Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Four hours later…

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Nope.” Beckett kept his chin up and his shoulders back as he made his way through the hotel lobby. The confident stature creating an appearance of belonging, despite the answer he’d just given.

“She may not want you there, you know.” Shadow didn’t pull punches. “Going toe-to-toe with her father about what he did…that couldn’t have been a pleasant conversation.”

His grip tightened around his phone at the thought of Evie’s piece of shit dad. “Why do you think I’m here?”

“You’re there because you care about this woman. But as someone who cares about you , I want you to be prepared for the possibility that she may not be elated when you show up at her hotel room unannounced.”

“Who wouldn’t be happy to see me?” Beckett teased, boarding the elevator and pressing the button to Evie’s floor.

“Bones…”

The brilliant woman’s warning made him grin. “It’s like I said earlier, when I first called. I just need to see for myself that she’s okay. Once that happens, if Evie wants me to leave, I’ll be on the next flight back to Charlotte.”

“Mmm hmmm…” She sounded less than convinced. “Well, unless Owens says otherwise, the team’s in-house the rest of the week. Oh, and your five-day vacation request was submitted and approved before your plane ever left the ground. You know, just in case you do decide to stay.”

The corners of his lips curved even higher. “One of these days, you’ll have to tell me how you do that.”

“Do what?”

Her overtly innocent tone didn’t fool him for a second.

“How you seem to know exactly what we need at the exact time we need it.”

“What can I say?” Shadow asked rhetorically. “It’s a gift, really.”

It sure as hell was.

“You’re one of a kind, you know that?”

“Of course, I do.” The woman didn’t miss a beat. “The world couldn’t handle two of me.”

Beckett’s chuckle echoed off the elevator’s reflective walls as the cart came to a stop and the doors slid open. “Bye, Shadow. Thanks again.”

“Good luck, Bones. And, for what it’s worth, I really do hope she’s happy to see you.”

The line went dead before he could respond.

He stepped out into the elevator lobby. Taking his cue from the signs mounted on the wall opposite from where he stood, Beckett turned right and began making his way down the long, empty hallway.

His footfalls were swallowed by the hotel’s soft, patterned carpet as he passed by several numbered doors. The closer he got to room four-fifty-three, the more he began to question his impulsive decision to come here.

What if Shadow was right? What if Evie isn’t happy to see me?

Beckett had been so confident when he’d first made the call to Shadow. And he hadn’t felt even the slightest twinge of guilt over asking his team’s tech goddess to use her hacking skills to find the name of the hotel where Evie was staying.

As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until this very moment that he really and truly considered how insane his being here would probably seem.

You sure this is a good idea?

Shadow’s earlier question whispered through his mind as he approached her room. Nerves twisted themselves into knots, adding to his present state of uncertainty.

Not one to let fear deter him from his goal, Beckett covered the remaining distance between him and that damn door. He pulled in a breath, raised his fist, and then…

He knocked.

Guess if she slams the door in my face, I’ll have my answer.

Beckett shifted his weight from one booted foot to the other as he did his best to put a lid on his rising anxiety. Shadow was right to question his impulsiveness. What was he thinking, showing up here unannounced…and uninvited?

You could still leave. If you move your ass right now, you might make it to the stairs before ? —

The door swung open, the woman standing before him literally stealing the breath from his lungs.

Having washed her skin free of makeup, Evie appeared even younger than her thirty-one years. Her thick brown curls were piled high on her head with a few delicate locks left loose, framing her gorgeous face and brushing along the nape of her neck.

And though it probably didn’t make much sense, the woman’s casual choice of dark gray leggings, white, fitted t-shirt, and white, no-show socks were even more of a turn-on than the cute red dress and matching hat she’d worn the day before.

Damn, she really is beautiful.

“Beckett?”

The shock in Evie’s voice ripped his attention back into focus.

“Surprise!” He smiled like the idiot he was.

Surprise? Really?

The lame greeting made him want to kick his own ass.

“Wha…what are doing here?”

Suddenly feeling like the biggest dipshit in the universe, Beckett offered her a rambling explanation.

