Page 45 of Beautiful Chaos

Her breath hitched, and I took a step forward until her body was flushed with mine, then I wrapped my arms around her waist and guided her back towards the bed. She sat down and looked up at me.

I put one knee on the mattress beside her hip and leaned in forcing her to lay back, I moved forward a little bit more. I raised my other knee to straddle her covered body. I hovered over her lips, so close I could taste her breath. I wanted to kiss those perfect lips of hers. I tilted my head, pressed my lips to her forehead, and kissed it gently.

Her eyes closed.

Chapter 30

HARPER

My head was pounding. I could barely open my eyes to a squint. The sun was beaming through the curtains, assaulting my heated face.

“Gah!” I grumbled incoherently. Finally, I opened my eyes, taking in the surroundings. I looked around an unfamiliar room. In a stupor, I looked under the blanket for any tell-tell signs of what happened last night. When I looked down at my body, I was wearing what I could only assume was Jasper’s T-shirt because I was lying in his bed, in his room.

Oh my god! What the actual fuck did we do?

I jumped to my feet and looked around the room. Jasper must have already gotten up because he was nowhere to be seen. I grabbed my dress and shoes from the floor and raced from his room. I ran down the hall into my room, yanking off his shirt, walked straight to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I paced the marble floors back and forth as the room filled with steam while I tried to recall what happened.

“The last thing I remember was eating a burger and drinking a glass of champagne as I teased Jasper about ordering something that looked like raw meat,” I said out loud as I bit my thumbnail down to a nub.

Finally pulling myself back from my panic, I got into the shower. Standing under the water flow, letting it beat down on me, I hoped the motion of the shower would wash away the panic and shame I felt for drinking. My vulnerability could have been like a damn target on my back, I knew better. Not remembering, not knowing if I had or had not slept with Jasper was overwhelming.

After entirely dissecting my situation in a panicked frenzy, I felt a hot anger rising. How dare he take advantage of me like that! Yes, I drank and yes, I allowed myself to drink past my limit, but he should have known better.

I shut off the water, grabbed one of the fancy towels neatly folded near the shower, and headed into the room. On the nightstand were two aspirin with a note that said, “Eat me” and a bottle of water with a note that said, “Drink me”. I obeyed the notes because my head was downright killing me. I quickly got dressed and combed my hair.

* * *

Turning the corner from the lengthy hallway, the aroma of bacon from the kitchen struck me. I was confused about who could be cooking since Jasper had always arranged for breakfast to be delivered to us during my stay in the penthouse. Getting closer, a soft grunting sound became audible. Entering the kitchen, I saw Jasper by the stove, nursing a burn on his finger, caused by the sizzling bacon. “Damn you, swine!” he cursed, eyes fixed on the smoking skillet.

I giggled at such a big, muscular, tatted-up man whining about a little grease burn. He looked at me and dropped his hand from his mouth. “Too late, big baby, I’ve already seen you,” I teased. He grinned, making his dimples more prominent behind his scruffy facial hair. He must not have been awake long because he was still in his night pants and a T-shirt, and his hair was disheveled from sleep.

His t-shirt exposed all the art displayed across both arms, the sleeves of his shirt, were strained against his biceps and stretched across his shoulders with every movement his arms made.

Lord, this man is so attractive.

I realized I was gawking at him and had to force my jaw shut but he was already staring at me with a knowing smirk.

Pompous asshole.

“You see something you like?” He teased me. I was suddenly reminded of my anger.

“No, but you did, didn’t you?” I snapped. “Do you pride yourself in gaining trust from women and then taking advantage of them?”

The look on Jasper’s face was unreadable. I glared at him waiting for an answer.

“What is it that you think we did, Doll?” His unnervingly calm question left me speechless.

“I-I don’t know exactly.”

“So, don’t you think you had better figure it out before you accuse me of something like that?” He retorted with one eyebrow raised as he walked over to the bar where there were two plate settings I hadn’t noticed before.

He silently placed the almost burned bacon onto the plates straight from the pan, giving me a moment to reflect on his question.

“Sorry,” I said in an embarrassed whisper. “I woke up in your bed and your shirt. I assumed… I should have asked, I apologize.” I said more confidently. He stopped, became motionless, and then raised his eyes to meet mine.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You have every right to be angry,” he turned around to grab another skillet from the stove while leaving the nearly blackened one behind. He walked back to the bar and spooned what looked like scrambled eggs onto the plates. Confused, I stood there watching him.

“Sit, please, eat. Do you like orange juice?” He walked over to the sink, dropped the skillet, and grabbed two crystal glasses from the cabinet. He joined me at the bar sitting on the tall stool beside me.

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