AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Shut the door.”
Oh, no no no. Not likely. The last thing I want is to be enclosed in a room with him alone. If he thought my freak-out was bad yesterday, he hasn’t seen anything yet.
“I’d rather leave it open,” I mumble, and shuffle my feet.
“Bailey, I’m not going to hurt you. Closing the door is just as much for your benefit as it is mine. I’m sure you don’t want what I have to say to be overheard by anyone.” His voice is calm and quiet, like he’s afraid of spooking me.
“I’d still prefer to leave it open. Please,” I whisper, looking down at my shoes. I really don’t want to look into his eyes. His eyes always tend to draw me in, and I can’t look away. They really are the most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Angel, look at me.”
I snap my head up at the endearment. No one has ever given me a special name before. “Pet” was what Steven called me, but I don’t consider it an endearment. It was fitting, because I felt like a caged animal while I was with him. I hated it when he called me pet.
The way Jaxon called me angel though, is nice. Really nice. And, of course, I make the mistake of looking into his eyes. Those gorgeous and unique eyes. I’m utterly transfixed. Currently, they’re watching me with an intensity that should scare me, but doesn’t. I’m too busy becoming lost in his gaze to feel anything other than wonder.
“What happened to you?” he asks in a deep, rumbling voice.
His question knocks me back to reality. No way can I tell him the truth. I already know that I’m weak, and I’m sure he suspects it, too. I don’t want to confirm it for him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, looking away from him again.
“Eyes to me, Bailey.”
I reluctantly pull my eyes back to him.
“Don’t give me this shit about nothing happening to you. I know something did. It’s written all over your face.” I suck in a sharp breath at his rude and hurtful comment. I can’t believe he went there.
He continues as if he’s read my thoughts. “And no, I’m not talking about the scar you try so hard to hide.” He points to said scar. “I’m talking about the constant fear I see behind your eyes. You’re running from something, and I want to know what it is.”
Well, too bad, buddy boy, I say in my head. Out loud, I plead, “Please Jaxon, can’t you just leave it alone? It’s my problem, and I’m trying to deal with it. I came to this town hoping for some peace.”
Jaxon stands and takes a slow step toward me. I hold my place, trying my hardest not to cower in front of him. Eventually, I need to grow a pair and learn how to stand my ground.
“Why are you sleeping in your car, angel?” His voice is soft, as if he’s talking to a scared child.
“How—how do you know about that?” I ask in a small voice.
“Anna called me this afternoon. She said she heard you screaming in your car, that you were asleep and had a nightmare.” His eyes are assessing me, looking to see if I reveal anything.
Damn, Anna.
For lack of a good excuse, I give him the same truth as I gave Anna.
“Well, um, I don’t have the cash right now to rent anything. I was hoping to get enough tips soon from this job and find a cheap place to stay. It’s no big deal; I’ll be okay in my car for a few days.”
He barks out a harsh laugh, and I wonder what he finds funny. Certainly he’s not laughing at me because I have to sleep in my car. That would be cruel. Jaxon doesn’t seem like the type to be intentionally cruel.
His laughter dies down and he takes another step toward me. “You’ll be fine sleeping in your car, huh?”
“Yes?” It comes out more of a question than an answer; I’m not sure where he’s going with this.
“And what happens when one of those drunk guys out there stumbles across you sleeping helplessly in your car?” His jaw goes rigid with his question.
“I always lock my doors, so nothing will happen,” I tell him, but the thought of it has my imagination running wild. Oh God, what if they somehow manage to get in my car?
Jaxon voices my concerns. “Seriously, angel, use your head. Do you really think a car door lock will keep a drunk and horny guy away from something he wants?”
Oh.
