To Claim His Mate by Serena Pettus Read Free Book Online Page B

placed her head on his broad shoulder. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, again,” she whispered.
    “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go up to the house.”
    * * * *
    Being held by a pair of big, strong arms felt so nice. If she wasn’t careful, Eva knew she’d fall for Adam, hard and fast. He claimed to be drawn to her, and a selfish part of her hoped that he was. She was very attracted to this wonderful man but was still wary of trusting someone again.
    True, she was staying with him and he’d been the perfect gentleman, but she planned to play it safe. Well, as safe as she could when she was at the mercy of a man she’d known less than two days.
    Before she knew it, they were entering the house, and he carried her all the way into her room. Eva never uttered a protest as he slid her shoes off and placed the blanket on top of her.
    “How do you feel?”
    “Like crawling into a hole.” She gave a weak laugh. “Actually, I’m torn between curling up and crying or hitting something… repeatedly .”
    “I’ve got a punching bag if you want to have a go at it. But seriously, I know how you feel. You’re emotions are swinging between depression and anger.” He smiled and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. It was such a sweet gesture. “Go with the anger. It’s easier to work out and will keep you focused versus withdrawing into yourself.”
    “Are they in jail now?”
    “Unfortunately, no. When I met with Gus today, he informed me that they’re MIA. His landlady thinks Shane’s visiting his mother, but I think the little bastard has gone to ground. The plan is for you to stay here until they surface then we’ll parade around town like we don’t have a care in the world.”
    Evangeline cut in, “And then he’ll be enraged that his plans to either run me off or emotionally cripple me didn’t work, and he’ll mess up big time.”
    Adam nodded. “That’s the idea.”
    “Well, it’s not like I have a choice unless I want to continue to deal with him.” And boy, was she tired of dealing with him!
    “Did you know he has a gambling problem?”
    Eva shook her head. “I suspected there were drugs involved, because his behavior changed so drastically, but gambling? There’s nowhere around here for him to…” She trailed off, realization dawning.
    “What is it?”
    “All those ‘business’ trips. He must have been gambling the whole time. I’m sure he was cheating on me, too, because I got an email that was obviously not meant for me. He said it was just a joke and that I should lighten up, but I don’t consider a message on my answering machine from a woman, detailing all the different sexual acts she was looking forward to, a joke. Not when you’re supposed to be getting married.” Evangeline ended that sentence with a wide yawn before smiling sheepishly up at Adam. “Sorry, all this crying is really wearing me out. I promise I’m not usually this weepy.”
    Adam gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about it. You have every right to be upset, and if you feel the need to cry, go ahead and let it out. If you want to hit something, you’re welcome to the punching bag in the garage. If you want something a little warmer, I could always call up one of my brothers.” He gave her a little wink. “I’ll even hold him still for you.”
    She laughed and his smile only grew.
    “I’ll go fix that soup now, and bring it to you when it’s ready.”
    Evangeline watched as Adam strode from the bedroom and silently closed the door. A hot tear slid down her cheek. She was surprised she had any left at all. Between the break-in, the destruction of her keepsakes and the burning of her home, she’d cried a river. Her head ached, her eyes were swollen and heavy and now, she was utterly exhausted.
    The noises from the kitchen were faint. It sounded as if he was cutting something. Eva hoped it was veggies for a homemade soup. After eating canned versions for so long she craved the fresh taste of a warm