feel a few pangs of the old heartbreak, tell her they were still married, share in her shock, then sign the papers and move on. Or pretend to move on, as he had ever since the day she broke every promise she’d made to him.
“I suppose you found out about the annulment thing when you and Heather went to get your marriage license.”
He dropped his hand from his head and sighed. He wasn’t surprised by her assumption. He knew the news that he was taking Drew in had already circulated. He was a smart guy and knew how it looked, or sounded, or whatever.
“Drew’s not mine. I’m just helping out.”
Eve crossed her arms across her stomach. “That seems strange, you know.”
“Almost as strange as being married without knowing it.”
“Are you involved with Heather?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since high school. Until last night when I met Drew for the first time.”
“But why—”
“None of this is Drew’s fault. He needs someone. That’s all I’m focusing on.” It was all he was supposed to be focusing on, anyway. But there was a willowy brunette with big brown eyes that was making it hard to focus on anything except the fact that she claimed to want to kiss him.
His body couldn’t ignore something like that. Not to mention his heart. He’d wanted her since she’d first smiled at him when they were seventeen.
Eve had always seemed small to him. She was five-eight with legs that went on and on, but she was thin and lanky. Not that she would have appreciated either term. She’d always called herself awkward and skinny. She didn’t have much for curves, it was true, but he’d found plenty to appreciate. Her breasts were perfect, her hips just right. Her long dark hair, her big brown eyes, her creamy skin made him want to touch everything—and never stop.
This was bad.
She frowned. “How did you get involved with this whole thing then?”
He blew out a long breath. “I’m asking for temporary guardianship of Drew.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “While Heather’s in jail?”
He nodded.
“That’s really nice. But… why ?”
He didn’t see a way around the truth here. Yeah, it wouldn’t make Heather or his father look real good, but hey, they were grownups who should have known better. “Because Drew’s my…little brother.”
The sound of stainless steel clattering against the tile floor came from where Monica was still working, but Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off of Eve.
She stared at him. She swallowed. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Finally she managed, “He’s your brother ?”
Kevin nodded.
“Oh. Wow .” It was clear she was calculating the fact that Drew was ten and Kevin was thirty-two and that all of this would have to mean…
“Your dad … and Heather ?”
There it was. He nodded, feeling the surge of anger he’d been periodically tamping down over the past several hours. “My dad and Heather.”
Eve huffed out a long breath. “Holy crap.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re helping Drew out,” she said. “That’s really cool of you.”
He shrugged. He didn’t feel cool about it. He felt a driving desire to do something to make some good come out of all of this.
“Seriously, Kevin, that’s great.”
He pushed a hand through his hair again. “Yeah, it would be great. If I had any clue about what I was doing.”
Suddenly Eve smiled and he had to force his feet to stay put. He couldn’t cave into her sweetness. He’d done that far too many times. He’d been tricked into thinking that sweetness was all there was.
He’d been wrong.
Still, she
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