“You did?” She frowned. “When?”
“Today. When I realized Katie didn’t want to go and that this could have been a ruse to get me to go along. I know what that woman wants, Ann. I’m not a fool.”
“I didn’t think you were a fool,” she said.
“You didn’t answer.”
“I was out, sorry.”
“What were you doing?”
“I was walking a friend’s dogs.”
He raised a brow. “Really? Do you need more money?”
“No. I don’t need any money.” She put a hand on his chest. She didn’t want him to pay for anything more.
After seeing the woman with him today, she had to stay on her own two feet. There was no way she was going to rely on him for money, and she didn’t want him to think she only saw him as a bank book.
“I want to walk the dogs. Honestly, I do. I like to walk.”
“You’re going to be walking dogs.”
“Yep, six of them. In the morning and at night.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You can hate it all you want, but I’m doing it.”
“You’re going to be alone at night and in the morning?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s fine and I will be perfectly safe.” She tilted her head back and felt his growing erection as it pressed between her thighs. “Do you want to continue to lecture me about going out alone after dark? Or do you want something else?”
“Oh, you see, you won’t be alone because whenever Katie is busy, you’re going to have me. I’ll walk with you with the dogs.”
“What about when Katie is with you?” she asked.
“You’re going to be on the phone with me.”
“Eli, that is a little extreme.”
“It’s not. I need to know you’re safe. Now, I think I need to take care of another problem.”
“You do?” she asked.
“Yeah, I need to hear you scream my name as I lick this pretty little pussy.” He moved down between her thighs and she gasped as he licked from her entrance up to her clit, then back down again.
She wasn’t going to argue with him.
****
“You know you don’t have to come with me,” Ann said the next morning.
Eli had on his walking boots, jeans, and a shirt. The last of summer was ebbing away, and soon he was going to have to start thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas.
“I’m coming with.”
He wasn’t going to let Ann go out on her own. He wanted to make sure she was safe and protected.
“What are you doing at Halloween?” he asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want to think about why it was so important for him to keep her safe.
Ann had lived without him and would be able to take care of herself, but he didn’t like the very thought of her being alone.
After they had walked the dogs, he was going to pick up Katie and had every intention of spending the day with Ann as well. They could go to the town fair that was being set up for the last summer weekend.
It had started last week, and Katie had wanted to go. He hadn’t been able to take her because of work commitments. Even though he worked from home, he still needed to take some time to actually get work done.
“Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about Halloween?”
“Katie’s already making me order stuff to decorate the house. We never did anything back at my old place. I didn’t do Halloween.” In fact, Thanksgiving, he worked through, and Christmas, he was on his cell phone while she unwrapped presents. This would be the first year where he actually gave a shit about what happened, and he intended to make it as memorable as possible.
“That’s so cute. I don’t know. I’ve not really thought about anything.”
“We’re going to be decorating our house,” he said. “I want you to come along. Also, you’re invited for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“Really?” Ann asked, stopping outside of the gates of a house. “Doesn’t that go against all of your rules?”
“Nope. I don’t have any rules and I want you to make plans with me.” He reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I thought we had to keep this secret.”
“I just moved your hair.”
“Then why is your other arm around my back, holding me in place?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I don’t mind the world knowing, Ann.” In fact, he wanted to keep the world away from her so all men knew who she belonged to.
Tilting her head back, he kissed her hard, wanting to consume her.
She melted against him until someone cleared their throat, and he finally heard a bunch of dogs yapping.
“So, you’re the neighbor.”
“You’ve talked about me?” he asked, turning to the woman with the crisp white hair.
“We don’t need to talk about you. You’re living at those houses.”
“The cursed ones?”
“They’re not cursed, believe me. I’m Elizabeth, dear,” she said, holding out her hand.
He took it and laid a kiss to her knuckles.
“Oh, I see you’re a charmer, aren’t you? You’re used to getting all the ladies.”
He raised a brow at her but didn’t dispute it.
“Where are the leads, Beth?” Ann asked.
“Inside, honey, if you’d like to go and get them.”
He watched Ann disappear into the house and turned his gaze once again to Elizabeth.
“You be careful with that girl,” Elizabeth said.
“I will be. You barely know her and yet you’re protective of her.”
“She’s young and has never known what love is. From looking at you, I can see you’re the same. You don’t know what real love is. You’ve never experienced it.”
“I’m a grown man, I don’t need to know what love feels like. I’ll take care of Ann. You don’t need to worry about her.”
Elizabeth looked at him. “You don’t believe in the pull of the houses, do you?”
“Again, I’m a full-grown man. I make my own way in life and no house is going to tell me what to do, or who to love.”
She smiled. “Like all young men, you’re a fool. Tell me, Eli, when you saw her, that first time, when you looked over and gazed at her red hair, beautiful sparkling eyes, and that smile, tell me what you thought.”
Eli didn’t say a single word. “You were watching?”
“I always watch. I like to see exactly who will fall next. You have already fallen for her, Eli. Right now, you’re too afraid to admit it.” Elizabeth patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry, there will come a moment when you realize it. The houses don’t fail.”
The conversation came to an end as Ann came out with all the leads. The dogs rushed to her side, and he watched her.
The instant he had seen her, he’d found her striking, no doubt about that. Even now as she bent down, and helped the dogs, she was … everything.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he looked at the other woman who merely smiled at him as if she knew the trouble his thoughts were giving him. This wasn’t what he wanted, far from it.