“Get out of my way,” Archer orders Jason.
“Vee,” Jason calls out to me. I snap to attention, realizing I’ve been standing here gaping at all of this.
“Archer, I want to go home.” I wrap my hands around one of his fists. He turns his head to look down at me. His eyes are so dark. I almost don’t recognize the man I’ve come to love. Something else has slipped into place.
He told me one night when we were lying in bed together that war had changed him. Sometimes he felt like there were two people inside of him. That he’d never felt that more than when I came into his life. I wasn’t sure how to take that, but I’m understanding it now.
“Take me home.” I squeeze his fist in my hands as I press my body into his side.
Finally his fist releases, and he takes my hand, leading me toward his truck parked across the street. I’m guessing he and Jason have been here the whole time. I’m not the least bit surprised by this. He opens the door then lifts me inside.
I get they are protective, but this was a whole other level. Unless there was something I didn’t know about. A threat I was missing. All I care about right now is that he was there to deal with William and that he’s taking me home.
13
Archer
That little motherfucker is lucky Savannah stopped me from pummeling his face in. I had a feeling he was going to try to pop up on her soon. The walls are starting to close in on him now, and he knows it.
I’d been worried William might get wind that I’ve been poking around and have that bullshit marriage he pushed through done away with. He’s been lying low, but I have been too when it comes to him. I wanted to have all my ducks in a row before I struck.
“How was girls’ night?” I get out of my throat as some of my anger starts to dissipate. He went to grab her. To put his filthy fucking hands on my woman. I’d seen red. The second I spotted him, I’d been out of my truck heading for him.
“I don’t know. You were watching so you should know.” There is no anger in her tone. When I flick a glance her way, I can tell she’s smiling even inside the darkness of the truck.
“I don’t like him.”
“That makes two of us,” she says flippantly.
“He bothered you before?”
“He asked me out a few times, but I always turned him down.” She adds the last part quickly.
“Does my jealousy bother you?” My overprotectiveness hasn’t been an issue, but we haven’t been together long. I’ve been all over her from the start.
“No. I like it. I like it more that you were watching me.” I pull up to the front of my building. Maybe I should have gone to the club but I drove directly to my place. I still have security, but I don’t have to worry about anyone knocking on my door. We’ll be all alone, and I need her to myself right now.
“You should be careful what you say, sweet girl.” I throw my truck into park.
After watching that little fucker try to touch her, I’m hanging on by a thin thread. I have no clue how Jason didn’t murder Copper after he kidnapped Ollie. “Stay,” I order before I’m out of the truck. I come around, opening the door for her.
“I know to wait.” She rolls her eyes at me with a smile still on her lips. She takes my hand.
“The only thing I don’t like about you is that you don’t want to have sex with me.” She tilts her head back to stare me in the eyes. The overhead lights give me a clear look at her face. She’s blushing but holds my stare. It takes me a moment to process her words. I hate that she thinks that, but there’s a method to my madness.
“I’m trying to prove myself to you.”
That’s the truth. There is going to come a time soon when she’s going to question why I’m in her life. Fate had already been guiding me to her, but she went and found me first. I’ve never believed in destiny or the word of the church my mother tried to drill into my head. None of that shit mattered until Savannah. She could get me to believe in anything.
“I know it’s soon, but you don’t have to prove anything, Archer. I’m already in love with you.”
I’m done for. The rest is a blur of me getting her upstairs and into our bed. I’m not even sure when both of us stripped off all of our clothes. My mouth never leaves hers through it all.
“Archer!” she moans. “I don’t want to wait.”