by Erin M. Leaf
“Your mother would hate the way you’re acting, Evangeline,” Albert said. “Like a little baby.”
Huh. Guess he found his balls, after all, Charlie thought as his anger slid into rage. “If you’re not gone in thirty seconds, I’m going to pound you flat,” he told the two men. He almost hoped they’d push it. His fists itched to take them apart. How dare they bother Eva? He didn’t give a shit if the man was a relative. In fact, that made it a thousand times worse. Talk about a sorry excuse for a man, Charlie thought darkly. “I’ll enjoy twisting your little dick right off if I have to, you know.”
“Oh, the faggot talks big,” Albert sneered.
“Oh my God, Albert, will you just go already? Do you have a death wish?” Eva sounded exasperated. Her voice had lost the tremor. “I told you I don’t need help, and I certainly don’t need you and your friend Bob getting all up in my business. You disgust me.”
Charlie glared at Albert. “Do you think I don’t mean it?” He flexed his fingers. He didn’t often use his height and build to threaten other men, but he’d never finished a fight on the losing side. He was big, and he knew how to be an intimidating motherfucker. In this case, he’d enjoy putting his size to good use. Eva put her hand on his back. Instead of soothing him, it made him want to hit Albert harder. This little pervert and his friend were harassing Eva, and that made him want to break something, preferably their bones. Eva didn’t deserve this shit.
“Fuck you. There’s two of us, and only one of you,” Bob said, clearly lacking in the brains department. “And I don’t see you actually doing anything. You’re just spouting threats.”
“Okay, that does it,” Charlie muttered. The idiot completely discounted Eva’s ability to take care of herself, and that really irritated him. He stepped forward. Eva’s hand slipped away as he moved, and the younger man scurried back, almost tripping, but Eva’s uncle stood up to him. Good. It’ll be more fun this way, he thought darkly.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Albert asked belligerently. He faced off with Charlie as if the height difference meant nothing, the dumbass. “Eva is my niece. I have every right to be here.”
This is going to be almost too easy, Charlie thought. He was happy to finally have a useful way of pounding out his lingering frustration. “After Eva told you to go? No, you do not have every right to be here.” He reached out and grabbed the man by the front of the shirt, then hoisted him up onto his toes. “You don’t get to harass Eva.” he bit off through clenched teeth. “You don’t even get to talk to her, you little shithead. I don’t want to ever see you bother her again.”
“You and what army?” Albert retorted.
“Oh my God, Albert,” Eva said, clearly exasperated. “You’re such an idiot.” She glared at her uncle.
To Charlie’s everlasting satisfaction, the man actually flinched when he saw the expression on her face, but his friend wasn’t as perceptive.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Bob asked again, the little asshole.
“I’m Eva’s boyfriend,” Charlie growled at him. “And while I prefer not to do two things at once, I can certainly punch you out while choking the air out of this excuse for a man.” He shook Albert like a wet rag, then twisted the fabric in his hands so that it cut off the asshole’s airway. “And I won’t even break a sweat doing it, so don’t tempt me.” He let go of Albert all at once, and the man fell to the ground, gasping and choking.
Eva stared at him for a moment, hands on her throat, and for a moment, Charlie thought she was about to kick him, but then she looked up at Charlie. “Boyfriend?” she mouthed at him, eyebrows lifted.
Charlie scowled at her, then turned his attention to the younger man. “Get. Out.”
Bob had been watching Albert cough, frowning, but when Charlie spoke, he blanched, and then started backing away.
Eva’s uncle heaved himself to his feet. “You won’t get away with this,” he said, voice raspy. He coughed again. His face was a particularly unattractive shade of red.
“Watch me.” Charlie hoped he’d bruised the man’s larynx. He hoped every time the man drew a breath it hurt like hell. “And if you think you can report this to the cops, think again. I have friends everywhere.”
Albert glared, but he’d already started backing away. He grabbed Bob by the arm and dragged the man with him.