“I woke up thinking about you and what you were coming here to do today. I also couldn’t stop thinking about what you said before about not being able to talk to Lo or anyone else about, well, any of this, and I thought….” He shoved his hands into his pockets, exhaling slowly. “I guess I thought you might need someone to vent to or a shoulder to cry on. And I know what you’re going to say. I could’ve just texted or called rather than flying standby to get here. But the thing is, it’s not always easy to decipher true emotion through text, and even if I’d called and you swore you were doing okay, I still would’ve spent the rest of the day worrying regardless. So…here I am.”

Those round eyes locked with his in an unreadable, immovable stare. Evie didn’t say anything at first, and he was almost certain she was going to slam the door in his face and never speak to him again.

Thankfully, she didn’t do that. Instead, Evie opened the door wide and stepped aside, giving him room to pass.

Beckett’s heart thumped hard with relief and…yeah, okay. He was man enough to admit it. Excitement. Not because he thought he was going to get lucky but because her silent invitation to join her in her room meant getting to spend more time with her.

So I enjoy just being with her. Sue me.

As he entered the room, however, his focus wasn’t on his own selfish desires, but rather Evie’s wellbeing and current state of mind. After all, that was the whole reason he was here.

“How did you know where I was staying?” The door behind him snicked shut before the beautiful woman turned to him once again.

Yeah…about that…

Silently praying she wouldn’t kick his ass right back out into the hallway, Beckett told her the truth. “After you texted earlier saying you’d landed and were checking into your hotel, I asked my team’s technical analyst to ping your phone.”

Her dark brows bunched together with a tilting of her head. “He can do that?”

“She, actually,” Beckett corrected with a lopsided grin. “And yeah. Shadow’s one of the best in the business. But I can assure you, she doesn’t make it a habit of invading people’s privacy.”

Not the innocent ones, anyway.

The guilty, well…that was another story.

“So let me get this straight. You had your team’s tech guru access the GPS on my phone, so you’d know which hotel I was staying at. Something I’m pretty sure is illegal, by the way. Then you dropped everything to hop on a plane and fly here from Charlotte, all because you were worried about me?”

“That pretty much sums it up, yeah.” Beckett shrugged. “Although hearing you say it out loud makes me realize how stalkerish it probably seems. In fact…” He turned and started for the door. “Just promise me you’re good, and I’ll call for a ride back to the airport and?—”

“Wait!” Evie grabbed hold of his forearm.

His gaze fell to her hand before lifting back up to meet hers. “Why? You need me to stick around and wait for the cops to come by and serve me with a restraining order?”

The lighthearted tease was awarded with the tiniest of grins. “I don’t want to get a restraining order against you, Beckett. And I don’t…” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t need you to leave.”

Thank God.

“No?” One of his brows arched playfully high.

Evie’s dark curls bounced with a shake of her head.

“What do you need?”

“This.”

She went to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his midsection. It took the span of a single heartbeat to process the fact that Evie wasn’t kicking his ass out. Instead…

She’s hugging me.

Beckett embraced her fully, holding her body flush with his. The woman clearly needed some serious comfort, and he was more than willing to give it.

“You okay?” he asked softly as he tucked her head beneath his chin.

The scent of strawberries enveloped him, and he had to fight the urge to sniff her silken hair.

“I will be.” Evie’s sweet voice was muffled. “But I’m better now that you’re here.”

His eyes fell shut as the tension in his neck and shoulders eased. Beckett rested his cheek on the top of her head, and for the first time since he’d last seen her, Beckett felt as though he could truly breathe.

“Does this mean you aren’t plannin’ on callin’ the cops?” he teased.

Her soft chuckle filled the air around them. “No cops.” Evie pulled away enough to look up at him. “It was really sweet of you to be worried. Although, I still can’t believe you came all this way just to check on me.”

“Like I said, I was worried.”

“But why?” Evie stared up at him as if he were a puzzle she was trying to solve. “I mean, I know we agreed to start seeing each other, but that conversation was just last night, so I?—”

“Darlin’, if you’re asking why I feel the need to protect you in every way I possibly can, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that.” Beckett reached up, tucking a few curled tendrils behind her ear. “What I can say is the thought of you hurting, physically or otherwise, tears into me like nothing ever has before.”

