Page 6 of Taking Jenny
I leaned just a little closer, letting my smile grow slower, more deliberate. “I would,” I murmured. “Get in trouble for you.”
She blinked, startled, and then she blushed. It hit me like a sucker punch. Pink rose in her cheeks and spread down her neck, and I had the strangest urge to trace the path with my fingers. With my mouth.
“Why would you do that?” she asked softly. “You don’t even know me.”
I held her gaze. “You don’t know me either, but you trust me enough to be here with me.”
“I do trust you,” she whispered, almost like it surprised her, too. “And I like being with you.”
Something,everything, tightened in me. My pulse. My gut. My control.
“I like it too,” I said, my voice low.
Her smile widened, and the effect was instant. My tail thumped once against the back of the chair, a traitorousgiveaway of what she did to me. I wasn’t sure if this pull between us was real, or just the way Jenny was with everyone because of her gregarious personality, but gods, I wanted it to be real. I wantedher.
Then the comm beeped, shattering the moment.
“Tiger, is Elizabeth okay?” Sarah’s voice came through, businesslike.
I cleared my throat. “She’s great. Safe back on Earth. But…I had a stowaway—”
“Hi, Sarah,” Jenny cut in, her tone innocent and breezy.
There was a beat of silence, then, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jen. What are you doing onSovereign?”
“I wanted to see Orhon,” she replied. “You know how much I love traveling and adventure.”
“You’re not bothering Tiger, are you?”
“Not a bother at all,” I said quickly. “And since I didn’t find her until we landed, would it be alright if she stayed with me instead of returning to Halla? I could use the extra eyes and ears.”
Sarah let out a sigh. “If you think it’ll help, then fine.”
“Jenny’s very observant,” I added, watching her reaction. “I think she’ll be a huge asset.”
Jenny flushed again, this time deeper, and it wasn’t just bashful. There was a heat behind it now. Awareness. It hummed in the small space between us like static waiting to spark.
“Alright,” Sarah said, her voice softening. “Be careful, you two.”
“Everything will be fine,” I promised, ending the call.
I turned toward Jenny, letting my gaze linger a second too long on the delicate curve of her lips before lifting my brows. “Ready to see the exciting city dump?”
She laughed, but her voice had a husky edge now. “Sure.”
I grinned and offered a warning as I stood. “Try not to breathe too deeply.”
“I’m usually the one who takes out the trash at the coffee shop,” she said with a little shrug. “I’ll be fine.”
We disembarked together and the moment the stench hit her, I heard her sharp inhale followed by a muttered groan.
“Okay. Worse than I expected,” she said, covering her nose.
“I warned you.”
“Yeah, well…” she trailed off, her eyes watering slightly as she shot me a glare that was more playful than angry. “I thought you were being dramatic.”
“I save the dramatics for high-speed chases,” I teased, just as I heard the click and whir of a Gorrk hand cannon arming.
