Page 23 of Take

I ignored him and grabbed the bag, stood and threw it over my shoulder. I’d never cared about my looks before, but now I was running my fingers through my tangled hair that had become a bird’s nest after riding for hours on the back of his bike. Juliana had her hair done, make-up perfectly drawn and she was wearing a cute pair of beige shorts and a button-down white blouse that was tied at the waist to show off her tanned stomach.

The screen door creaked open again. “Angel,” Jasper yelled. He scowled when he glanced at the bag and waited while I walked across the yard. I avoided looking at him as I slid by him. He took the bag off my shoulder then stopped me by snagging my hand. He pulled me into him, so my back was snug against his chest. “Julianna and I . . .” He stopped and a tremor erupted in his chest as he growled.

I had no qualms about finishing what he was about to say. “Have fucked? No need to explain. I really don’t care.” The words were ground out even though I tried my best to hide my anger. Jesus, why was I angry? I should be happy he was getting laid. Then he’d leave me the hell alone.

He leaned in and lowered his voice, his lips next to my ear. “You sure about that?” His arm around my waist squeezed and I dug my fingernails into the back of his hand as hard as I could.

He abruptly let me go and I turned around and waited until his eyes were on mine before I mimicked Julianna’s lip action, the slow glide of my tongue wetting my lower lip. “Yes, sir. I’m sure.”

His jaw clenched and the confident smirk erased as his lips pressed together. “Careful,” he murmured.

I knew I was playing with a dangerous man, but I was tired of being careful and Jasper unleashed my recklessness. I inhaled his scent and it felt as if a latch lifted and I could finally take a deep breath. I smiled and he scowled.

I heard footsteps and looked past him into Julianna’s quaint house. She stood on the oak staircase watching us and with her thin red lips pursed and her nails digging into the handrail, she looked like one pissed-off cat with its hackles up.

I didn’t know why I did it, maybe because Jasper was opening up a part of me I didn’t understand. But something rose inside me and it was spiteful. I considered myself clever, calm, sane . . . until this moment.

I stepped closer to Jasper and put my hand on the waistband of his jeans right at the button then fiddled with it, making sure my fingers brushed against his abdomen. His body tensed and I could feel his eyes driving into me, but I kept my head lowered.

Then when I thought he might crack and grab my wrist and yank me away, I slipped my hand lower over the straining bulge. Shivers immediately flowed through my body, but it wasn’t cold shivers; it was sparks of fire. The touch of him beneath my hand was magnetic and it took me a second to get control of my expression before I peered up over my shoulder at Julianna.

She had no idea what I was doing with my hand as I stroked up and down then gently squeezed. And that did it. Jasper roughly latched onto my wrist and yanked my hand away.

And this was the stupidity part. I shouldn’t have looked up at him—I did. And what I saw was a blazing, heated look in his eyes that was anger and desire all rolled into one.

I wanted him to throw me against the wall and fuck me right there. I didn’t even care that Julianna would see it happen. Shit, I wanted her to.

Get control of yourself, Max.I was slipping, but for once, I wanted Jasper to be the one out of control.

I forced a smile then leaned in close, went on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Who am I to you?” I knew my question could be taken in two different ways and I was no seductress; actually, I’d never seduced a man in my life.

Jasper wasn’t smiling. He looked pissed off. “Don’t fuck with me, Max. You’re nothing to me except a job.”

It was cruel, harsh, but what had I expected? “Not what I was asking.” His hands settled on my waist and I tried like hell to keep my breath steady. “I meant who am I to you. As in what does the sex goddess over there know?”

Jasper’s brows lifted and his hands rose a little higher so that his thumbs rested just under my breasts. He leaned in and whispered, “My sister.”

I huffed. “She’ll never believe that.”

“I don’t give a fuck what she believes. She’ll accept whatever I tell her.” Then his hands dropped from me and he turned and walked to Julianna and looped his arm around her waist. “Anything to eat, Jules?”

Her laugh sent a shrill down my spine and the cold ice wall slammed shut over my emotions. They walked toward the kitchen arm in arm; Julianna leaned over as if to nibble on his ear and I saw him pull away from her, but then she said something and he chuckled.

I hated him.

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