WindSwept Narrows: #6 Eve Hastings
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- It
- was
- Sunday
- when
- he
- came
- in
- from
- his
- run
- that
- he
- picked
- up
- the
- phone
- and
- tapped
- in
- the
- number
- Sam
- had
- given
- him.
- His
- voice
- curt
- and
- flat.“I
- want
- to
- talk
- to
- you.
- I’ll
- be
- at
- your
- place
- tomorrow
- at
- six,”
- Zach
- told
- her
- flatly,
- breaking
- the
- connection
- before
- she
- could
- say
- a
- word.Eve
- looked
- at
- the
- phone,
- sighing
- and
- closing
- it
- before
- returning
- to
- the
- fabric
- she
- was
- stitching
- as
- she
- watched
- the
- news.
- She
- had
- to
- set
- the
- frame
- aside
- after
- a
- few
- seconds,
- her
- hands
- were
- shaking
- too
- much
- to
- quilt
- straight.
- It
- had
- been
- five
- days
- since
- he
- had
- appeared
- in
- her
- office.She
- brought
- the
- paper
- she’d
- printed
- her
- part
- of
- the
- bargain
- on
- home
- with
- her
- Monday
- afternoon,
- leaving
- it
- sit
- on
- her
- desk
- as
- she
- worked
- on
- dinner.
- A
- nice
- salad,
- a
- rich
- spaghetti
- dish
- and
- a
- red
- wine.
- The
- table
- was
- set
- when
- his
- fist
- struck
- her
- door,
- making
- her
- glad
- she
- had
- very
- sturdy
- doors.She
- shouldn’t
- be
- surprised
- that
- he
- was
- angry.
- She
- doubted
- there
- was
- much
- that
- stood
- in
- the
- way
- of
- Zachary
- Covington.
- She
- wiped
- her
- palms
- on
- the
- seat
- of
- her
- jeans
- and
- pulled
- the
- door
- wide.Dressed
- as
- before,
- she
- watched
- the
- dark
- suit
- and
- vest
- storm
- past
- her
- into
- the
- house.
- Eve
- closed
- the
- door,
- sliding
- the
- lock
- into
- place
- and
- turning
- to
- face
- him.
- It
- was
- raining
- and
- his
- dark
- brown
- hair
- was
- dotted
- with
- crystals
- of
- water,
- his
- hand
- raked
- over
- his
- head
- absently.“You
- realize
- I
- am
- completely
- and
- totally
- pissed
- off
- at
- you,”
- Zach
- met
- the
- quiet
- stare,
- ordering
- his
- stomach
- to
- ignore
- the
- smell
- of
- food.“It
- does
- show
- in
- the
- stance
- and
- voice,”
- Eve
- answered
- with
- a
- little
- nod.
- “Are
- you
- hungry?
- I
- thought
- dinner
- before
- we
- discussed
- business…”“Business…that’s
- what
- you’re
- calling
- this…this
- blackmail?”“Would
- be
- a
- nice
- ice
- breaker,”
- she
- continued
- as
- if
- he
- hadn’t
- interrupted.
- “Businesses
- have
- a
- long
- history
- of
- barter,
- Mr.
- Covington,”
- Eve
- said
- with
- a
- shrug.
- “That’s
- all
- this
- is.
- I
- have
- something
- you
- want…you
- have
- something
- I
- want.
- It’s
- a
- simple
- business
- transaction.”“Holding
- a
- man
- hostage
- in
- a
- marriage…”“By
- the
- time
- the
- project
- is
- complete,
- you’ll
- be
- a
- free
- man,”
- she
- interrupted.
- “For
- one
- year
- of
- your
- time
- and
- a
- few
- muscular
- contractions,
- you
- get
- the
- property.
- You
- don’t
- have
- to
- live
- with
- me
- or
- put
- up
- with
- me
- at
- all,
- for
- that
- matter.”“They
- have
- clinics
- for
- what
- you
- want,”
- he
- pushed
- the
- words
- through
- his
- teeth.
- “Muscular
- contractions?”
- Zach
- repeated
- in
- total
- amazement
- and
- disbelief.
- He
- had
- never
- been
- this
- furious
- with
- another
- human
- being.“I
- don’t
- want
- random.
- I
- know
- I
- am
- far
- from
- the
- type
- of
- female
- you’re
- accustomed
- to,”
- Eve
- said
- with
- a
- wave
- of
- her
- palm.
- “But
- given
- the
- standards
- of
- most
- men,
- I
- can’t
- believe
- it
- would
- be
- that
- impossible
- to…to…”“You
- can’t
- even
- say
- what
- you
- want.”
- He
- threw
- back
- with
- a
- growl.“To
- have
- sex
- with
- me,”
- she
- shot
- back
- immediately,
- dark
- lashes
- narrowed
- over
- the
- violet eyes.
