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Yes, he would be investigating Jaxon.“You also listed me on your list.”
“Yes, yes, I did.”Just that.
He fired her a quick glance.“I fucked you today.”
Her brows shot up.“Like you can’t fuck someone and hate them at the same time?I’m pretty sure there is a name for that.It is literally called a hate-fuck.Are you really not up on the lingo?”
He almost slammed on the brakes.“Did you hate-fuck me?”
“I don’t hate you at all.Why would you think that?”
He had to ease his grip on the wheel.“We’re going to Ivan’s bar.”He needed to get this conversation on track.Do not focus on hate-fucks.
“Figured we were heading to his place.I know this is the road that leads to that destination.”Another little hum.“So did you hate-fuck me?”
The woman was driving him crazy.“Did it feel like I hate-fucked you?”
“It felt incredible.”
The car lurched a bit to the right.He got it back on track.Immediately.
“I don’t want you to hate me,” Naomi revealed.Her voice had gone a bit husky.
“I don’t.”Gritted.And…truth.He did not hate her.Sonofabitch.He was all twisted up.I don’t hate her.I don’t.Maybe he…never had.Shit.
“Good.Then there was no hate-fuck involved.”Now she seemed satisfied.
“Naomi…”
“Not too far to go before we get to the bar, huh?”Her voice was way too falsely bright.
She was right, though.They didn’t have much longer to go.Ivan’s bar had been Eb’s intended destination from the moment he’d picked up the dog and Jeffrey had said the investigator called about signs at Naomi’s place that pointed to arson.As far as Eb was concerned, yes, Ivan was the most obvious suspect.They’d tangled with the Russian and his men and then, the exact same night, her house got lit up?Nah.Eb didn’t believe in coincidences.Especially those that involved near-death experiences.
“Hudson’s cousin is convinced I’m a gold-digging murderess.You know, like the rest of the town.”Music played lightly from the car’s radio.Classic rock.She’d picked the channel and had been singing along every now and then.Despite the fact that she’d had her house torched, been nearly murdered, and had a seizure that scared the hell out of him, Naomi seemed to be in an oddly good mood.“And, expanding on my list of enemies, we have to include Detective Clark Anderson.The man truly can’t stand me.Clark wants me tossed into a cell for the rest of my murderous days.”
Wasn’t that what Eb had wanted, too?So, when had his plan changed?
“I need to thank you.”
His head shook.“No, you don’t.”Where was this coming from?Hadn’t he told her not to thank him before?When she was all nice and polite and showedgratitudeto him, it just made Eb feel like a real sonofabitch because he was lying to her.
I came to town because I was just like everyone else.I thought you were guilty as sin.I wanted you locked away for the rest of your life.Your punishment was my mission.
It…still was.Right?Right?
“I don’t think you want to hurt me,” she said.Her voice had softened even more.Turned thoughtful.“So you don’t belong on my list of enemies.I mean, if you wanted to hurt me…” A faint click as she swallowed.“You could have done it while I was helpless.”
When she’d been jerking on that couch.
“Instead, you saved me.Thank?—”
“Donotthank me again.”He didn’t want her gratitude.Whenever she saidthank you, it felt like she’d just stabbed a knife into his chest.
Nope, that is what happened to Hudson.
“You don’t consider me to be your enemy any longer, do you, Eb?”she asked carefully.
He spun the wheel, got the vehicle off the road, and had them sliding into an empty parking lot.The gas station had long since been shuttered, and dust and dirt flew up in the wake of his sudden turn.He threw his arm along the back of the seat, his fingers skimming her shoulders, and Eb locked his eyes with hers.“Am Iyourenemy?”he asked her.Jealousy heaved and stirred within him.A jealousy he’d been trying to fight but couldn’t.“Do you always fuck your enemies?”Because she’d been ticking off names on her list of enemies, and she’d better not be screwing those men.