“And don’t come back,” Eva called, hands on her hips.
Charlie stared at them until they slunk out of the yard, then looked at Eva. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. He wanted to smooth his palm down all that dewy skin, but she looked like she was on her last nerve. She might just break my finger if I try and touch her right now, he thought, half amused, and half still worried about her.
“I … what the hell, Charlie?” Eva finally asked, frowning up at him. “Boyfriend? Since when are you my boyfriend? Last I remember, you ran out of here like your pants were on fire.”
Charlie flushed. He hadn’t been thinking straight. Hell, he hadn’t been thinking at all. And now that that particular word was spoken, he was going to have a hell of a time taking it back.
Mostly because I really don’t want to take it back. She may be too young for me, but I can’t stop what I feel. I can’t stop wanting her, he thought, looking at Eva’s flushed skin and unruly hair. She stared right back at him, bold and proud. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to stay away from her. He didn’t want to pretend anymore that he didn’t want to fuck her long and sweet and hard in that pink-sheeted bed of hers, until they both collapsed.
Shit, he thought, as his heart suddenly lurched against his ribcage. I could fall in love with this woman.
Chapter Six
Eva stared at Charlie, wondering if her heart was strong enough to take this bullshit. “Boyfriend? Since when are you my boyfriend? Last I remember, you ran out of here like your pants were on fire,” she said, instead of answering his question. Because really, she wasn’t okay. She’d been trying to relax with a book and some sun, and instead her idiot Uncle Albert had shown up out of the blue. She hadn’t seen him in years. She’d always disliked him, and after he’d skipped her mother’s funeral, she’d relegated him to the group of people she had no intention of interacting with, family or not. She’d never understood why her mother put up with him, although she supposed it was hard to stop loving a little brother, even after he grew up into a jerk. And then the asshole had hit on her, with his disgusting friend, and she’d suddenly realized that for all her height, she really wasn’t prepared to fight off two grown men all by herself.
And then Charlie had shown up like an avenging angel.
“Charlie? What exactly did you mean by that?” Eva pressed her fingers into his chest. He was looking at her as though she’d grown another head. What the hell was it with men? They were either full speed ahead or sudden stop, and she was damned tired of it.
“I’m sorry,” Charlie said.
Eva rolled her eyes. This again. “Come on, Charlie. Give me a break. I’m in no mood.” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him for scaring the shit out of Albert and his friend and saving her from a full-scale assault, or yell at him for being such a jerk last Friday. She’d been depressed all weekend because of him. He’d given her the most amazing kiss of her life, and then he’d walked away as if it meant nothing. As if she meant nothing. And now he pulled this crazy declaration out of his ass, and every cell in her body celebrated the words as if he hadn’t just broken her to pieces a few days ago. I’m so totally losing it, she thought, wishing she had the courage to walk away from him. Her fear of another rejection warred with her desperate need to ground herself in his warmth.
Charlie frowned down at her. “I couldn’t let him get away with treating you like that,” he said, as if that were any sort of answer to what she wanted to know.
Eva rolled her eyes again—at this rate she was going to have a first-rate headache in a few minutes—and stepped b
ack. “Why are you here, Charlie?” she asked tiredly. She should have known he would avoid explaining himself. He might be a good person, but he was still a guy.
He glanced at her house, gaze flicking to her gutters, then back at her.
“No.” Eva narrowed her eyes. “Do not tell me you’re here to clean my fucking gutters.” She rarely cursed, and never in front of Charlie, but this occasion felt like the right time to bust out her inner warrior. She didn’t want to hear this from him. She didn’t want to see him up on another ladder. He was the one who’d made her cry herself to sleep two nights in a row and eat ice cream for dinner, and now he was here to clean her roof as if none of that had happened.
He broke my heart. I don’t know how that’s possible, but he did it. And even as she had those thoughts, she looked at him, and he looked so fucking beautiful and strong that she wanted to throw herself into his arms and forget about all the crap in her life. He was big enough to hold her. He was the only man who’d ever been big enough to hold her. But he said no, she reminded herself. He said no. Have some dignity, girl.
