Page 9 of Saving Jared

Then silence.

All except the roaring flames and her own gasping sobs.

She slowly lowered her hands. “Mommy… Daddy…” A scream rose up inside her as she pushed herself up on all fours and clawed at the grass—willing her parents to walk out of the inferno.

“Please come back.” Her hoarse cry stung her throat as a sickening scent bombarded her senses. "Please."

But there was nothing. Nothing but the fire.

Willa crumpled onto the unforgiving ground as sirens blared in the distance. "Too late… Too late…" Her eyes fixed on the relentless blaze.

Her doting mom and laughing, larger than life dad weren’t coming back.

It wasn’t long before she became vaguely aware of red flashing lights and shouts going up. But she didn’t acknowledge them from where she’d curled in upon herself. Not even when Jared’s truck appeared and skidded to a stop. Her brothers, along with Jared and Jude, jumped out, but everything about their frantic movements stilled for several seconds as they faced the wall of flames.

"Oh, god! Where’s Willa?" Darin yelled as he raced toward the house.

Eric shouted something unintelligible as he and Ben took off toward the stable. Then suddenly she was swept up off the ground and cradled against a heaving chest.

“I’ve got Willa," Jared hollered. "See—“

“I should’ve helped.”

“What?” His head tilted back, his worried stare meeting her blurry gaze lifting to his.

“I should’ve helped.”

"Willa—"

"I should’ve helped," she whispered, clinging to broad, bare shoulders.

"Shhh…" Strong arms tightened around her. "Willa. Wake up, honey," Jared’s quiet voice urged her. "Come on." Gentle kisses brushed over the top of her head.

"I should’ve—"

“Oh, baby," he whispered. His scruffy cheek pressed against hers before a kiss ghosted along her jaw. "You couldn’t have done anything.”

"Jared…" She breathed out his name, her body trembling. "I’m cold." The recurring nightmare left her like this—taking her once again to that devastated child shivering on the ground. "Keep me warm." She held tight to his upper arms and pressed herself against his solid body. "Please."

"Wilhelmina."

Jared’s low groan of her name pulled her fully back to the present, the quiet darkness, and the man whose muscles tensed and flexed beneath her touch. She had no idea how she’d ended up in his lap, but she had no desire to leave it. "Honey—"

"I need you." It was a truth she’d wanted to speak for years but hadn’t had the nerve to voice. But tonight, with the terror of the dream still clinging to her and intimacy of the darkness cocooning them together, she couldn’t hold it back. Her hand at his bicep drifted to his bunched shoulder, then coasted over the strong column of his throat where he swallowed hard, before cupping his clenching, stubbled jaw. She could barely see his face but knew instinctively his quiet focus remained solely on her. "Please."

"Never, Wilhelmina."

Never.

Her heart stuttered and hand dropped as that one low, fierce word sank in. In what universe could she even remotely imagine he would say anything else? She held in her trembling lips. Worse yet, she’d completely embarrassed herself. And how was she going to recover from that?

Maybe she could blame not being fully awake. If that didn’t work, she’d just have to steer clear of him until she could face him again.

Right. So, for the rest of my life.

She began to pull back, but Jared’s arms gathered her impossibly tighter. What was he doing? God, please don’t let him try to make her feel better. She wouldn’t be able to take it. But then her confusion quickly morphed into something else when his low growl stole her breath and the whisper of a kiss trailed from her jaw to her parted mouth. What was he—

"Never beg."

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