Page 44 of Taking Jenny
I had done everything I could not to feel that way, but I couldn’t stop thinking it. Everyone had always preferred someone over me. Hell, I had even heard my boss, Jac, lament the loss of Kapok as, “Now who can I talk to?” when I was standing right there beside him. I knew he hadn’t meant it as an insult toward me, but in the moment between grief and moving forward, it had still cut deep.
Watching Mal and Jenny dance earlier? That cut deeper. Especially knowing he was hiding things from us. How could Jenny trust him? Couldn’t sheseehis deception?
I should have asked those questions, but after our time in the office, we had a shower, then shower sex, then supper with the others, and when we returned to our room, I went down on her until she couldn’t take another orgasm. At least I was doing my part in making sure that she had the best sex of her life before Illiapol.
She wanted to return the favor, but I wasn’t in the mood, so I lied and told her I was tired. I couldn’t tell herwhyI wasn’t in the mood, that I couldn’t stop thinking about her interaction with Mal, his dick against her ass as they’d danced and how he’d taken liberties and bit her neck. And how much she seemed to like it.
The longer I lay there, the tighter my chest got. I couldn’t sleep, so I left the bed, quietly dressed, and slipped from her bedroom, needing something useful to do. The library had all the answers when it came to pleasuring her, so maybe it would provide answers to save her from Illiapol. I had to try and do something useful to help her.
It might even make you feel less helpless.
Mal’s smug words echoed through my brain, about me fucking Jenny. Bastard. I shook my head as I entered the library, like I could shake myself free from Mal. His cruel words. His full lips. The confident gleam in his indigo eyes.
I hated him.
The library was dimly lit at night, only every other wall sconce between the rows of shelves flickered. I headed to the directory and pulled up everything tagged under Illiapol. Thirty-four listings. Twenty-eight marked off shelf, which I found strange. That left six, which I figured was better than nothing.
I made my way toward the corresponding shelves, only to find the books were scattered out across a table…where Mal was reading, thoroughly engrossed in whatever material held his attention, a small frown creasing his brows.
I hissed out an annoyed breath, and he visibly flinched before looking up from the book.
“Moons above, Tiger, you startled me.”
I clenched my jaw. For once, he wasn’t in his black Earth suit. A black tee molded to his broad muscular shoulders and chest, the sleeves stretched tight around those thick arms, and loose black pajama bottoms completed his outfit. He looked casual. Relaxed. And annoyingly hot.
He ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair before he focused on me. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d look into anything you had on Illiapol. Your library is…extensive,” I muttered, the compliment like sand in my mouth. “So I figured if there’s a loophole, I might find it here.”
He exhaled on a sigh. “I’ve been doing that every night since I found out her fate.”
I stiffened, unmoved by his words. “So you can defeat your guardian?” I sneered.
“So I can help Jenny.”
“Right. Sure.” I turned to the shelf, finding the six books he had left there. “I’ll take these to another table.”
“There is plenty of room here,” he said, gesturing to the other empty chairs. “And I’ve already gone through those books. There’s nothing useful. Mostly just recipes on what to do with the avatar…after.”
I grimaced and reshelved those books.
He pointed to the stack still unread. “I haven’t gotten to those yet, if you want to help.”
“Yeah, okay.” I sat across from him at his table, seething at the situation. His table. His library. The way he stared at me with that unreadable expression that did stupid things to my libido. But I was here for Jenny, not him.
“You know, I’m not here to helpyou,” I snapped irritably.
“I know,” he replied in that smooth voice of his.
“So why did you say it like that?If you want to help. Like I’m doingyoua favor.”
He looked completely exasperated now. “Tiger. I swear, I didn’t mean it the way you heard it. We’re both here to help Jenny, right? So, can we focus on that?”
“Fine,” I muttered, cracking open a book and starting to read.
It was the history of Illiamor, a chronicle of her short life. Dry, long-winded, and probably written by some classed scholar who’d never met the original avatar. Another privileged man who thought he knew everything. Like Mal.
I settled more comfortably into the seat, legs stretched under the table, trying to let my tension go. That lasted all of thirty seconds, until my foot accidentally tapped something warm and solid. I tried to nudge it away out of instinct, but it nudged back.
