Page 225 of Entangled

The sounds of the party grow louder, more drunken, the music cranked up as loud as it will go. When we make it out from between the trees, I see a large group gathered around a smaller fire where a large pig is being spit-roasted.

Jaykob and I make it back onto the lawn and hover beside one another awkwardly. He releases my hand slowly, and it’s hard not to snatch it back to me.

“What... now?” I ask.

That frown returns to his face. “I need time.” His hand finds his pocketknife, his thumb smoothing over it. “I need to think.”

More time. Is he going to run off again? I force a smile and nod.

He steps closer and tentatively reaches up. Feather soft, he touches the corner of my stiff smile, and I let it fall away.

“Three days,” he says in a low, gruff voice. “Three, and I’ll come back.”

A hard, hot lump fills my throat. His eyes are like the midnight sky, dark and endless navy, filled with deep, secret stars.

Helistened.

I breathe out, and this time, my smile comes more naturally. “I can do three days.”

We’re staring at each other, neither of us making an effort to be the first to leave, when Beau almost storms past us. He stops mid-stride and turns, looking between us.

A warm, amused smile tugs his lips up on one side. “Well, hi there, darlin’—don’t you look ridden hard and put away wet. Good night?”

Jaykob keeps staring at me for a moment, then he spins and plants a hard, heavy fist in Beau’s solar plexus. My hand flies to my mouth as I yelp.

“Jayk!” I squeak. “Stop! What are youdoing?”

Beau’s hand finds Jayk’s muscular shoulder to steady himself as he gasps for air.

“Write me a message like that again and see what happens,” Jayk growls into Beau’s ear. “I nearly ripped her apart. Next time, I’m coming after you.”

He stands, releasing him, and Beau straightens stiffly, groaning a laugh.

“She had her safeword. I know she’s safe with you,” he says good-naturedly, and Jayk’s return look is so violent, it might as well be a second punch.

“She might be if she’d use it,” Jayk grits out. “Or if I wasn’t such a blind, dumb fuck.”

Uh-oh.

He doesn’t even have the grace to look at me as he outs me shamelessly, and Beau’s smile withers. He gives me a surprised, concerned look that twists my stomach, and I give him a reassuring head shake.

Jayk’s jaw works like he’s fighting words, then he adds in a low voice, “If you’re fucking her then you watch out for that. She wants to prove she cantakeit.”

Finally, he darts a hard look back at me—but even as I scowl at him, I can see it’s laced in worry.

But for goodness’ sake, Icouldhave taken it.

Maybe.

Probably, anyway.

“I’ll take care of it,” Beau says in a curt voice, disappointed eyes on me, and I shift, then back up.

Right into Jasper’s chest.

He looks down at me with a curious expression, and I step to the side, away from all of them.

“Take care of what, pray tell?” he asks, and I glance at Beau and Jayk.

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