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Her beautiful eyes gleamed. She hugged the item to her chest, which happened to be covered withhisshirt. He stifled a moan.
“It’s a weighted blanket, Jaren.”
His eyes closed on that statement. He counted to ten and said a Hail Mary for control before opening them again. “You can’t do this, Trinny. You can’t just take matters into your own hands, even on something as small as ordering a blanket which I thought we agreed you don’t need because you have me.”
She stared at him.
“How am I supposed to keep you safe?”
“I need my sleep.”
He took a step toward her, shoving his body up against hers with the blanket crushed between them. “I repeat—you have me. You directly disobeyed my order to remain in the saferoom. And you ordered a blanket.”
“Why do I think you’re angrier that I won’t be needing your services now that I have a blanket than actually ordering said blanket?”
“Trinny,” he warned.
“Look, Jaren. Whatever this is”—she waved a hand between them—“it’s only temporary. I have nothing I was traveling with left except some things your brother’s fiancée was kind enough to give me. Now I have this.” She squeezed the blanket to her.
What was there left to say? Her logic might be illogical when it came to personal safety but it made perfect sense too. She had nothing. She’d ordered the blanket after hers blew up. The woman was just trying to find a place in this mean world.
He had to get to the bottom of her case, and soon. He didn’t trust that the spark of lust fueled by her ability to drive him crazy wasn’t going to morph into something much more.
Something more dangerous to his emotions.
ChapterTen
Slipping her boot into the stirrup felt like stepping over the threshold of her childhood home in upstate New York. Easing into the saddle was like crawling into her own bed.
Being on horseback settled her. Grounded her.
She needed both of those things because Jaren was having theexact oppositeeffect on her.
Ever since the package arrived the day before, he hadn’t stopped giving her that look. Maybe he didn’t understand she was just trying to keep her sanity in a world that no longer made sense.
She’d apologized one more time before going to bed—alone—with her weighted blanket. Only to find the lavender and twelve pounds of comfort didn’t offer the benefits she hoped for because her bodyguard slept feet away in the other room.
This morning she’d been too restless to settle down and paced the lodge four times before Jaren declared he was taking her for a trail ride.
August patted her mare’s flank, disrupting her thoughts. “She’ll be a good girl for your trail ride.”
“Thank you, August.” She smiled at him, aware of Jaren launching his big, muscled body on top of his own horse.
A shiver rippled through her. Just the sight of him in a saddle had her pulse racing and her pussy tightening. When he didn’t come to her bed, she missed him. A lot.
Cocking a brow at her, Jaren murmured, “Ready?”
Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t talking about a ride on some private trail into the mountains?
Uncertain what she was agreeing she was ready for, she gave him a nod. He clicked softly to set his horse in motion and she followed.
August held up a hand in farewell, and she waved back. As they crossed the field headed toward a break in the trees, she focused on her surroundings. All the things she adored in life were here in this place, on the back of an animal she loved with the sun on her face and the rustle of leather and harness in her ears.
That didn’t mean it was a good reason for her to stay in Stone Pass. Eventually, she had to go back to her old life and face reality.
Plenty of things unsettled her about being here too.
AKA Jaren.
