Page 16 of Bit's Bliss

“That’s when the bank is foreclosing.”

“Another thing we’ll address in the morning.” Trevino got out and, when I scooted to the edge of the seat, put his hands on my waist and lowered me to the ground.

“You know where the bedroom is. Get yourself settled, and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” he said once we were inside.

“Um, okay.”

“Eberly?”

I’d taken two steps, but stopped. “Yeah?”

“The same thing that happened last night will happen again tonight. The only difference is that, instead of you taking care of me, I’m gonna take care of you. Okay?”

“Okay,” I responded without turning around.

“Eberly?” he repeated.

“Yes?”

“Look at me.”

When I faced him, he closed the distance between us and took both my hands in his. “You can trust me.”

“I know.”

I entered the bedroom, toed off my shoes, and lay on the right side of the bed like I had last night. A few minutes later, Trevino came in.

“Get under the covers.”

“I’ll be okay.”

He leaned forward and put his hands on the edge of the bed. “Eberly, I told you to get under the covers.” There was enough light streaming in from the kitchen for me to see the look on his face.

“Yes, sir,” I teased. As soon as I said the words, his expression changed.

He stood upright, and his eyes scrunched. “Go to sleep,” he said as he walked out the bedroom door and closed it behind him.

7

BIT

Iwasn’t much of a drinker other than beer or wine, but the situation with the woman now lying in my bed warranted something stronger. I reached into the cabinet, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and filled a third of a glass. I plopped a couple of ice cubes in it, then sat on the sofa in the living room.

It was close to eleven, and as wired as I felt, I probably wouldn’t sleep much tonight.

I rubbed my left temple, again out of habit rather than because I felt a migraine coming on, rested against the sofa and thought about Eberly. While I’d said we wouldn’t talk until morning, when we did, she’d be getting an earful.

First, why hadn’t she put the alarm in “home” mode when her father hadn’t returned? Even if he had, he knew how to disarm it. Then, when she told me the kitchen door was unlocked, I’d wanted to march into her father’s study and put her over my knee. As if shewasn’t scared enough. Showing her that side of myself would’ve terrified someone like her.

I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I itched to run. It didn’t matter where or how far; I just had to get the hell out of here before I did something I knew I’d regret. Like walk into that bedroom and show Eberly exactly what it did to me when she called mesir. I was still rock hard and would stay that way if I kept thinking about it.

“Trevino?”

I sat up but didn’t look in her direction. “Go to bed, Eberly.”

“Will you at least tell me what I did to make you so angry?”

“I’m not angry. Now,go to bed,” I repeated.