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I gazed longingly at the gorgeous four-poster bed with sheers draped at the corners. This was one piece I’d love to have in my bedroom at home. With a running leap, I tossed myself onto the bed and let out a peel of laughter at my childishness. I gripped the cool, cream blanket and let it slide between my fingers. The fabric was the softest I’d ever felt, and the mattress was perfect. I sunk in just enough, but not too much.
A huge smile stretched across my face. I should look at the next few days as a vacation at a fancy resort. Not the home of my long-time crush and boss.
My eyes gravitated to the ceiling above me as I rolled to my back. A stunning light fixture hung in the middle of the room. The roughly hued golden arms started in the middle and curved up and out like tiny tree branches with lights and crystals scattered throughout the one-of-a-kind piece.
I bit my lip, wondering how long I’d be here. The space was beautiful, luxurious, but not a place I’d like to live for an extended period of time. The lack of color reminded me how much I missed my own house filled with jeweled tones. Just looking at those colors made me happy.
Jareth cleared his throat.
I popped my head up from the bed. Heat filled my cheeks as I realized how silly I must look. I’m sure my behavior was another reason he’d tell himself we were incompatible. My ability to be happy was in direct contrast to his grumpy self.
“Hey,” I said, sweeping my hair off my face and struggling to sit upright as the bed hugged my body. I tugged on the hem of my sweatshirt. It had risen to show off my stomach, and had tightened against my chest.
His dark gaze swept over me, his pupils dilated just a fraction before he turned away and strode two steps toward a closed door I hadn’t noticed. His fingers curled around the knob, an act that shouldn’t have been sensual but immediately had me wondering how his hand would feel curved around me.
I huffed in frustration. I needed to stop these thoughts or this was going to be a long week.
A light immediately turned on inside a closet that had to be bigger than my small second bedroom at home. It shone brightly on the vast amount of clothing hung on the racks inside and sparkled off the beveled edges of the full-length mirror against the far wall.
“I thought you might like to see if any of these clothes are to your liking.” He seemed pleased with his announcement.
I blinked a few times. Was he giving me clothes? Excitement bubbled up inside my chest. I slid off the bed and took a few steps toward him, suddenly coming to an abrupt stop. I’d just found out my home wasn’t habitable. There was no way Jareth could have purchased these for me so soon.
My exuberance disappeared, only to be replaced with a stomach ache. Had these belonged to someone else? Maybe a previous girlfriend or hookup? God, if that was the case, then those clothes would never fit my plus-size body.
“I doubt they’d fit me.” I edged closer to the hallway, wanting to get out of there before I became emotional over the fact that he tried to pawn off another woman’s clothes on me.
“Why would they not fit you?” He frowned.
I froze in place at his hardened gaze. “Well, I’m not exactly the size of the women you date. Which is fine. I can find a way to get clothes, or maybe the Wolfe’s will let me in to get a few things at my place.”
His frown deepened. “You will do nothing of the sort, Hazel. I forbid you from entering your home while it’s under construction. If you don’t care about your safety, someone else has to.”
My eyes widened a second before they narrowed. It didn’t matter that his domineering attitude had my lady bits dancing a jig. He didn’t have the right to tell me what to do. I stomped over to him, my finger poking into his hard chest. “Now you listen to me. It’s not your job to tell me what to do. We’re not at work.” I drew in a deep breath and forced out the next words. “I’m not about to humiliate myself by trying on the clothes you provided to your one-night stand or whoever these belonged to.”
A booming laugh fell from his mouth, which only irritated me further.
“Don’t laugh at me. I’m being serious,” I growled at him.
His hand wrapped around mine, pulling it away from his chest. I fought a shiver as a zing of desire speared through me at his touch. “I’m not laughing at you, Hazel. I would never. These are for you.” I’d rarely had the chance to see him so carefree, without the walls of solitude he wrapped tightly around him. He almost seemed younger than his thirty-eight years with the smile stretched across his face.
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
He laced his fingers between mine and tugged me further into the closet. “I asked Jess to create a wardrobe for you.”
I swallowed hard. He was being so incredible, so selfless, and I struggled to process this side of him. It gave me hope that I was getting through that tough exterior. “Why would you do that?”
He shifted his gaze from me momentarily, as though gathering his thoughts, before turning back to me. His hesitation was so unlike the confident man I knew. “Why not? You needed clothes, and I could get them for you.”
Interesting. His evasive answer told me he was quickly putting his walls back into place and I didn’t want that. I squeezed his hand, grateful he hadn’t let go just yet. I wanted to enjoy the feel of our skin pressed together for a little longer. “This is more than a few days of clothes. This whole closet probably equals the value of my house.”
“I’m sure that’s unlikely. If you don’t like any of it, we can get something else.” He dropped my hand and let his fall by his side. His face remained expressionless, yet his fingers tensed and clenched as he said those words.
I reached up to place my hand flat against the crisp button down shirt beneath his suit jacket. I hated that I loved to touch him and fought my desire to flick open each button to press gentle kisses against his chest. Unexpectedly, he leaned the slightest bit into my touch. My next breath came out a little shaky when his fingertips lightly traced my jaw. I wanted to beg him for more.
My eyes searched his, trying to find something in them to tell me why he’d gone to so much trouble. Emotions flickered through his brown eyes so fast until he finally landed on one I hadn’t seen him express before. Was he nervous about my reaction to the clothes? This man, usually so closed off, was unknowingly showing his hand.
I decided to tread lightly. “Jareth, I’m sure everything here is beautiful, and I appreciate you doing this. Truly.”
