Page 58 of Taking Jenny
I pulled a small chair beside the exam table, sat down, and took her hand in mine. So small. So soft. Cooler than my own, because humans ran colder. Their bodies didn’t need as much internal heat. That didn’t matter. That difference didn’t hinder intimacy. Didn’t change desire. And for me, none of that made her less magnetic.
I finally eased out a relieved breath, knowing she was going to be okay. I knew she was angry with me and Tiger. Somehow, she’d figured out what happened between us, and that had clearly affected her. I wanted the chance to explain why it had happened. The ache to confess hovered at the back of my throat, heavy and thick, like something clawing for release. I needed her to know that caring for Tiger didn’t mean I cared for her any less. That my capacity wasn’t split, it had only grown.
But she was unconscious, and shaking her awake just to say all that would have been selfish. She needed rest. And maybe, just maybe, the more rested she was, the more open she’d be to forgiveness. To hearing me out. To possibly accepting whatever this could be between the three of us.
So I stayed by her side.
The chair was small, Surge-sized, and not meant for someone like me. My hips barely fit. My knees and back protested. But her steady breaths calmed me. I hadn’t slept much with Tiger last night. The man was enthusiastic, to put it mildly. So sitting beside Jenny in silence, her warmth a heartbeat away, helped me to finally exhale and relax.
I kept her hand in mine and closed my eyes. Sleep stole over me eventually.
I didn’t wake until my head jerked when it lobbed forward. By then, it was dark outside, and someone had draped a light blanket over me. I checked the time on my gauntlet driver.Near midnight. Must have needed sleep more than I thought.I had been so worried for Jenny that it wore me out.Well, that and Tiger last night.
Jenny was still lying on the table, peaceful, her lips slightly parted in sleep. Smiling, I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
She inhaled sharply and blinked up at me, confusion etching her expression as she tried to sit up. “What…where—”
“You’re in Surge’s lab,” I quickly told her, then gently pressed a hand to her shoulder to keep her on the table.
Her gaze darted around. “What happened?”
“Longshot said you slipped when you were running. You fell and hit your head pretty hard, but Surge says you’ll be fine. He’s repaired the damage, but you need to rest.”
She scanned the room again, her eyes gradually focusing. “Is everything okay?”
“Aside from you giving everyone a fright? Yeah.”
“Evenyou?”
The disbelieving tone of her voice took me aback. “Of course. Why would you ask that?”
She pulled her hand out of mine, and I let it go. “It just…it seems like your life would be easier if I weren’t in the picture.”
Her words hit like a knife, sharp and too pointed, and I reeled from them. “That’s a terrible thing to say. Why would you think that?”
“You and Tiger,” she said, something akin to hurt flickering in her eyes. “I know what you two did, Mal.”
Yes, she was clearly feelingmuchbetter. “Why do you care?” I asked, feeling defensive. “You’re the one who snapped at Tiger for acting like the two of you were exclusive.”
She stiffened at the accusation. “That’s between the two of us.”
“It doesn’t feel like it is, since you’re clearly pissed at me, too.”
She stared up at the ceiling. “Well, it is.”
“So then, you’renotmad at me?” I asked, trying to understand.
She let out a little huff of breath. “I didn’t say that.”
Frustration got the best of me and I growled beneath my breath, clenching my fists on my knees. “What is it with you,Jenny? Why does everything with you have to be so damn complicated?”
She let out a dry laugh. “Wow. I had to travel lightyears to be called complicated.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, my exasperation increasing.
She turned her head, meeting my gaze again, her lips pursed. “Back home,Iwas the easy one. The breezy hippie girl who drifted from boyfriend to boyfriend. No drama, just good times.” She swallowed hard, her stiff demeanor softening. “Then I arrive here and get arrested for no reason, and brought to a mansion instead of a prison, and I still don’t fully understand why. And now, the guy I’m sleeping with is sleeping with another guy who I…” She stopped, clamming up.
My heart tripped because she was referring tome, and I had to know how that sentence ended. Very quietly, I asked, “Another guy who you what?”
