Well, overjoyed and then freaked out. So who the hell was he to ask her to change all of her plans just because he was having great sex?
He shook his head as he pulled on his pants and padded into the kitchen. Maybe he could get her to drink enough that she’d forget he even mentioned anything to her. He pulled out a bottle of wine and eyed the three bottles remaining in the wine cooler. He had a feeling it would take hard liquor to wipe that memory from her mind. Fuck.
He set the bottle on the counter and reached up for the glasses as the floor creaked behind him. Was Evelyn done already? Somehow he thought she’d linger under the water, looking for any reason to avoid him after that fiasco.
He turned to face her, determined to act as though nothing had happened. Except for the mind-blowing sex. He’d own up to that. “I hope you like red wine, because that’s all we—”
Something slammed into the side of his face, and the last thing he remembered as the world went dark was the sound of his parents’ favorite wine glasses smashing on the hardwood floor.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Evelyn jerked her head out of the water at the sound of the glass breaking. She opened her mouth to ask Luke whether everything was okay, but stopped herself. She knew Luke well enough to realize he didn’t drop things.
If he had knocked something over, he probably would’ve cursed. Or she’d hear him going into the closet for the broom and dustpan. Something. All she heard over the sound of the shower was silence.
Unease drifted over her. She’d been around long enough to know when to trust her gut. Leaving the water on, she pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She ran a towel over her soaking hair and body as quickly as possible. She peeked around the corner to make sure there was no one in the master bedroom off the bathroom, but it was empty.
After verifying the room was clear, she pulled on her t-shirt and panties and grabbed her gun holster off the dresser. The gun was already loaded, so she flicked the safety off. If she was overreacting, Luke might think she was crazy, but she was here to watch over him, so he’d have to deal with her crazy.
Evelyn was about to leave the bedroom when she heard heavy footsteps approach. The soft sound of boots against hardwood echoed through the house. Which was worrisome, because why would Luke be wearing boots right after a shower and before bed?
Her heartbeat sped up as she glanced around the room. There was nowhere to hide except the closet; that would be the first place anyone would look, and it would effectively trap her.
She took a calming breath and took a chance by standing behind the open door. As he entered, he wouldn’t be able to see her, but if he looked in this direction she’d be outed. Chances were that he’d start with the bathroom and closet, and that would give her the chance to get a jump on him.
She held her breath as he approached, trying to make no sound at all. His steps slowed as he entered the room. He paused in the middle of the room, and Evelyn tried to get a look.
He wasn’t the man from her apartment. This man was older, maybe in his forties, and even though he was muscular, he appeared to have a substantial beer belly. He headed for the bathroom and disappeared into the other room. Evelyn leveled her gun in that direction. She started to step out from behind the door when Luke’s voice cut through the house. “She’s not here!”
Shit. He wasn’t alone, which meant that Luke was with whoever this asshole brought with him. If she shot the guy in the bedroom, the other guy might freak, and who knew what he would do to Luke. Evelyn slipped out of the room while Beer Belly was still in the bathroom. She tiptoed through the empty hallway. She’d heard glass breaking but wasn’t sure where. It could be from anywhere, considering the entire cottage had hardwood and the sounds echoed like crazy. She paused at the end of the hallway. Chances were that once she emerged, guy number two would see her and she’d have to act fast.
But then a grunting sound came from the kitchen and Luke screamed, “Evelyn, get out of the hou—” The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the house, and Evelyn kicked into gear. She stepped out from the hallway and immediately saw the man standing over a tied-up Luke, ready to strike him with the butt of his handgun.
Evelyn didn’t hesitate as she brought up her gun and fired off three shots in quick succession. The man fell hard and fast. She met Luke’s eyes. He seethed with anger and she knew there was going to be hell to pay for whoever was behind this break-in. But the anger disappeared in a flash, replaced by fear, and she knew Beer Belly was coming up behind her. She tried to turn in time, but the man already had his gun up and aimed. All she could do was drop to the floor as bullets flew right over her head. He ran as he fired, which had to be hurting his aim, but the closer he was, the more dangerous he was.