Was he the one who would help her overcome her fears, her nightmares?
Vin had always been a big part of her life and she worried about the risk involved in letting such an important figure take over an extra piece of her heart. But she had to try because she knew Vin would rather die than hurt her purposefully.
And she felt the same way about him, which just proved to her that Vin was worth the risk of laying her heart and vulnerabilities out there for him to see.
Now she just had to come up with the courage to confront him and come clean about her past.
Chapter Six
Back on his own turf, Vin waited for his houseguests. Though Dylan, Evelyn and Alan were hardly guests. Dylan and Alan had shared an apartment with him the last three years of college and another year after. And Evelyn certainly wasn’t a guest, considering he’d fantasized about her, tasted her and spent the past week with her. Mostly clothed, which was a damn shame.
Not to mention she’d fueled his fantasies for the past several years. With her cool exterior and quick wit, he wanted to dig deeper to uncover more. But he had no right. He wasn’t her boyfriend, wasn’t even her lover—they’d been friends through her brother and Alan and that certainly didn’t give him the right to learn any more than she was willing to share.
Just as he was lighting the grill, Dylan and Evelyn came through the patio doors.
“You mean you don’t have my dinner ready?” Dylan growled. “What kind of host are you?”
Vin flipped Dylan the finger. “Grab a beer and munch on the chips and salsa while you wait.”
“I’m good with the appetizers,” Evelyn said as she set her tote and pool towel over a lounge chair. “I’ve been working all day and totally skipped out on lunch.”
“You’ve got to stop that,” Dylan told her. “Remember what your doctor told you?”
Vin jerked his head around. “Doctor?”
Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He’s overreacting.”
Dylan rested his hands on his hips as he stood over the cooler. “An ulcer isn’t something to be taken lightly, so quit skipping meals and popping antacids.”
Evelyn squinted and glared at her brother. “I’m fine. Can we drop it? Besides, losing about ten pounds wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Your damn weight is fine, so eat up, and if you’re going to argue I’ll toss your ass into the pool,” Vin threatened. “Dyl, go into the kitchen and grab those steaks from the fridge.”
“What do you need me to do?” Evelyn asked.
Get naked and wait for him in his room? She looked too tempting with her black, tank-style dress, which was used as a cover-up. He wondered what her suit looked like and prayed it was one of those skimpy ones with triangles and strings. But he knew better. Too bad. He’d love to see more of that shapely body.
Vin moved to the cooler, opened the lid and took out a bottle of water. “Just enjoy yourself and relax.”
She took the water he offered, twisted the lid off and took a long drink. The column of her throat mocked him as he envisioned kissing his way from her lips down to her breasts.
In a small area of his mind he knew she was purposely torturing him. How could she not know that he was in a constant state of arousal around her?
And the fact she harbored secrets only added to her sex appeal, because he wanted to uncover every layer, every piece of her until he had his fill of the beautiful, alluring Evelyn.
Vin was thankful when Dylan came back with the meat. At least he had something other than his teen-style hormones to concentrate on.
“Where’s Alan?” Dylan asked. “Thought he was coming.”
Vin shrugged. “He said he was, but I’m starving, so he can eat when he gets here.”
They all worked together getting dinner set up on the glass patio table. Vin purposely sat across from Evelyn so he could have a beautiful view. Her sweet lavender scent followed him, her rich laughter mocked him and her sparkling gaze that locked onto
Vin had always been a big part of her life and she worried about the risk involved in letting such an important figure take over an extra piece of her heart. But she had to try because she knew Vin would rather die than hurt her purposefully.
And she felt the same way about him, which just proved to her that Vin was worth the risk of laying her heart and vulnerabilities out there for him to see.
Now she just had to come up with the courage to confront him and come clean about her past.
Chapter Six
Back on his own turf, Vin waited for his houseguests. Though Dylan, Evelyn and Alan were hardly guests. Dylan and Alan had shared an apartment with him the last three years of college and another year after. And Evelyn certainly wasn’t a guest, considering he’d fantasized about her, tasted her and spent the past week with her. Mostly clothed, which was a damn shame.
Not to mention she’d fueled his fantasies for the past several years. With her cool exterior and quick wit, he wanted to dig deeper to uncover more. But he had no right. He wasn’t her boyfriend, wasn’t even her lover—they’d been friends through her brother and Alan and that certainly didn’t give him the right to learn any more than she was willing to share.
Just as he was lighting the grill, Dylan and Evelyn came through the patio doors.
“You mean you don’t have my dinner ready?” Dylan growled. “What kind of host are you?”
Vin flipped Dylan the finger. “Grab a beer and munch on the chips and salsa while you wait.”
“I’m good with the appetizers,” Evelyn said as she set her tote and pool towel over a lounge chair. “I’ve been working all day and totally skipped out on lunch.”
“You’ve got to stop that,” Dylan told her. “Remember what your doctor told you?”
Vin jerked his head around. “Doctor?”
Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He’s overreacting.”
Dylan rested his hands on his hips as he stood over the cooler. “An ulcer isn’t something to be taken lightly, so quit skipping meals and popping antacids.”
Evelyn squinted and glared at her brother. “I’m fine. Can we drop it? Besides, losing about ten pounds wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Your damn weight is fine, so eat up, and if you’re going to argue I’ll toss your ass into the pool,” Vin threatened. “Dyl, go into the kitchen and grab those steaks from the fridge.”
“What do you need me to do?” Evelyn asked.
Get naked and wait for him in his room? She looked too tempting with her black, tank-style dress, which was used as a cover-up. He wondered what her suit looked like and prayed it was one of those skimpy ones with triangles and strings. But he knew better. Too bad. He’d love to see more of that shapely body.
Vin moved to the cooler, opened the lid and took out a bottle of water. “Just enjoy yourself and relax.”
She took the water he offered, twisted the lid off and took a long drink. The column of her throat mocked him as he envisioned kissing his way from her lips down to her breasts.
In a small area of his mind he knew she was purposely torturing him. How could she not know that he was in a constant state of arousal around her?
And the fact she harbored secrets only added to her sex appeal, because he wanted to uncover every layer, every piece of her until he had his fill of the beautiful, alluring Evelyn.
Vin was thankful when Dylan came back with the meat. At least he had something other than his teen-style hormones to concentrate on.
“Where’s Alan?” Dylan asked. “Thought he was coming.”
Vin shrugged. “He said he was, but I’m starving, so he can eat when he gets here.”
They all worked together getting dinner set up on the glass patio table. Vin purposely sat across from Evelyn so he could have a beautiful view. Her sweet lavender scent followed him, her rich laughter mocked him and her sparkling gaze that locked onto
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