Page 49 of Girl Betrayed

“I’m afraid to say what I want out loud.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved, Jake. And if I lost you …” She exhaled and swiped angrily at the tears threatening her eyes. “I won’t put how I feel out into the universe just to have it taken away.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You can’t guarantee that. Claire, our jobs, there’s so many reasons this might not work.”

“Yeah, but there’s one big reason why it might.” Jake moved closer, circling his arms around her waist, and gazed down into her eyes. “Dana, do you want to be with me?”

More than anything!The words clawed at her throat desperate to get out, but Dana forced herself to swallow them down. She blinked back her tears and stared directly into Jake’s all-consuming blue eyes, willing him to understand her. “When I give you my answer, I want it to be with no strings, no pause buttons, no one weighing in but us.” She pressed her hand to his chest, letting his warmth steady her. “Jake, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I think this is worth the wait.”

He closed his eyes and bowed his head, letting his forehead rest against hers. He inhaled deeply, like he was breathing instrength. When he opened his eyes, his calm had returned. “Iknowthis is worth the wait.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, that cocky grin of his returning. “And, sweetheart, the universe doesn’t decide if we work, we do. And as long as we both want the same thing; I can wait as long as it takes.”

33

Jake wipedthe sweat from his brow as he jogged up Dana’s front steps. He was winded after his run, but he’d needed an outlet to expel his pent-up energy after spending last night pretending it didn’t kill him to sit in Dana’s bedroom doing nothing but talking.

Concocting a plan to deal with Claire was necessary, but after getting Dana as close as she’d ever been to admitting her feelings, it wasn’t exactly the homecoming Jake had envisioned when he’d first hopped off his flight from Nevada. He certainly wouldn’t have predicted their first sleepless night together would’ve been so PG.

Well, there had been thatoneNC17 moment at the end.

Jake forced himself not to think about how good Dana tasted in that stolen moment last night. She’d told him good night and made it as far as the bedroom door before turning back and pinning him with those big brown eyes of hers. Jake didn’t know who crossed the room first, but Dana was in his arms, kissing him like she’d rather drown than come up for air.

When she finally pulled away, she grinned. “I figured I’d give you something to make the wait worthwhile.” Then she sauntered out the door ensuring Jake wouldn’t get a lick of sleep.

One minute the woman was shutting him down, the next she was curling his toes. Jake didn’t know when she’d be ready to hit the un-pause button, but he was sure as hell of one thing. Dana Gray was going to be the ride of his life.

He stopped his mind from wandering, knowing he’d need to tack on another mile to his already strenuous morning routine if he didn’t. He reminded himself Dana could’ve shut him down completely last night when he put her on the spot, so he was willing to take the win for the moment.

When he opened Dana’s door he couldn’t help grinning at the warm scene. The inviting aroma of coffee filled the air as Dana and Claire poured over a laptop at her kitchen counter. Claire wore Dana’s oversized Ghostbusters tee, her black hair plaited in two perfect braids, cat eye glasses perched on her nose. Dana was still in her clothes from last night, her wild mane of brown hair piled on top of her head, betraying her night had been at least as sleepless as Jake’s. She yawned, then took a sip from her favorite turquoise teacup as she looked over Claire’s shoulder.

Jake wanted to walk up behind her and wrap his arms around her, sexy bed head and all. But even from where he stood in the foyer, just being there, knowing the two people he cared about most in the world were safe and happy … it was enough to keep a man idling on pause forever.

“Morning,” Jake said, joining the happy scene in the kitchen.

“Morning,” Dana greeted, color creeping into her cheeks.

“I hear we’re stuck with you,” Claire teased when Jake pulled up a chair.

He raised his eyebrows and took a swig from his water bottle. “Says who?”

“I filled her in on our idea,” Dana added.

“Oh yeah? And you’re okay with that?” Jake asked.

Claire nodded. “It makes sense. It’ll make it easier for us to work together and compare notes on your father.”

Jake tried not to flinch at the nonchalant way Claire referenced the man who haunted his past. Changing the subject, he picked up where his conversation with Dana left off last night. “I’d still be more comfortable if I wasn’t kicking you out of your bedroom. I can stay in the office.”

“We’ve been over this,” she argued. “I’ll be at the Smithsonian during the day and will need my home office to work on our research at night. Besides, I’m pretty sure my bed is the only piece of furniture big enough to accommodate you.”

“When are you going to sleep?” Jake pressed.

“Vampires don’t need sleep,” Claire teased. “We come alive at night.”

“Oh yeah? I don’t see you giving up your bedroom, Princess.”

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