Free Matt Archer: Blade's Edge by Kendra C. Highley

everything imaginable. Even caviar. Not that we’d eat that stuff.
    Millicent beamed when we arrived, hurrying to pour milk for us. “Good to see you, Mr. Matthew.”
    No matter how many times I asked, she wouldn’t drop the “mister” bit. So I played along. “You, too, Miss Millicent. Cookies smell great.”
    After a half-dozen cookies and two glasses of milk apiece, she seemed satisfied that we wouldn’t starve in the next hour and let us go back upstairs. As he restarted our game, Will asked, “So, you seeing Ella tonight?”
    “Yeah, she’s coming over at five to pick me up.” My heart raced at the thought of seeing her. “She has a ‘surprise’ for me.”
    “What’s that mean, do you think?” Will asked casually, but I could tell he really wanted to know.
    “No idea.” I tried to concentrate on the game, but ended up getting killed twice as wild thoughts ran through my head.
    Will waggled his eyebrows. “You know, I can’t be the only one who’s seen some action. Maybe this is it.”
    “Hey, I already told you this wasn’t a race, stupid. Just because you hooked up with two girls in less than four months doesn’t mean the rest of us have,” I said. First Murphy, and now Will. Would they ever shut up?
    “But you’re still in play. I’m between girlfriends; gotta start from scratch.” Will heaved a pathetic sigh. “You, on the other hand, need to get busy.”
    “Tell me something I don’t know,” I muttered.

Chapter Eight
    F reshly showered, shaved, and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved polo, I waited by the front door. At exactly five, Ella pulled into my driveway in a brand-new, silver Mazda.
    Ah, so that was the surprise—a car. Not quite as much fun as I had in mind, but still pretty cool. And what was it with everyone getting cars for Christmas while I was gone? Well, now that Mom knew, maybe I should use my Army money to buy one.
    Ella hopped out with an excited grin on her face. Even bundled up in her ski jacket, she still looked amazing: fair skin with a smattering of freckles I liked to count, green eyes that could hold me hypnotized, and strong, long legs in a pair of skinny jeans that fit in all the right places. All that and she could kick Will’s butt at air hockey, too. My pulse sped up some. How’d I get so lucky?
    “What do you think of the car?” she called, hurrying up the sidewalk. “Mom and Dad gave it to me while you were gone.”
    “It’s great.” I wrapped my arms around her and buried my nose in her auburn hair. That’s how I knew for sure I was home—the scent of vanilla shampoo.
    She pulled away and touched my cheek. “Your poor face. Looks like you had a rough trip.”
    I stood still, heart pounding like crazy, while she kissed all my bruises to make them better. She wasn’t making a fuss about the injuries. Good. If I could keep the stitches under wraps, I’d be golden. If she found those, though, I’d have to spend half an hour convincing her I wasn’t taking too many risks and that’s not how I hoped to spend the evening.
    When she was done kissing my face, she led me to her car, saying, “C’mon. I have something to show you.”
    “What?” I asked.
    She grinned and didn’t answer.
    “O-kay...tell me about your week, then,” I said, wondering what this was all about. “Did you have fun skiing?”
    “Yeah, we had fun. Tasha and Marin and I…”
    While Ella filled me in about a ski trip with her girlfriends, I watched her talk. I could hear the words she said, digested them even, but just being close to her occupied most of my attention. Yep, I was totally wrapped around her pinkie. She might as well take me shopping and make me hold her purse while she tried on clothes. I’d do it, too. Gladly—no shame.
    Well, maybe a little shame.
    “What?” she asked, giving me an amused glance at a stoplight. “You’re staring again.”
    “Uh, sorry,” I said. Dang it—no matter how hard I tried, I always ended up acting like a dork