my back.
Jared leans over me, smiling.
"Good morning," he whispers.
I'm so disoriented. Did I fall back asleep? Or was I dreaming?
"Did you bring me a flower?" I ask. My voice is husky from sleep, and the question sounds abrupt.
Jared brushes my hair back from my face. "I did."
I blink again, trying to wake up and process his answer.
"You're not a morning person," he says, watching me intently.
I shrug, and then yawn.
He plays with my hair as my brain slowly begins to fire again. Naturally, it shoots straight to him. I know he's gotten far less sleep than I have, but he appears wide awake. His green eyes shine, and he's foregone shaving again.
I reach up and run my hand through his wild hair.
He grins at me.
"Hi," I whisper, my stomach turning a somersault.
"There you are." He bumps his nose against mine and then kisses my temple. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mmhmm," I hum, still sliding my fingers through his hair. "What are you doing here?"
"Watching you." He grins again and it makes him seem almost boyish. I've never seen him so carefree.
Does he feel the same fuzzy sensation that's bubbling up from the pit of my stomach?
It's that same floating feeling from last night. Euphoria. Happiness. Peace. A mixture of all three.
"That must have been boring," I murmur.
He shifts around behind me and pulls me up against him.
I snuggle into his chest and sigh, that fuzziness bubbling a little higher.
"Not at all. You're fascinating," he whispers in my ear then, nuzzling his face into my neck. "Beautiful. Smart. Compassionate." Each word is punctuated with a little kiss.
I kick my feet, suddenly burning hot and tingling all over.
Jared chuckles when the blankets refuse to budge and helps jerk the top one down. "Better?" he asks, going right back to his nuzzling.
"Mmhmm." I tilt my head a little, giving him better access and then ask again, breathlessly, "Really, why are you here?"
He kisses my neck again and then pulls back, settling his chin on my shoulder before twining his fingers with mine. "Katie demanded some alone time with Lexi and Mad today, so I offered to take you to lunch."
"Oh." Unease ripples through me, though I'm not sure if it's because we're sneaking around, because he's reminded me why we're sneaking around, or for some other reason entirely.
"What's wrong?" he asks, rubbing his thumb along my knuckles.
I sigh. Where to start? "Is it safe for them to be here alone?"
"I wouldn't leave if it wasn't, Savannah."
I hear the frown in his voice. I've inadvertently insulted him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Pulling away, I duck my head, waiting for him to snap at me. My face burns with shame.
"Hey." He shifts around on the bed again, turning me until I'm facing him. "Look at me, please," he whispers.
I take a deep breath and open my eyes to find him staring at me.
"I'm not him, Savannah." He cups my cheek in his hand, his expression serious. Jade bores into me, full of promise and sincerity. "I'm not going to yell at you or hurt you for saying something the wrong way, beautiful girl. I'm. Not. Him. Just get that thought out of your head right now, okay?"
"I–" I swallow and nod. "I'm trying. I just–" I sigh and nod again, not ready to broach any of the thousand questions that need broaching. Not just yet.
"Good." He kisses my temple again, and then my forehead. "Stewart, Chris, and Demetri have everything well under control, and the girls are perfectly safe here. So do you want to go to lunch with me or not?"
"Chris?" I frown at the familiar name. "Isn't he your brother?"
"Yes. And Demetri is his fiancé."
I've met them both, but I didn't realize they were a couple. It doesn't bother me in the least – why should it? But the fact that they're both here makes me nervous. What's really going on? Why was Matthew killed? Why's Lexi so afraid?
"And Matthew hired them to help Stewart with security?" I ask, deciding that's probably the easiest of the questions I have for
Jared leans over me, smiling.
"Good morning," he whispers.
I'm so disoriented. Did I fall back asleep? Or was I dreaming?
"Did you bring me a flower?" I ask. My voice is husky from sleep, and the question sounds abrupt.
Jared brushes my hair back from my face. "I did."
I blink again, trying to wake up and process his answer.
"You're not a morning person," he says, watching me intently.
I shrug, and then yawn.
He plays with my hair as my brain slowly begins to fire again. Naturally, it shoots straight to him. I know he's gotten far less sleep than I have, but he appears wide awake. His green eyes shine, and he's foregone shaving again.
I reach up and run my hand through his wild hair.
He grins at me.
"Hi," I whisper, my stomach turning a somersault.
"There you are." He bumps his nose against mine and then kisses my temple. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mmhmm," I hum, still sliding my fingers through his hair. "What are you doing here?"
"Watching you." He grins again and it makes him seem almost boyish. I've never seen him so carefree.
Does he feel the same fuzzy sensation that's bubbling up from the pit of my stomach?
It's that same floating feeling from last night. Euphoria. Happiness. Peace. A mixture of all three.
"That must have been boring," I murmur.
He shifts around behind me and pulls me up against him.
I snuggle into his chest and sigh, that fuzziness bubbling a little higher.
"Not at all. You're fascinating," he whispers in my ear then, nuzzling his face into my neck. "Beautiful. Smart. Compassionate." Each word is punctuated with a little kiss.
I kick my feet, suddenly burning hot and tingling all over.
Jared chuckles when the blankets refuse to budge and helps jerk the top one down. "Better?" he asks, going right back to his nuzzling.
"Mmhmm." I tilt my head a little, giving him better access and then ask again, breathlessly, "Really, why are you here?"
He kisses my neck again and then pulls back, settling his chin on my shoulder before twining his fingers with mine. "Katie demanded some alone time with Lexi and Mad today, so I offered to take you to lunch."
"Oh." Unease ripples through me, though I'm not sure if it's because we're sneaking around, because he's reminded me why we're sneaking around, or for some other reason entirely.
"What's wrong?" he asks, rubbing his thumb along my knuckles.
I sigh. Where to start? "Is it safe for them to be here alone?"
"I wouldn't leave if it wasn't, Savannah."
I hear the frown in his voice. I've inadvertently insulted him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Pulling away, I duck my head, waiting for him to snap at me. My face burns with shame.
"Hey." He shifts around on the bed again, turning me until I'm facing him. "Look at me, please," he whispers.
I take a deep breath and open my eyes to find him staring at me.
"I'm not him, Savannah." He cups my cheek in his hand, his expression serious. Jade bores into me, full of promise and sincerity. "I'm not going to yell at you or hurt you for saying something the wrong way, beautiful girl. I'm. Not. Him. Just get that thought out of your head right now, okay?"
"I–" I swallow and nod. "I'm trying. I just–" I sigh and nod again, not ready to broach any of the thousand questions that need broaching. Not just yet.
"Good." He kisses my temple again, and then my forehead. "Stewart, Chris, and Demetri have everything well under control, and the girls are perfectly safe here. So do you want to go to lunch with me or not?"
"Chris?" I frown at the familiar name. "Isn't he your brother?"
"Yes. And Demetri is his fiancé."
I've met them both, but I didn't realize they were a couple. It doesn't bother me in the least – why should it? But the fact that they're both here makes me nervous. What's really going on? Why was Matthew killed? Why's Lexi so afraid?
"And Matthew hired them to help Stewart with security?" I ask, deciding that's probably the easiest of the questions I have for
Similar Books
