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She looked up and saw him across the bed from her.
He spoke again. "I can't imagine what it's like missing a chunk of time like that." Jacob shook his head as he leaned over to put the corner of the sheet over the top corner of the mattress. "I know how much you manage to fit into a day. I bet you do hand-over-fist more work than the other transcriptionists in the records department."
Hearing his words made her smile.
She turned around to grab the pillowcases from the top of the chest of draws near the door. When she turned back around, she saw that he had his arm held out toward her.
Molly tossed one of the pillowcases to him, grinning even more when he caught it in midair. "I take pride in my work."
"I know you do." He lifted the pillow from the bed and held it awkwardly against his chest as he wrestled the pillowcase over it. "You're incredible. Walker's threatened to find a way to switch with me. I told him he'd get you over my cold, dead body."
He was smiling and even chuckling at his joke, but his words put a visual in her head that she wanted to forget.
Her hands were cold, her fingers stiffening at that disturbing thought.
"Hey."
She heard him call to her, but she pretended that she was too busy with stuffing the pillow into the pillowcase to notice.
"Hey, Molly." She heard him sigh and she dipped her chin down a little more. "Mol. Please. I didn't mean it like that."
Her head snapped up and while she saw the concern in his eyes, it only brought the image in her head into sharper focus.
"I know you didn't mean anything by it. You've never been mean or harsh with me. I just need you to understand that I'm not asking you to protect me." Her throat was scratchy and painful as she fought away the nightmare in her head. "The last thing I want to happen is you getting hurt trying to protect me."
He dropped the half-stuffed pillow on the bed and made his way around to her side.
Molly finished inserting the pillow by gripping the hem of the pillowcase and giving it a good shake.
Jacob reached her side at that moment and pulled the pillow out of her hands and tossed it down on the floor.
"Jacob!" She turned her head to see where it had landed. "It's on the floor!"
"Forget the pillow." He waved off her concern and sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her toward him. "I need you to understand something."
She felt as though she was standing on the edge of a cliff and the only things keeping her on solid ground were the hands he put on her hips, anchoring her.
"I don't care if things get dangerous." He shook his head. "No, I do. Because the last thing I want is you in danger. I'm talking about worst-case scenario here, Mol. If they come after you. I'm going to do anything and everything to keep you safe. I don't care who I have to-"
"You don't have to hurt anyone. That's what I'm saying, Jacob. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt if someone does come after me. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you just to save me."
Jacob shot to his feet and instead of stumbling back, she felt his arms reach around her and pull her flush with his chest.
His chest and his... oh wow.
He was hard.
He was hard down there, and every inch of her body ached and heated up just being that close to him.
Jacob gave her a hard look and his hands... his fingers gripped her butt and pulled her closer.
"I've never," his voice was thick and deep and gravely, "never wanted to hurt someone before, Molly. But if someone comes after you and tries to hurt you, I wouldn't hesitate to kill them."
She must be asleep. Maybe even dreaming if she only counted the parts where Jacob Rafferty had his arms around her and lips on hers.
But his lips weren't on hers.
Well, she could fix that.
