Page 14 of Enticed
CHAPTER ELEVEN
GABE
Jasmine Hayes had gotten under my skin, but instead of a splinter I wanted to dig out, she was an itch I couldn’t scratch. She wasn’t at all what I’d expected when I came back to Honeysuckle Ranch, and that unnerved me. When I ran into her at a bar my first night back in town, I figured she was like most twenty-one year olds who’d just gotten their first taste of freedom, assuming she was only interested in partying and hooking up. It would be so much easier if that was the case. Then I could look past how beautiful she was and realize we had nothing in common. I could pretend that my stomach didn’t tighten every time she was near. Maybe then I’d be inclined to avoid her like I’d originally planned, but she made it impossible. I was drawn to her in a way I couldn’t explain. It didn’t help that she embodied all the qualities I valued and respected. She worked hard, she loved her family, and she was passionate about what she did. She was far more grounded at twenty-one than anyone I knew, including myself.
On top of all that, she was also great with Rory. She’d spent a large chunk of her weekend with my daughter, giving her riding lessons, showing her how to groom and saddle a horse, andeven braiding her hair, something I’d never been able to master. She’d treated my little girl like family, like someone who was important to her. If I ever decided to start dating again, I wanted someone like Jasmine.
Minus the whole being my best friend’s daughter part.
The skin on the back of my neck prickled, and the hair on my arms stood on end. As though I’d conjured her with my thoughts, Jasmine appeared at the door to the barn as I put one of the rescue horses back in her stall.
“Just the man I was looking for,” she said as she leisurely strode toward me. My heart rate kicked up, a little thrill coursing down my spine. I tried not to watch the sway of her hips as she approached, but I lost the fight. I let my eyes skim down her body briefly to take in the way her fitted blue jeans molded to her hips and thighs. Then I dropped my gaze to my hands as I slowly peeled off my gloves one finger at a time.
“What did you need?” I asked, doing my best not to look at her.
“I’ve got a riding student coming in this afternoon, and she wants to bring her new horse. She hasn’t ridden it yet, and although the seller claimed she’d been started under saddle, the parents said the horse will hardly let you tack her up. I wanted to see if you could assess her and maybe work your … horse whisperer … voodoo magic on her,” she said, hesitating like she couldn’t exactly find the right words as she waved her hand in a circle in front of her, presumably to indicate my magical abilities. I watched her from beneath the brim of my hat, trying not to let her compliment go to my head.
“Sure. I can take a look, feel her out. I’ll come up to the barn when they get here. What time is the appointment?”
“Two,” she replied slowly, like she was unsure. That was odd since she kept a meticulous schedule. I brushed it off andglanced down at my watch. I had just over an hour to finish up what I was doing.
“Alright, I’ll be there.”
“Thank you,” she said, then turned to walk away, but stumbled, reaching out to brace her hand on the closest stall door. I instantly went on alert, taking a step toward her.
“Are you okay?” I asked. She looked up, and I noticed for the first time her eyes were a little glassy. She straightened and blinked several times before pressing her fingers against her forehead.
“Yeah, it’s just...” she began, taking another step toward me. “I think my sugar—” She stumbled again, pitching forward. I reached for her, and she fell against me. Her face pressed into my abdomen, and I hooked my arms under hers to keep her from hitting the floor.
“Shit, your sugar is low.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, her eyes fluttering like she might pass out. I tried to help her stand up straight, but it was no use. Her legs were like noodles.
“Do you have your glucose tabs?”
“In my pocket.” I couldn’t exactly let go of her long enough to reach into her pocket. I made the split-second decision and bent down to scoop her into my arms. She instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her face into my chest. For a moment, I reveled in the feel of her body cradled against mine as I carried her to the tack room. I hoped she couldn’t feel the way my heart thundered against my ribs from having so much of her touching so much of me.
“My hero,” she said, wearing a lazy grin. I fought back a smile. She was flirting with me despite being on the verge of passing out from low blood sugar. It was such a Jasmine thing to do.
I placed her on the bench and fished around in her pockets for her glucose tabs. She smirked up at me.
“If you wanted to get in my pants, all you had to do was ask.”
I froze momentarily, trying to maintain my composure. That sassy mouth mixed with the invitation had my blood heating in my veins.
“Behave yourself, Little Menace,” I said with a chuckle, ignoring the way my body reacted to her teasing. It may have been a joke, but the front of my jeans grew a little tight just the same.
“Where’s the fun in that?” she asked with what I assumed was supposed to be a pout, but her voice was starting to slur. Shit. I needed to get these glucose tabs in her now.
Without looking away, I popped the lid on her travel tube of glucose tabs and shook a couple out in my hand before cupping her chin.
“Open,” I instructed, and she didn’t hesitate. She opened immediately, sticking her tongue out to accept the tabs. The sight was unexpectedly sensual, and I had to push every inappropriate thought from my head before dropping the tabs into her waiting mouth and ordering her to chew. Retrieving a bottle of water from the fridge, I cracked it open and handed it to her. She took several small sips. Slowly, she began to perk up and come back to herself.
“What happened?” I demanded, a little harsher than I intended.
“I just got busy and hadn’t eaten lunch yet.”
“Where’s your phone? Isn’t it supposed to alert you when your sugar starts to drop?” Normally, she got a warning that her levels were trending down before she even started to feel the effects.
