Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (new ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Eddie liked her idea of surveillance cameras. However, whatever security system she ordered online would be subpar. He didn’t vocalize his thoughts. Being proactive boosted self-confidence and she had to stop fearing this bastard to beat him. Eddie planned to help her do it, starting with using the latest surveillance gadgets in the market, the kind the average Joe didn’t see coming.

For a moment, there was silence as they ate. Eddie reached for his glass and guzzled half of his orange juice, his eyes not leaving Amy. As usual, watching her eat was mesmerizing.

“Have you thought of taking self-defense lessons?” he asked.

Amy rolled her eyes. “I’m too small to pit my strength against a grown man. The Glock will have to do.”

“When you say a grown man, are you talking about someone my size?”

“Shorter,” Amy said without looking at him, scooped more oatmeal and placed it in her mouth. “And not so perfectly proportional,” she added softly.

Eddie grinned at the veiled compliment. “Are you saying I have a perfect body?”

She threw him a disgusted look. “Perfectly proportional. Not the same thing. And you don’t need compliments from me. I’m sure you hear them all the time. Even Lauren called first dibs when she saw you shirtless.”

He couldn’t have possibly heard that right. “First dibs?”

She shrugged then sipped her orange juice. “Breakfast was great, thank you.”

“The two of you discussed me?” The thought pleased him.

“You were parading half naked in front of the whole lake front community. So why did you bring up self-defense?”

“Because I plan to teach you a few moves. If you can take me down, you can take down anyone. I wasn’t parading.”

“Me? Take you down?”

“Without breaking a sweat.”

She sized him up, her gaze running up his arms, across his chest before returning to his face. Her cheeks reddened for some reason. “I appreciate your confidence in me, but I think I’ll pass. I have my gun. That’s enough for me. And yes, you were strutting your stuff, Fitzgerald. No one removes their T-shirt the way you did, in slow motion. Then you flexed your muscles.” His orange juice went the wrong way and she had the gall to get up and thump his back. “Are you okay?”

“I did not…” Her grin said she was screwing with him.  “Forget it.”

“I wish I could,” she teased, then started gathering their bowls.

“Leave them alone.” He drained his orange juice and got up. “You bring your lovely gun to the garage. I’ll show you a thing or two.”

She eyed him with a slow grin.

“Defense moves,” he added, feeling his face grow hot. A woman had never made him blush in his adult life. “Oh, and wear tennis shoes.”

She pursed her naturally pouty lips then shrugged. “Why not.”

Eddie gathered their breakfast and followed her. “First dibs, huh?”

She rolled her eyes and started for the house.

“What did you tell her?”

“That she is an adult and free to do as she pleased,” she threw the comment over her shoulder. “You do know she’s waiting for you to call her?”

Eddie frowned. Why was she trying to push him into her friend’s arms? On the other hand, Lauren was more his type of woman. Career-minded, confident, not afraid to go after what she wanted. She did talk a lot though, but he could work around that. Yeah, maybe what he needed to give his libido a kick was right here.

“I’ll do that.” He placed the tray next to the sink. “Don’t touch anything. Just go and get the gun. I want us to do this before Raelynn wakes up.”

***

Amy watched him walk toward his bedroom. He wore gray sweatpants that rode low on his hips and a white tank top that hugged every inch of his chest. For three days, she’d tried to ignore him while focusing on her book and reading up on the surveillance gadgets she’d ordered. As if one would ignore a caged panther. She’d reached a point where she wanted to confess everything just so he could stop watching her like she was an escaped convict.

Interestingly enough, Raelynn seemed to be thawing toward him. She’d even asked for his whereabouts twice while he was out of the house. Except for today, Eddie often went for morning runs then spent the rest of the day working on the boat. Every time he fixed something, he always found something else wrong. His hard work finally paid off. He took the boat out yesterday without the engine stalling.

Amy raced to her bedroom to find sneakers and socks. Raelynn was still asleep, so she made sure she didn’t make any noise as she removed the gun from between the mattress and the box springs. She slipped it into the small of her back and carefully closed the door behind her.

Eddie was in the garage eyeing the sole occupant with annoyance. Baron and Kara had shipped out a Honda CV-R and often used it whenever they visited.

“Do you have the key?” Eddie asked.

“Just a second.” Amy retrieved the key from the kitchen drawer and they removed the SUV and parked it next to Eddie’s.

“Where’s the gun?”

She reached behind her and pulled it out. Amy bristled when he eyed the gun in her hand with a frown. “What?”

“Is it loaded?” he asked.

“Maybe.” Amy gripped the weapon with both hands and pointed it at him. She grinned when uncertainty flickered in his eyes. “You really think I’d keep a loaded gun around Raelynn, Fitzgerald?”

“Even the best intentioned parents forget. Where did you learn to handle a gun like that?”

“Shooting range. Lauren took me as soon as I arrived here.” Amy studied her hands. Her right hand gripped the handle tight, her finger on the trigger and the rear end was cradled between her thumb and forefinger, while her left wrapped around the first.

“Your grip is perfect. Now I’m going to show you how easy an intruder can disarm you if he is well-trained.” He raised his hands. “Pretend I’m the intruder. What do you do first?”

She shifted,