Charlie stepped forward. “I can’t do this anymore,” he muttered, looking as desperate as she felt.
Eva stared at him. She wasn’t going to give an inch until he met her halfway. “You’re not doing anything, Charlie. That’s the problem.” Her voice cracked. Somehow, all the adrenaline from her encounter with Albert and his friend had transmuted into desire for Charlie. Eva knew letting go of him was the right thing to do, but how could she when he stood there in his old jeans and tight t-shirt, looking like every girl’s dream come true? The silver at the edges of his dark hair made her want to run her fingers through it and muss it up. His light brown eyes made her want to close hers. And the intensity of his expression made her want to grab onto him and never, ever let go.
He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, fingers light and warm. “I can’t pretend, Eva.” His low voice sent curls of heat down her spine.
“Pretend what?” she asked, angrier now than when Albert had been bothering her. Getting him to talk was as hard as pulling teeth. Albert meant nothing to her. Charlie, unfortunately, meant everything. She had a sinking feeling that she’d been fooling herself for years. She’d never had a little girl’s crush on him. She’d fallen in love, sometime back in her teen years, and hadn’t quite realized it. And isn’t that a kick in the ass? I have to be the only woman who’s ever fallen in love and not known it. Self-denial, thy name is Eva. She bit the inside of her cheek, reaching for calm. It didn’t work.
Charlie sighed. “I can’t pretend that I don’t feel anything for you, because I do.” He swallowed. “I’m just a man, Eva. I’m not made of stone.”
Do I push a little more? Do I step back? Eva pursed her lips, then made her decision. “You’re going to have to give me a little more than that, Charlie.”
To her surprise, he cupped her cheeks in his warm palms. “I want you so much I can’t sleep. I think about Friday’s kiss when I should be working. I dream about you when I should be awake.” He shook his head. “And I feel so damned guilty about it. You’re too young for me. You’re my friend’s daughter. I shouldn’t be thinking of you this way.” He sighed, but he didn’t let go. His work-roughened hands steadied her face, tilting her up as if he were about to kiss her. His gaze flicked down to her lips.
Eva flushed as a rush of need swept through her. God, she wanted him to kiss her. She swayed closer, until she could feel the heat rising from his skin. “But you do. You do feel that way about me,” she told him, trying one last time to make him see. “This isn’t just on me, Charlie.” She lifted her hands and touched his wrists. Was it her imagination, or did he tremble? For the first time in days she didn’t regret propositioning him. Maybe she’d had to ask him in order to wake him up. Maybe all her misery would be worth it.
“You’re right. I do feel that way,” Charlie repeated, thumb brushing over her lower lip. “When my brother Frankie was dying, I promised him that I would make sure your dad would be okay. They were best friends. And then after he died, Phil took care of me, instead. I never expected him to step into my older brother’s shoes, but somehow, he did. Your dad was a special person.” He inhaled and let out the breath slowly. “And that’s why I feel so damned guilty for wanting you. He’s not here to punch me for it.”
“My dad would never punish you for caring about me,” Eva said, tears pricking her eyes. “He would probably be thrilled if we got together. He always told me that when love happened, you had to hold on tight with both hands. He was a good man.” She gathered her courage. Charlie had to know what she felt to be true. “He would be happy to see us together. He wouldn’t be angry.”
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know—”
Eva cut him off. “I do know.”
Charlie looked at her for a moment. “You’re so sure. I envy that.”
Eva rolled her eyes. “He was my dad,” she said simply. “He was a good person.”
Charlie tried to move his hands, but Eva wouldn’t let him.
“No.” She looked at him, willing him to understand.
