Page 20 of Jasper

And then, to my surprise, she picks up the fork and spears a bite of peas.

Peas. First.

My brows rise. “Huh.”

She glances up, fork paused mid-air. “What?”

“Nothing. Just... didn’t expect you to go for the green stuff first.”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal, but there’s a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I like veggies. I used to grow all my own.”

Interesting. I tuck that piece of information away for another day.

I want to ask her a hundred questions. How long has she been in that RV? Why she didn’t tell anyone she was freezing her ass off out there. Where the hell was she going when I found her walking back in the dark like some reckless deer asking to be hunted? Where did she grow veggies? Is she running from something? Or someone?

But I keep my damn mouth shut.

If I ask, she’ll stop eating.

Instead, I let the silence hang, even though it crawls under my skin. I watch her carefully, like if I look away for even a second, she’ll vanish again.

She’s halfway through the steak when I step forward, reaching to help cut a thicker piece she’s struggling with.

Her reaction is instant.

She smacks my hand away. Hard.

The sharpsoundechoes through the room, and we both freeze.

Her eyes go wide. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”

I stare at her, stunned. Not because it hurt. But because... shit.

“Did you think I was going to take it?” I ask, my voice lower, rougher.

She flinches, blinking too fast. “No. I just... I don’t know. Reflex.”

My jaw clenches. That wasn’t a reflex someone has unless they’ve been hungry for long enough that defending a plate becomes instinct. I know because I experienced it as a kid. Several of us did.

Food aggression.

Fuck.

I swallow hard and back up a step, lifting my hands in surrender. “It’s okay. I won’t touch your plate.”

She nods, dropping her gaze as she shovels another bite of potatoes into her mouth, this time faster. It’s as if she doesn’t eat now, she won’t get the chance.

And I don’t say anything else.

Because right now, she needs food. And I need to take a breath before I do something I might regret. Like, keep her here forever so she never has to be cold or hungry again.

* * *

“What’s your plan with her?” Ghost asks.

I lift a leg and rest of my foot on the ottoman in front of my armchair. We’re in the library having a couple of drinks before we turn in for the night. Ghost is on Rowie watch. I’m staying in the main house tonight because I gave Ariana a room here, and I don’t want to be far away.

When I first brought her here, I was going to take her directly to my house and keep her there, but I realized she’d probably be more comfortable in the main house with Rowie. Although, I much prefer the idea of her being in the privacy of my house, where I can watch her closely. I can still do that here, but there are other people around. And for some damn reason, I don’t like my brothers being here, seeing her, talking to her. I trust them with my life, and I love them endlessly, but they all have dicks, and Ariana is fucking adorable.

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