“Two minutes!” I hollered, hoping he could hear me from the porch. “Just give me two minutes!”
I raced to the bathroom, did my business, scrubbed my teeth for a brisk thirty seconds, and didn’t bother with my hair because as it so happened, I had the kind of wave that looked hot rumpled.
When I opened the door again, Jeremiah was right where I had left him, only now with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his lips. I smiled brightly. “Good morning.”
His scowl deepened. “The day is half gone. I didn’t see you when I came by this morning, and Amos said you never showed up at the kitchen. Randy said you weren’t at breakfast with the other guests, either.”
I cocked my hip against the door jam, one ankle crossed over the other, and folded my arms. “Aw, that’s sweet. Were you worried about me, caveman?”
My words hung in the air. Jeremiah studied me calmly as the silence stretched a beat past comfortable. “Are you feeling all right, Lennon? No fever, upset stomach, anything like that?” His tone was as placid as a summer lake under a cloudless blue sky.
It made me nervous.
“No, I’m not sick.”
“How about your mental health? You doing okay there? Anxiety, emotional distress, that sort of thing?”
I stared at him.Yes, not having your dick inside me has caused me immense emotional distress, thank you for asking. I am in agony. But I would sooner move back home with my mother than tell Jeremiah Bell that pining for his dick had kept me up last night.
“What an odd question,” I said sweetly, and then left it unanswered.
“So you’re fine?” he pressed. “Physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy?”
“I’m right as rain,” I chirped, and then winced internally. Who the hellsaidshit like that? Not the mentally healthy, that was for damn sure.
“Good. That means I can yell at you without feeling bad about it.”
My spine snapped straight and my mouth dropped open. “What?—”
“Yes, Lennon, I was fucking worried about you.” His voice rose with every word. All pretense of calm was gone. Thick tendons in his throat popped out as he loomed over me, jaw ticcing.
“I was fine!”
“No one knew where you were. The last time we didn’t know where someone was, he drove off a cliff. I didn’t know if you were hurt or sick or just gone.” He put a hand to my belly and moved me backwards into the cabin, then kicked the door shut behind him.
Holy shit, he was really worried about me? My breath stuttered. No one had ever worried about me before. People enjoyed my company, and I liked to think they missed me when I wasn’t around. But no one had ever claimed responsibility for me like that. I took care of myself. Always.
But Jeremiah…he acted like I was his to keep safe. He had been taking care of me since the day I got here. Protecting me from the cold and rain and cowboys intent on making me bleed.
“I’m sorry.” I swallowed past the gravel in my throat. “I didn’t mean to make anyone worry about me. I didn’t know anyone cared.”
“I care. More than I should.” He lifted my chin with his fist, his thumb tracing my jaw. “What are you doing here, Lennon? I need to know.”
My brows pinched in confusion. But before I could ask him what he meant by that, I heard the swish of paper gliding against the wooden floor. The smell hit the back of my throat and I gagged.
I was dimly aware that Jeremiah was no longer touching me. He stooped to pick it up, then opened the door and peered out. My knees shook.
“No one is there. What is this? Is this for you?”
My hand twitched at my side, but my limbs were lead, too heavy to lift. I tried to breathe, but every breath brought in that same smell.
Vanilla and citrus.
19
JEREMIAH
“Slow,deep breaths through your nose, honey.” With her back to my chest, I eased us both down the cabin wall until our butts met the floor, keeping her wedged between my thighs.