He let her hold his hands while he held her gaze. “When his wound went septic, I promised him I’d take care of you and your mom.” His expression darkened. “And that means making sure you’re okay. It means making sure you’re safe and that you have everything you need. It doesn’t mean stripping off your clothes and kissing every single inch of your body.” He shook his head. “I’m a selfish bastard for wanting you so bad.”
God, when he says stuff like that, I feel like I’m going to explode, Eva thought, swallowing hard. “You’re not selfish, because you did take care of us,” she made herself say. She remembered how he’d been there for her and her mom. He’d held her mom when she cried. And then he’d held Eva when her mom had died. She’d been a mess, and he hadn’t once flinched. How could she not have a crush on this man? She licked her lips, smiling when she heard his soft groan.
“I can’t stop thinking of how perfectly you fit me, Eva.” Charlie’s voice had dipped down in its lower register, and the rumbly tone did crazy thing to her insides. Eva inhaled, struggling for calm. She noticed that he didn’t try to step back again. He didn’t take his hands away from her face. She watched him close his eyes as if his head hurt.
“It’s okay, Charlie. You’re allowed to have feelings. Did it ever occur to you that maybe we’re supposed to be together? That maybe all the shit we’ve been through means we’re allowed to enjoy each other? Because what is the point of life, otherwise?” Eva reached up and touched his cheek. “You can have this. You can have me.”
“It feels wrong to want you,” Charlie said quietly.
“But you do anyway,” Eva said again.
“Yes,” he agreed, opening his eyes. “God help me.”
“God isn’t here. I am.” Eva put her hands on his wrists. “It’s not wrong, Charlie.” She tilted her head, trying a different tack. “How old are you?” She fingered the silver at his temples. She liked his maturity. She liked that he wasn’t some callow teen.
“Thirty-five,” he said.
Not that old, she thought. “You’re only fourteen years older than me.” Eva smiled at him. “You idiot.” Charlie tried to step back, but she hung onto him, forcing him to stay. “You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
“I’m fourteen years too old for you,” he insisted.
“You realize that you’re not even old enough to be my father? You’re ten years younger than my dad was, Charlie.” Eva very deliberately took a step forward, knowing as she did that she could very well be setting herself up for another rejection. It would kill her, but she couldn’t seem to stop the hope that she felt when she looked at him. “You’re a big jerk,” she whispered, drawing his head down to her. “I don’t want to go through my whole life without making love with you, Charlie.” She flushed at her bold words. She didn’t think she’d ever said “making love” out loud before, bu
t the look in his eyes as she said it made the embarrassment worth it. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” She touched her lips to his.
He groaned. “Eva,” he whispered against her mouth. “Fuck.” Then he kissed her, and it felt as if the world turned itself upside down.
Eva clung to him as he dragged her up against his body. He was everything that was good and right in her life, and she’d be damned if she’d let him run away from her again. She slid her hands into his hair and growled, “You’re mine, Charlie. I might not know what the hell I’m doing, but I know that this—” She emphasized her words with a tug of his hair. “—doesn’t happen often. And when it does, you have to grab on with both hands and hang on. My mother told me that. She learned it the hard way, so I believe her. My grandpa was an asshole for leaving her and my grandma the way he did, but Mom said it taught her to recognize real love when it happened. When she met my dad, she knew he was the real deal. He was everything her own dad wasn’t.” She kissed Charlie, lingering over the softness of his lips. “The difference in our ages doesn’t matter when it feels like this.” He looked at her steadily, and Eva almost lost her courage, but she refused to back down now. “I don’t want a lesson anymore. I want it all.” She took a deep breath. “I want everything. I want you.”
“This thing between us?” Charlie murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth. “This is fire, Eva sweet. This is crazy. You should be running the other direction, not holding onto me. I’m too old for you. I feel like a fucking perv, robbing the cradle, and I still can’t stop.” He rubbed his stubble-roughened cheek against hers as his hands roamed her body. His palms settled on her ass and hauled her up against him.
Eva gasped. His cock pressed into her hip. She writhed, trying to get closer.