Evie’s gaze shimmered behind a well of unshed tears. “Beckett…”

“But if you don’t want to talk about it, I respect that, too. I just thought you might need to.”

“You have no idea.” She turned and began walking further into the room. “I just opened a bottle of wine. It’s a sweet red from room service. But if you prefer beer or soda or something?—”

“Wine’s fine.” He followed her steps.

“I hope the balcony’s okay. It’s such a nice day, and I thought some fresh air would do me some good.”

“Balcony’s perfect.”

But not as perfect as those mouthwatering curves of yours.

Speaking of curves…

Beckett’s dick twitched behind his zipper as focus lowered to her luscious ass. Evie wasn’t rail thin like some of the women he’d dated. She had that whole Marilyn Monroe hourglass thing going on, and those curves—in those tight, can’t-hide-a-thing leggings—made his fingers twitch and his mind race with thoughts of all the naughty things he wanted to do to her.

So many, many things.

“Make yourself at home.” Evie motioned toward the French doors leading to the balcony. “I’ll get you a glass and meet you out there.”

His attention snapped back up to where it belonged, and he quickly reminded himself of why he was here. He’d flown here to talk. Listen. Comfort.

Not ogle the woman’s luscious ass.

“Sounds great,” Beckett practically blurted.

Evie turned right and headed for the room’s small kitchenette area. He continued toward the French doors, unable to keep from stealing a final glimpse of her tempting backside as he walked past.

So very, very tempting.

Minutes later, the two were seated at the small patio set with their wine glasses in hand and a magnificent view of the Atlantic. A cool breeze blew past, carrying with it the calming scent of the salty sea air.

Beckett turned his head toward Evie, who was sitting in the cushioned chair to his right. She reached up to brush away some strands blowing in her face as she stared out onto the rolling waves.

Goddamn, she’s beautiful.

“He lied.” She didn’t take her eyes from the water.

“About not having a daughter? Yeah, sweetheart,” Beckett let the endearment slip. “I know.”

But a humorless chuckle shook her feminine shoulders. “Ironically, no. As it turns out, that part was actually true.”

What?

He frowned, shifting in his chair to face her more fully. “What do you mean, that part’s true?” When she didn’t respond right away, he prodded with a soft, “Evie?”

She turned to him, then. The sadness dimming the shine in her eyes breaking his fucking heart.

But by the time she was finished sharing the unbelievable tale of the bombs Phillip Mitchell had dropped at the poor woman’s feet—her mother’s affair, DNA tests, and a man so selfish he didn’t hesitate to wipe his hands of the child he’d spent three decades resenting—Beckett’s empathetic heartbreak had morphed into a burning, raging fury.

With a muttered curse, he shot up from his seat and stormed back into the room.

“What are you…” Evie was hot on his trail. “Where are you going?”

“I think it’s time Phillip Mitchell and I had a talk.”

“What? Beckett, no!”

“Sorry, darlin’. But this isn’t somethin’ I can just let go.”

She rushed past him before sliding directly into his path. “Yes.” She put a hand to his chest, forcing him to stop. “You can.”

“Evie—”

“Please, Beckett. I get that you’re trying to help, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means. But this isn’t your fight. And really, at this point, it’s not even a fight at all.”

“Like hell, it’s not.” His back teeth clenched together. “From what you’ve said that man—a man who should have loved, nourished, and protected you—made you feel as though you were a thorn in his side, rather than a daughter who simply wanted to be loved. Now, after learning those terrorist bastards failed to rid him of his burden, he drops this DNA bullshit on you and all but tells you to have a nice fucking life!”

Shaking his head in anger, Beckett reached back and began rubbing the tense muscles in his neck. God, he wanted to beat Phillip Mitchell’s ass. He would have thought Evie would want that, too.

But instead…

“What my fath…” she started, quickly correcting her mistake. “What Phillip did is unforgivable.”

“Which part?” he scoffed.

A sad smile lifted her ruby red lips as she let her hand fall back to her side.

“All of it,” Evie answered softly. “And trust me, if you’d shown up here a couple of hours ago, you would have found me in a puddle of tears. But once I got past the initial shock and overwhelming feelings of consternation and betrayal, I realized…it finally makes sense.”

