Page 46 of Let Me Love You

I groan inwardly. “IKEA for the win.”

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

“Tim’s a fuckin’ creep.”

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

“Is he married?”

She thinks for a moment. “No.”

“Does Tim have a dick?”

She snorts. “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 ’bout me so much. I’m pretty tough—even for my size. 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 also 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 didn’t realized how lonely I was until he arrived. I’ve always been a social person and liked living alone, but Archer’s presence gives me something to look forward to.

While our sleeping arrangement is 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 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.