Page 25 of A Very Merry Mistake

I look up at his scruffy jaw and study his lips before finally meeting his green eyes that are full of…something.

Is that worry?

“You’re shakin’ like a leaf. Are you all right?” I hear the calm sincerity in his tone and feel guilty all over again for being in his home.

I nod, trying to catch my breath, not wanting the panic to take over. Part of me wants to shake him and tell him to never let strangers into his home. I could’ve been anyone, a complete psycho. The only people who know I’m with him are Glenda and Hank. Neither know me, though.

Jake is too kind for his own good. Though he honestly doesn’t need any protection with the muscles he has. I’m sure he’s more than capable of handling himself.

Can’t remember the last time a man was interested in what I had to say at dinner or even offered to pay or open the door for me…

“CeCe?”

I try to speak, but he’s stolen my breath as his thumb brushes against my cheek.

“I’m okay,” I whisper, but my legs are shaking. How can I feel like I’ve known him a lifetime when we’ve only just met?

“Stay here with Tinsel. I’ll be right back.” He removes his hold on me without hesitation and goes to his closet. He opens a safe in the back of it and pulls out a gun.

I place my hand over my mouth, wondering what he plans to do with the weapon he’s brandishing. I’ve never seen a gun in person or been in a house with one, and I’m having another one of those culture-shock moments. It causes my anxiety to spike again.

“Wh-wh-where are you going?” I whisper as he crosses the room toward the door. He can’t go out there, and…and…there’s only one thing a gun is designed to do.

He turns around and meets my gaze. “Where did you see them?”

I hesitate. All of this is happening too fast. “In…in the backyard. Moving from east to west.”

He makes his way through the house. Tinsel lifts her head to see where’s he going but decides it’s not important and snuggles back into the warm spot Jake abandoned. In my next life, I think I might want to be a cat: live a life of luxury with a sexy man who treats her better than some humans treat me. I’ve never been jealous of a feline, but I think I might start.

When I hear the sliding door open and close, I stupidly decide to tiptoe down the hallway and peek around the corner. I have a clear view of outside and see him shirtless, with joggers and boots. He’s shivering as he looks shines a bright flashlight. Then, moments later, he bursts into laughter as he lowers the weapon. He comes inside wearing that boyish grin of his.

“It was a buck.”

“A what? It looked like a big, scary man.”

“A deer. He had a huge rack. Antlers up to here.” He holds one arm up, giving me a visual.

The icy breeze fills the space, and a chill runs over me as Jake shuts the sliding patio door. His nipples are rock hard, and goose bumps trail over his skin. Spray him with oil, and he could be an underwear model with those abs of steel. I lick my lips when I scan over his V and the dark happy trail that leads to the package he’s carrying inside those pants.

My face heats, and I keep my eyes focused on his, not allowing my gaze to wander again. Those glasses paired with this body… Did Clark Kent take me home with him? The dark, messy hair on top of his head doesn’t help at all.

“Do you want to sleep in my bed?” His voice is low and gruff as he removes the boots from his feet.

“And where will you go?” I swallow hard, wishing I had that glass of water I wanted earlier.

“Next to you.”

I suck in a sharp breath. “But…”

“I’ll protect you if a big scary man is outside. Or a deer.”

I lift a brow. “Tempting. What if I said I like to snuggle and I can’t control where my hands go?”

“Tell me, is that a promise, darlin’?”

My heart fucking flutters.

Why? How? I’m too tired. That’s what this is. And Jake is too damn sexy for his own good. I rub my hand on the back of my neck, trying to massage the muscles. “Ugh. I’m stiff.”

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