Page 80 of Ensnared

He’swaiting for an answer.

“Yes?No.Idon’t know.”Isearch his face, then give a tiny shrug. “Ijust feel safe with you,Iguess.”

Dirtyblond brows lower, andIcan’t help but smile at his consternation.

“Doesthat really surprise you?”Iask.I’mnot sure what it is about him, but he makes me bold.Ilet my fingertips rub over a spot of engine grease on his thick bicep where it mars one of his tattoos. “Ican’t imagine why.You’restrong.”Ilick my lips and force myself to continue. “Attractive.Youtook care of me the other night, even though you pretended you wouldn’t.”

Heglances away, jaw flexing, and mutters, “Thatwasn’t taking care of you.”

Mychest twists, thoughI’mnot sure why.Runningon instinct,Ilift on my toes and brush a light kiss across his check.

“Thankyou for helping me,Jayk.”

Hisgaze swings back to mine, a deep, beautiful midnight blue.Somethingglimmers in their depths like stars, so unfathomably inside him,Iwouldn’t have seen it ifIhadn’t been soaking them in.

Redrolls into his cheeks, and he pulls back abruptly.Heshrugs. “Yeah, whatever.Don’tget used to it or anything.”

Mylips purse, though it’s more to hold in a snort of laughter than in disapproval.

“Uh-huh,”Ihum through closed lips, and he glowers at me.ThenIglance around the workshop, realizingIhave a day to kill.Icould spend it doing the few choresI’veassigned myself, butIhave zero desire to do anything else that makes me feel like their sexed-up maid.

Thepile of laundry canwait.

Myeyes linger on the washing machine thatIwould commit all kinds of sins to have fixed.Thatbroken beauty belongs back in the house with the rest of the equipment.

Asfar asI’mconcerned, it’smine.

“Needa hand?”

Chapter21

Eden

Survivaltip #173

Settlingfor less than you need

only guarantees a slower death.

Thud.

Frowning,Iease my door open gingerly, looking down to see whatIbumped.There, on the floor, is a glorious, embossed copy ofDracula.Ipick it up with a hungry eagerness.It’sbeen days sinceJasperlast left me a book—since we had that entrancing and awful encounter in the library.WheneverIthink of it, my stomach flips and churns all at once.

It’sJasper’s“day,” andI’mso nervousIcould heave.

Willhe expect sex?Ofcourse he will, won’t he?Luckysaid he would set boundaries with me before we did anything... but he’s a sadist.Canmy boundary even be “don’t hurt me”?Wheredoes that leave us?Willhe want me to try, at least?Takeoff my clothes and let him chain me to a wall so he can whip me untilIscream?

That’swhat sadists do, don’t they?Theywhip?

Ihaven’t forgottenJasper’sdismissiveness whenIasked him for answers, or the cutting cruelty of his words in the library.

Yet... he brought me my dearest friends to keep me company whenIwas confused and alone—the one gift that could have made me feel at home.Helistens so carefully, absorbs me so utterly in his attention, that after so many years of walking unseen and unheard through the forest,I’mturned real, turned flesh, just by the weight of it.Fleshthat feels.Fleshthat craves.

Andhe does have such lovely, clever hands.

God,I’msuch a mess.

EversinceIleftJayk’sworkshop last night,I’vebeen plagued with worries.Ifully expected today to reduce me to a puddle of nerves, except thatIwoke toLuckystaring at me with puppy-dog eyes, begging to spend the day with me.

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