Forcing You Away (Archer & Everleigh 1)

The sound of my door creaking open and her tiptoeing against the floor has me on high alert.

“What’s wrong?” I immediately ask.

“I can’t sleep,” she says. “There’s a draft in my room.”

I arch a brow because I didn’t feel one the several times I was in there.

“I think I sleep better next to you,” she adds. “Would you mind if I crashed in here?”

As I lower my gaze down her body, I notice she’s not wearing pants again. I’m in only my boxers, but I can’t deny her, especially when I want to hear her whispering my name again.

“Sure, c’mon in,” I say casually. “I see you're wearing socks this time.”

“Figured you couldn’t refuse me if I promised not to put my cold feet on you,” she explains, crawling over my waist to get to the other side of the bed. “But since I didn’t have to convince you, off they go!” She giggles, tossing them to the floor.

“You’re horrible.”

Wrapping my arm around her, I pull her close. She rests an arm over my chest and settles into me. If anyone walked in right now, they’d think we were a couple.

“In case you wondered, the bed held up against the vibrator.”

I groan inwardly. “IKEA for the win,” I force out.

She snickers. “I’ll make sure to tell Tim…since he was so invested and all.”

“Tim’s a fucking creep.”

“And he’s like in his fifties. Small-town people offer their services without expecting anything in return,” she informs me.

“Is Tim married?” I ask.

She thinks for a moment. “No.”

“Does Tim have a dick?” I continue.

She chuckles. “I assume he does.”

“Then he wasn’t offering to be nice. He was staring at you like he wanted to eat you for breakfast. Trust me, Tim wanted something in return.”

“You must’ve been observing him quite intensely then.”

“It wasn’t hard to notice, Everleigh. You need to be more careful. Guys see you, and they’ll take whatever the hell they want, whether you’re willing or not,” I tell her sternly, my arm tensing.

Everleigh glances at me, but I don’t look at her. My lips are in a tight line as I imagine what I’d do to any guy who hurt her.

“Archer, you don’t have to worry about me so much. I’m pretty tough, even for my size,” she says with a little chuckle. “I’ve had to look out for myself for years.”

“Well you shouldn’t have to and won’t now that I’m here.”

Everleigh places a palm over my cheek, and the heat of her skin sends intense waves of electricity down my body. “You’re a good guy, Archer. I hope someday you’ll let me look out for you too.”

Chapter Ten

EVERLEIGH

I dance around the kitchen as I listen to Christmas tunes. I bellow out the chorus of Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas."

Sassy gives me a judgy stare, but I don’t care. Mariah has nothing on me.

Not only is it Christmas Eve and the happiest time of the year, but the past two and a half weeks have been the absolute best. The boutique has been busier than ever, the new men’s line has sold out twice since I debuted it, and I already have pre-orders for my March clothing launch.

Though I’ve always loved the holidays, having Archer here has made it even more special. He’s frosted cookies and shopped in Mobile with me, and has allowed me to sleep in his bed every night since that first time.

I truly don’t think I realized how lonely I was until he arrived. I’ve always been a social person and even liked living alone, but Archer’s presence gives me something to look forward to.

While our sleeping arrangements are unconventional, neither of us has brought up the conversation of stopping. What’s even weirder is that I’ve never slept with a man without having sex. The only point of getting into a man’s bed was to get off, and though I’m tempted to tear off Archer’s clothes nearly every minute of the day, I’ve controlled myself. We’ve developed this bond, a friendship that’s already unbreakable, and he makes me feel safe. We’re like an old married couple—we watch specific shows with each other, take turns cooking, and drink our morning coffee together. And though I wish we could be more, spending time and being friends with him is enough.

Okay, scratch that.

I want him to rip off my panties with his teeth.

I want to suck on his nipple ring, and I want to watch him unravel as I ride him.

And by the way his body responds to mine, I’m positive he wants the same.

Neither of us is willing to make a move, mainly because of my overbearing brother and his stupid rule. Archer’s loyal to him, and I don’t want to be the reason he breaks that. But I swear to God, I might die from the tension between us.