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His eyes locked on mine as if he were trying to read my mind. The intensity made my cheeks flame and I had to look away. My gaze flitted down to the strong column of his neck, fixated on the pulse pounding there. Had he been nervous about my fall? My traitorous heart desperately wanted him to look at me for a reason other than concern for my health.
“I’m okay.” I wanted to wrap my arms around him and reassure him there was nothing wrong. But I couldn’t. He wouldn’t appreciate a hug from me, and there was still the matter of being stuck under the blankets… blankets I wished he was tangled in with me.
His eyes swept the room again. “And no one was in here with you?”
I blinked a few times working to get my brain to process what he said. “Are you asking if I had someone stay the night?” Did he really think I’d do that? In his home?
Anger buzzed underneath the surface of my skin, burning through any lingering desire. “What the heck, Jareth. I can’t believe you said that.”
He rubbed his fingertips across his brow. With a slight shake of his head, he met my gaze. “I don’t know what came over me. That wasn’t an appropriate question. I’m sorry, Hazel.”
I decided to lay it out there and stop tip-toeing around the problem. I narrowed my gaze at him and pushed all the courage I had into my voice. “You were jealous.”
“Jealous? Of what?” His nonchalant voice had me catch my breath. The pain at his words really and truly sucked, but this is what he did. He pushed me away when I got too close.
“Jealous that I had another man in here and we were having sex,” I said. My tone firm, my gaze challenging him to deny what I said.
“Now, Hazel?—”
“No,” I snapped, cursing this stupid blanket that was creating a mummy effect on me. It made showing I was mad really difficult. I couldn’t help it that when I was angry my arms and hands went flying as though to accentuate just how angry I was or that I spoke faster and louder. “When are you going to admit there’s something between us?”
His eyes darkened and a sad look settled there. “You’re better off without me in your life.”
I ignored his stupid words. “You’re not disputing what I said. Shouldn’t that mean something?” I wanted to shake some sense into him.
He let out a breath while his fingertips brushed along my cheek. “You are far too young and sweet for the likes of me. Find someone who can shine as brightly as you and will treat you like a queen.”
I leaned my head into his palm as it cupped my cheek. “You are far brighter than you realize and you would treat me better than anyone.”
“I’m too old to change my ways.” He spoke like he was twenty years older than his thirty-eight. “I can’t give up on finding out who killed my father. And you deserve more than being dragged into whatever that looks like.”
“Jareth, when you care about someone you want to be there for them when things get hard.” Why didn’t he see that even if there was some danger in him looking into his father’s death that he’d keep me safe. I knew he would.
He didn’t bother to answer. Instead he fixed his gaze to my mummy-like outfit. His hand dropped to the tangled blankets bunched up around my neck and shoulders. He was going to try and help unwrap me.
I squeaked and ineffectively batted at his hands. There was no way this was going to end well if he succeeded in his mission. “I can do it.” I squirmed in his grasp.
His fingers brushed down the soft skin of my shoulder as the blanket became unraveled. I shivered as it came into contact with the thin strap that slowly fell down my arm. And when his fingers traced the smattering of freckles I wanted to beg him to keep going. To recognize this moment and realize it could be one of many.
His breath caught as he leaned in. My overly excited imagination wondered if he’d lick the spot his hand had just been. I tilted my body toward him, knowing I was all in on anything he wanted to do.
Wanting him was the easy part. The nerves about where this might be going had me biting my lip and tugging at the short babydoll pajama top Jess had left for me. My hands shook within the cocoon of the blankets wanting so badly to touch him. To show him if not with my words, at least with my actions that I wanted this with him. His breath feathered against my shoulder and a soft moan left my mouth.
Immediately I regretted making a sound. He blinked and cleared his throat.
I wanted to groan in frustration as the haze of desire that filled his eyes slowly receded. I had to look away at the regret that settled on his face, and in the flash of his gaze, that was the worst part. The regret. As nervous as I was, I regretted nothing.
He leaned back on his heels to likely create more distance between us. And even as hurt as I was at another rejection, I noticed the slight frown on his lips. Not his usual ‘I hate all things, most people are stupid’ one. This had an undernote of disappointment.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of what was happening between us, or maybe it was because he kept stopping himself from moving forward with our relationship. My eternal sense of hope made me believe that maybe he was disappointed because he wanted me but believed he could never have me.
I took a deep breath. “I can get myself out of this. Thanks, Jareth.” My voice had this breathy whisper to it that seemed to snag his attention.
“Nonsense. You can barely move. How in the hell did you manage this?” He growled and tugged harder on the blanket. Even all scowly he looked sexy.
Crap! As the blankets loosened further, I realized he was about to see the barely there pajamas I’d worn to bed. Little did he know Jess really had procured everything I needed and then some. A thought fluttered through my mind. Maybe I could use this to my advantage.
“I can figure it out myself.” He needed to let me do this. How could I seduce him when he was becoming all matter-of-fact about how to free me from this tangled mess?
