Page 80 of Before Eve

A dog barks, and its sound echoes around us. “That’s Jake,” West tells me as a black lab bursts through the trees and gallops toward us.

When he reaches us, he immediately sits, and I squat down and give him a rub. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” He leans into the rub, granting me this loopy look that makes me want to keep rubbing. “I never had a dog before. I might just have to make up for that and spoil you while I’m here.”

West grabs our stuff from the back. “Come on.”

I follow him around the house and up stone steps to the front door. He wipes his boots on the mat and lets us both in. Jake pushes past, his nails clicking across the hardwood floor,and prances over to plop down on a rug in front of the fireplace. He knows his way around.

With gleaming dark wood floors, walls, and rafters, one huge great room contains the kitchen and living room, and a bank of windows to the left looks out over the valley.

“There are two rooms down here and the loft upstairs.” West puts our stuff down. “I usually sleep in the loft, but if you want it, that’s fine, and I’ll sleep down here.”

That comment brings me such relief. Which is just silly. West and I have slept together before.

Someone knocks on the door, and I turn to see this little man with gray hair and a scowl. “Oh, that’s right. You’re here this weekend.”

West greets him. “Hey, Omar. This is Eve.”

Omar turns his scowl on me and my blue hair. “How long are you staying?”

“Same as West. The weekend.”

He sniffs. “You work for that rock group, too?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hm,” he grunts, then just keeps studying me.

Why is he just looking at me? I reach up to tug my ball cap down before remembering I’m not wearing one.

“Do I know you?” he asks.

“N-no, sir.”

Omar gives another grunt before turning toward the door. “Well, you know where I’ll be if you need me.”

I offer a faint smile, but way down deep, something nags. Did Omar recognize me? There’s no way he could know who I am.

Is there?

CHAPTER 39

West insistsI take the loft with its private bath, skylight, and amazing view through the windows of the valley.

The bookshelf to the right catches my eye. On the upper rack sits a stack of magazines. The one on top features Bus Stop,and I slide it off.

Dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a tight black T-shirt, West stands with the other guys, his guitar hanging nonchalantly in front of him. I give in to a sigh and flip the cover open. In the feature, there’s a collage of pictures of West, every one of them with a different gorgeous girl. Jealousy sparks in me, and I put the magazine back.

A cordless phone rings on the bedside table, and I don’t answer it. The machine picks up. “Eve, you there?”

I snag the handset and bring it to my ear. “West? Where are you?”

“In the garage.”

“Why are you calling me from the garage?”

He lowers his voice. “I miss you.”

I recline back on the bed. “You’re just downstairs.”