Page 39 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

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“Jake! Jake, help me!”

Her scream woke him. Jake bolted up in bed, then he jumped out of the bed. Disoriented, he searched the darkness for danger.

Only none was there.

“Jake!” True thrashed in the bed.

He realized that she was having a nightmare, and in that nightmare, she was calling for him. “True.” Soft. As gentle as he could be. He turned on the bedside lamp. The nearby clock showed it was four-thirty-one a.m. They’d only fallen asleep a short while ago.

I couldn’t get enough of her. I wanted to fuck her endlessly.

But he’d finally pulled back.

Only for her to slip into a nightmare.

His hand closed around her shoulder. “Sweets, wake up.”

“Jake!” That cry was still from her nightmare. Her eyes hadn’t opened.

“I’m right here.” I’ll always be here. He shook her, lightly. “True, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re—” With me.

Her eyes flew open. Her breath heaved out. Trembles shook her whole body.

“It’s okay,” he repeated. “You were having a nightmare.”

A tear leaked down her left cheek. “I was back…at the museum.”

His teeth ground together. He’d feared as much.

“It was so dark in the sarcophagus. I couldn’t get out. The rope was cutting into my wrists…”

He grabbed her left wrist. There was a faint bruise around her wrist from the rope. Around both of her wrists. As he sat on the bed beside her, Jake brought her left wrist to his mouth and gently kissed the tender skin. I am going to find the sonofabitch, and he will pay.

“In the dream, the lid was lifted, but…but it wasn’t you standing there. It was a man in a ski mask.”

The dead bastard at her house had come carrying a ski mask.

“I knew he was going to kill me.”

His mouth pressed to her wrist once more. He could feel the frantic flutter of her pulse racing beneath his lips. “No one is going to kill you.” But he would kill in an instant in order to keep her safe.

Whoops. Was he being too savage again? Screw that. He’d always been savage. Sometimes, a little savagery was exactly what you needed.

“Why is this happening?” Another tear slid down her cheek.

“I don’t know. But we will find the bastard.” Those tears of hers had to stop. They made his guts twist. Made him want to punch walls. Rip bastards apart. “Do you trust me?” The stark question spilled from him.

Hell. Why’d you ask her that? Of course, she doesn’t trust you. You’ve been back in her world for some of the most dangerous moments of her life and she?—

“Yes.” No hesitation. “I do. You’re the only one who believed me. You’re the only one who helped me. Right from the start, you wanted to protect me.”

Unease had him stiffening. “Don’t make me out to be a hero.” Because right from the start, he’d wanted to fuck her. By taking her case, he’d known that he’d have the opportunity to get close to True.

And she’s in my bed. I have her where I’ve always wanted her.

The new problem? He never wanted to let her go.

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