Page 23 of The Marriage Mission

Indignant and a bit embarrassed by being carried so effortlessly, Jacqui squirmed in his arms, attempting to climb down. "Put me down, Noah. I can walk."

As she wriggled, Noah winced slightly, his expression flickering with a brief flash of pain.

Jacqui immediately stilled, her concern flaring. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no," he assured her quickly, though she noticed him adjust his grip slightly. "Just caught me off guard."

Jacqui relaxed slightly, allowing him to carry her up the steps to the front door. She was constantly on her feet. Constantly chasing after people or watching over their shoulders. Now her view was over Noah's shoulder. Her feet were blessedly weightless. She should not like this.

But she did. She felt as if something was unlocking inside of her.

"Key?"

Jacqui stared at him. At his lips. Then his eyes.

Noah lifted a brow.

"Oh. Key." She produced the house key from her purse and handed it to him.

Noah shifted her weight again. This time, she didn't protest. He unlocked the door, and they were inside. They were inside alone.

"You can put me down now."

Noah glanced at her. For a moment, she wasn't sure if he was going to let her go. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to. But he did.

When Jacqui's feet touched down, all of the weight returned to her shoulders. The events of the day came crashing down around her. She needed a moment to compose herself. No, she needed all night to set herself to rights again. She couldn't let him see her not at her best, so she made a quick dash for the stairs.

"Am I supposed to follow you?"

"Nope. There's the guest room." She pointed off to the side. "Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. Good night, Noah."

Once she hit the last stair, she took off running to her room. Once behind the closed door, Jacqui pressed her back to the wood. It didn't relieve any of the weight. She slid down to the floor and knocked her head back against the door a couple of times. It was the first time in a long time that she didn't feel entirely in control.

ChapterFifteen

He'd slept in worse conditions.

Noah stood surveying the guest room of Jacqui's house, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. The room was neat and cozy, decorated in soft pastels that reminded him of a spring day. The walls were painted a gentle lavender, and the curtains that fluttered slightly from the open window were a pale, airy pink, filtering the moonlight in.

A dresser bore porcelain figurines and framed photographs of people he didn't recognize, each smiling from within silver and ceramic frames. A fluffy white rug lay on the floor. He sensed the softness under his boots. It was a contrast to the hard, utilitarian surfaces he was accustomed to in military barracks or the gritty, unyielding sands of desert outposts.

It was disorienting, this gentle, feminine room. But what disturbed him most was the bed. The single bed, pushed up against one wall, was draped with a quilt made up of a thousand different pink and periwinkle squares. Plump pillows were piled at the head, their cases edged in delicate lace.

Noah dropped his bag onto the bed. The springs gasped like a lady about to faint. There was no way that dainty bed would hold his weight. The way the mattress sagged under just his bag didn’t inspire confidence. He was a solidly built guy, and the idea of spending a night on that precarious setup was less than appealing.

An idea sparked in his mind, mischievous and potentially very convenient. If the guest bed was out of commission, well, he’d have no choice but to share the master bedroom with Jacqui.

He took a step back, gauging the distance with the eye of a man who had jumped from more than a few high places in his time. Then, with a quick sprint, he leaped onto the bed.

The impact was more than the poor bed could handle. There was a moment of eerie silence as the structure bore his weight. Noah frowned in disappointment at the bed's efforts to hold him up. The frame's efforts were short-lived, though.

With a dramatic snap, it gave way. Noah went down with it, a tangle of limbs and broken slats. The mattress hit the floor with a thud that was surely heard throughout the house.

The sound of the crash was oddly satisfying. The chaos of splintered wood and twisted metal were a clear sign of mission accomplished. However, the feeling of the crash was another story; it definitely hurt more than he had anticipated.

Almost immediately, he heard the rapid patter of footsteps approaching. Jacqui burst into the room, her eyes wide with alarm. He saw the sparks in the dim light of the room, and it heated the places where he was hurt.

"Noah?" Jacqui rushed to his side amidst the wreckage. Her hands fluttered over him, gentle and quick, as she checked him for injuries. "Are you okay?"

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