Page 19 of Take

He raised his brows and looked down at the bulge between his legs. I rolled my eyes and he laughed, a sound which made my insides light up like I swallowed a flare. He nodded to the leather saddlebag. “Jeans and a shirt in the bag. And a sweet-ass pair of red panties.” My mouth dropped open. “You have one hell of a panty drawer.”

What? “What?” I dove for the bag and sifted through his clothes and there at the bottom, I caught the flash of red. I yanked my panties out then my jeans and t-shirt. By the time I stood up straight, my clothes in my hand, I was seething. “You had clothes for me?”

“Guess you’re not going to thank me for taking the time to grab a couple things for you.”

“When?”

“When what?”

I stomped my foot and that pissed me off because I didn’t stomp or get angry or become flustered and I was all of the above. “You know damn well what I’m asking.”

Jasper snagged me around the waist and brought me into him. I landed hard against his thigh, my hands going to his chest with my clothes the only thing separating us. “Babe, you and me . . . it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. Grabbed a few of your things when you were out in the garden a few days ago just in case shit went bad. Then shit went bad and I had to get you out of there.” He tugged me closer and his knee went between my legs. My breath locked in my throat. “Now, angel, you want to get changed or stand here talking about how I got your clothes because I need coffee.”

The fastest way to get him to release me was to agree with whatever he said. “Yes.”

His fingers curled into my waist. “Yes what, sunshine?”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling as I said, “Yes, sir.”

His brows lowered and his lips pursed together, just like I knew would happen. Then he shook his head and chuckled; the vibration sent my insides haywire. “Fuck, you’re cute when you try to piss me off.” He slapped my ass and I jerked away, staggering back a couple steps then darting for the motel room. I expected his laughter to follow, but it didn’t.

When I came back outside dressed in my clothes, I didn’t even look at him as I threw my leg over the back of the bike. This time, I wasn’t going to hold onto him no matter how fast he went or how sharp he took the corners. I’d rather become road kill. I grabbed the sissy bar behind me and Jasper didn’t say anything as he took off.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled into a cute roadside restaurant, venta, with large bay windows and orange stucco walls. It was called Medina’s and it was packed.

We found a booth and I noticed Jasper scan the place as if he was expecting one of the customers to pull out a gun and start shooting. Jasper ordered two black coffees, churros, sweet rolls and rye toast with butter. I was more of a coffee and toast breakfast person, but suddenly, I was starving with the smell of sweet pastries wafting around me.

The waitress brought over the carafe and poured us each coffee. I noticed she poured Jasper’s slower while her eyes kept flickering up from beneath her mascara-caked lashes to look at him. The girl was cute, with a short brunette bob and bright blue eyes. She also looked young, not that it would matter to Jasper.

I grasped my coffee and curled my hands around the mug. “Who is paying you to protect me?”

Jasper ignored the girl who was desperately trying to get his attention by leaning over the table and placing napkins near the opposite end of the table. I rolled my eyes and blurted. “Thanks. We’re good now.” The waitress straightened abruptly, looked at me briefly and walked away.

“Adrian.”

“Is he a Scar?”

“Yep.” He lifted his coffee and I watched his lips curl around the edge of the mug then his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed.

“Why does he care if I live?”

He hesitated then said, “He doesn’t exactly.”

“What does that mean? Why would he hire you to protect me then? And I don’t understand why Xamien wouldn’t.”

Jasper set his coffee down, stretched his legs out to the side and crossed his ankles. “A lot of questions for a chick who doesn’t like to talk.”

I hated talking. Worse was talking and asking questions to a guy who was being cagey. It was like prying open the mouth of an alligator. Then sticking your head inside and waiting for it to snap closed on the answer you didn’t want to hear. “Why are you being evasive?”

“Not my job to give you answers, babe.”

Fine, he didn’t want to give answers then I was leaving. Well, not really as I had nowhere to go and no vehicle, but I wanted answers and Jasper had them—or at least a few. I was halfway to my feet, when Jasper’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

“Sit. Now.”

I didn’t.

His grip tightened. “Not playing here. We cause a scene—and babe, I will cause a fuckin’ scene if that’s what it takes to stop you from walking out—then whoever is after you will have a lead on which way we’re traveling.” He nodded to the patrons. “You think these people won’t talk about the guy and the girl who caused a disturbance at Medina’s?”

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