Page 51 of Ensnared

Andnow thatJaykisn’t in danger of having them sliced open withDom’shunting knife, my traitorous eyes can’t help but slide over the delicious muscles thatIwas oh-so-intimately acquainted with last night.Ashiver chases up my spine.

Badlibrarian.Heis not a piece of meat.Hiseyes are up—

Helooks down at my chest. “Youstole my last clean shirt.”

Oh.

“Well,”Imutter, “you ripped my underwear.Andmy dress.”

“Damn.Iliked the blue one,”Luckycomplains.Dramaover, he turns back to the kitchen, calling, “Breakfastis here when you’re showered, beautiful.”

Withhis exit, the last violent edge of tension eases from the room.

There’sa heavy sigh fromBeau. “Ah, shit.Sorry,Jayk,I—”

“Saveit,” he sneers. “Leastshe’s honest, orIguessI’dbe over the walls.”

Domcurses. “Jayk,I’msorry.Butwhat the fuck were we meant to think?Shedoesn’t exactly scream claw-your-back sex.”

Iflinch and look at my feet, his words like tiny cuts of shattered glass.

“Trustme, she screams plenty,”Jaykobtaunts.

Jasperlets out a low laugh behind me. “Interesting.Shemay enjoy me yet.”

“Ooohhhkay.IthinkEden’shad enough,”Beauinterrupts, coming to my rescue asItry my best to become liquid and melt through the floor.Awide hand brushes against the middle of my back, and whenIglance up, apologetic woodland eyes peer down at me.

“Whatever.Gimmemy shirt back when you’re done.”

Domsighs and his voice softens. “Jayk,I’m—”

Jaykobstorms out, clearly still pissed.

Honestly,Ican’t really blame him.They’remeant to be his friends.Orco-inhabitants, anyway.War-man partners?WhileIcan’t fault their protective instincts, how could they think he’s capable of that?He’san ass, sure.Humiliatingand rough and rude as heck.Buthe never made me worry about my safety at any point—and he might not have been polite about it, but he made sureIwanted him before he touched me.

Isomehow don’t think he’ll be open to a sympathetic hug, though.

Afterone searching last assessment from those molten eyes of his,Domleaves for the kitchen, muttering under his breath—Ionly catch the words “trouble” and “pain in the ass.”

Aftera moment,Inod atBeauto let him lead me upstairs, and his tension finally eases asIallow him to take charge.

“Eden,”Jaspersays, andIturn, wishing he’d just let me hide in peace.Hecontinues carefully, “Ifyou want to talk—about anything—you can talk to me.It’snot entirely possible, clearly, butIwill try to remain impartial.”

Iremember that he’s a psychologist.Hesurely means well, but the veiled hints and threats about the nature of hispreferencesunnerve me.Andthen there’s this coiled, threatening stillness in him.Iglimpsed it my first day here, but seeing him now, so malevolent and impenetrable,Ican’t believeImanaged to fool myself into thinking he was a kind, bookish safe haven.

“Whatwere you andDomarguing about whenIcame in?”Iask.

Jaspergives me a long, measured look.Finally, and oh-so-politely, he replies, “Withrespect, it’s not your concern.”

Achill runs up my spine, andI’mconscious of the line he’s drawing.

No, not drawing—a line he’sreinforcing.DomandBeauwere the first to dismiss me last night at dinner.Isuck in a painful breath.Ithurts coming fromJasper, who just a week ago was so sweetly reassuring, talking about family and our pieces fitting together.Butthey aren’t keeping me here to start a relationship.IfIfit at all, it will be between their sheets, or under their feet.

IfI’mto keep any pride at all,Ineed to keep my emotions contained.

You’rehere foryourself,Eden, not for them,Iremind myself.Foras long as it works foryou.

“Thenno,IbelieveI’lldecline your offer,”Ireply, forcing my tone to remain even.Iglance atBeau. “Ican see myself to my room, thank you.”

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