The pain and rejection reflected in her glossy eyes tore at his very soul. But there was also a sliver of peace there. One Beckett hadn’t seen there before.

“What makes sense, sweetheart?”

“I’ve spent my entire life trying desperately to gain my father’s love and affection. But no matter what I did, no matter what I accomplished, it was never good enough. I was never good enough.” That sad smile of hers returned. “I got into three different Ivy League schools, you know? But even then, either my scores weren’t high enough or the comments from my essays and interviews weren’t positive enough. That’s when it finally hit me...it didn’t matter what I did, it would never be enough. I was never going to be good enough.”

“That’s when you decided to go into teaching,” he surmised.

Evie nodded. “And when I decided to follow my passion and teach in the public school system, rather than some hoity-toity private school run by politics and money, rather than the best interest of its students.”

“I’m happy as hell that you followed your dreams, but that doesn’t make me want to kick his ass any less.”

Her expression softened as she reached up, cupping one side of his rugged cheek. “No one understands that desire more than me. But don’t you see? This is actually a good thing.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Phillip didn’t spend my childhood treating me like I was a thorn in his side because of anything I did or didn’t do. And it wouldn’t have mattered what I did or where I worked or what country I chose to travel to. Nothing I ever do will make him love me because I’m not his.”

Understanding finally began to sink in. “You’re glad he’s not your biological father because that means his disdain had nothing to do with you.”

“Exactly!” Genuine relief shone behind her hazel gaze. “I’ve spent my entire life thinking I was a constant failure in that man’s eyes, when the truth is, he’ll never be able to love me because I’m?—”

“Another man’s child.”

She nodded again. “Does it hurt to know he’d just as soon see me dead than claim me as his own? Of course, it does.” A fresh set of unshed tears filled her round eyes. “But the way I see it, I have one of two choices. I could sit around mourning the loss of a man who’s done nothing but ridicule and lie to me, or I can see the situation for what it really is.”

“And what is it?”

“A chance to start over. To sever all ties without a stitch of guilt or obligation and live my life without fear of condescending lectures or rants designed to point out my many failures and disappointments.” Evie’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “I love that you want to defend my honor, Beckett?—”

“I can’t stand that he hurt you.”

“—but as much as I’d love to see you knock him on his pretentious ass, the fact that I’m not Phillip Mitchell’s biological daughter means I’m finally free. I can do what I want…” She inched her body closer to his. “With whomever I want. And there’s not a damn thing Phillip Mitchell can do about it.”

Beckett’s dick grew hard, and his heart felt like it would pound straight out of his chest. Unless he was reading Evie all wrong, the sexy brunette was coming on to him. And while he wanted nothing more than to strip her down and finally take what he’d been craving, his need to protect her—even from himself—was even stronger than his desire.

“I want you, darlin’,” he stated bluntly. “More than I’ve ever wanted anyone else.”

“But?”

Cradling her beautiful face with both his hands, Beckett held her stare and told her the truth. “You’ve had one helluva day,” he rumbled low. “The very last thing I’d ever want to do is take advantage of you or your situation.”

“And they say chivalry is dead,” Evie teased, her tempting breasts pressing against his chest. “Lucky for you, there’s nothing to take advantage of.”

“Evie…”

“I’m serious, Beckett. Have I had an emotional day? Sure. Will I still have moments of sadness or heartache along the way? Of course, I will. But am I such an emotional mess I can’t make thoughtful, rational decisions?” The curls gathered on top of her head swayed back and forth with a slow shake of her head. “I know exactly what I’m doing…” She lifted onto her tiptoes and feathered her lips along his. “And I know exactly who I’m doing it with.”

Beckett knew he should walk away right now, but his feet felt as if they were immersed in unbreakable concrete. Momentarily frozen in place, he couldn’t seem to do much of anything other than hold her close and lose himself in her soulful stare.

“I don’t ever want to hurt you,” he whispered the solemn vow.

“So don’t.”

“Evelynn—”

“You said you wanted me.” Her lips touched his again. “Did you mean that?”

“You know I did.”

Evie pressed her body impossibly closer to his. Her gaze became fixed with his, the heat there unmistakable. And as she pulled his bottom lip playfully between her teeth, she whispered back a taunting…

“Prove it.”