He grunted. Kind was not a word normally associated with him. Heartless. Brutal. Savage. Sure, those fit.
But this was different. She was different.
And he was going to take True home with him. “Don’t worry,” he assured her as he snagged his jacket. Huh. Wait. She didn’t have a coat. He slid his battered leather jacket over her shoulders. It absolutely swallowed her.
Her hands flew up to hold it in place. Their fingers brushed. Jake pretended he didn’t feel the surge of white-hot electricity that zipped through him. That intensity had always been there when they touched, and he’d long since gotten used to acting as if he didn’t feel anything.
When I feel everything with True.
“Don’t worry,” he said again, voice rumbling. “I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
“Oh.” A nod. She turned away and headed for the door. “That’s disappointing.”
What? “True?” Her name came out as a ragged growl.
But she’d already opened the door and headed into the small lobby. “I think your Christmas tree is dying. We should water it before we leave.”
Screw the tree. He wanted to know…
If True doesn’t want me to be a gentleman, then what does she want?
Chapter Two
“When bells ring at Christmas, I make wishes. Is it silly? Yes. Do I still do it? Yes.
Will anyone ever stop me? No.” – True Blakely
* * *
This wasn’t happening.
Okay, well, clearly it was happening. She was going home with the one and only Jake Hale. Sexy. Dangerous. Trouble…Jake Hale.
Get a grip, woman. Do not freak out.
She’d already made one serious mistake with him. Letting out that bit about being disappointed in him for behaving like a gentleman. Total slipup. But when she was nervous, she often said the wrong thing. And she was super, super nervous.
And afraid.
Not of Jake. Never him. The guy was a hero, after all. All the people in town said so. As soon as she’d gotten back to Rosewood, everyone had been raving about Jake and his outstanding military service. She’d greedily absorbed every tale because…maybe she’d once had a thing for him.
What girl hadn’t been half in love with Jake back in the day? That bad boy appeal had wrecked plenty of hearts. Hers included.
But he wasn’t a bad boy. He was a man now. A man who hunted bad guys. And he was helping her and?—
“Home sweet home,” Jake murmured as he opened the door to his condo. He flipped on the lights and waved for her to cross the threshold.
I am spending the night with Jake.
She hurried inside because she was truly curious to see what Jake’s home would be like. Honestly, she was curious about everything when it came to him.
True made her way to the middle of his den, then she slowly did a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn. The place was immaculate. Really. Super clean. Very high-end. Very masculine.
And just a little cold.
Not the temperature. That was more than fine. But there were no personal touches in his condo. No soft touches. Zero decorations, even though they were only days from Christmas. Not even one twinkling light.
“You looking for something?” A polite inquiry from Jake.