Page 21 of Enticed
Guilt ate away at my insides with every word she spoke. I should’ve been there. I could’ve helped Rowan find his footing. Instead, I left them high and dry the moment Woody woke up just to race home to avoid upsetting Celeste. She’d been calling me every day asking when I would be back. Now I realized it was because she thought I might never come home again. I pulled off on the next exit when the signs indicated several restaurants up ahead.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling like the biggest jerk. “I didn’t know it was that bad. I did what I could to guide your brother while I was there, but it clearly wasn’t enough. I should have come back to help. I could’ve done so much more.”
“Don’t,” she said, reaching over to lay her hand on my forearm. I nearly jerked away, her searing touch lighting my nerve endings on fire. I wanted those soft, delicate hands all over me. Yet I wanted her to never touch me again, because if she did, I’d want to touch her back, and I wouldn’t stop until I explored every inch of her body.
“You helped more than you know,” Jasmine continued, drawing my attention back to the conversation at hand. I’d momentarily lost myself, imagining what her silken skin would feel like beneath my palms. “Rowan would’ve been completely lost if you hadn’t stuck around after the accident and showed him how to run things. You might not have been able to teach him everything he needed to know, but he got off to a good start thanks to you.”
“I just wish I’d been there more,” I admitted, throwing my truck into park. I could’ve eased the burden placed on thisfamily. I could’ve carried some of the weight of responsibility that had been placed solely on Rowan’s shoulders.
“We all wish you would’ve been there more,” she whispered. I met her earnest gaze, and those hypnotic hazel eyes drew me in and held me hostage. I needed to look away. If I didn’t, I’d get lost in them, and no one would be able to pull me back from the brink.
Then her phone rang, and the moment was lost. I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally looked away. It was easier to put some distance between us when she wasn’t looking at me like I was the very thing she’d always wanted.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JASMINE
It was after nine o’clock when we finally arrived on site. Once we had Juniper taken care of, it was time to settle in for the night. I stepped into the living quarters with Gabe trailing close behind me. The door banged shut, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until then. This was the first night we’d be spending together, and I was nervous. I shouldn’t have been. He’d erected a wall between us when my dad called to check in and asked me to put him on speakerphone so he could talk to both of us. Gabe’s demeanor instantly changed. He grew distant, a mask of cool professionalism slipping into place while he spoke with my father.
The only time it slipped was during his nightly video call with Rory. He’d placed his phone in the mount on the dash so he could use its GPS, making it the perfect spot for him to talk to her hands free. When she grew bored of him, she insisted on talking to me instead. I reached for the phone at the same time Gabe did, and we bumped hands. He pulled his hand away instantly as though I’d burned him. But then, to my utter delight, he rested his hand on his thigh and flexed it before rubbing his palm over his jeans.
He. Did. The. Hand. Flex.
When I plucked the phone from the holder, he returned his hand to the steering wheel, gripping it so tight the leather creaked. Satisfaction swelled in my chest and internally, I did a little victory dance.
I chatted with Rory for a long time. She had so many questions, and I indulged her curiosity. It helped ease a little of the tension inside the cab. But now, there was no buffer between us. There was no Rory to distract from the situation at hand or the butterflies taking flight in my belly. I needed a moment to breathe, to settle my nerves before sharing this space with Gabe.
“I’m going to hop in the shower,” I said before scurrying to the bathroom. I washed up quickly and brushed my teeth before completing my nightly skin care routine and slipping on my pajamas. Gabe was gathering his toiletries and clothes when I emerged.
“It’s all yours,” I announced, and his gaze briefly flicked to me and back to his bag of supplies. But then he did a double take, his wide eyes snagging on my bare legs and drifting up my body. He swallowed hard at the sight of me in sleep shorts and a tank top. It was the same thing I always wore to bed, but he looked at me like I’d walked out in a negligee, and it made my entire body heat.
“Thanks,” he replied, quickly glancing away. I did my best to suppress the pleased grin threatening to appear at his reaction. He disappeared into the bathroom, and I set about preparing a snack tray with my favorite nighttime snacks. I always came prepared when I traveled with pre-cut fruit, nuts, Greek yogurt, and a little dark chocolate.
I was just curling up on the sleeper sofa with a blanket and the TV remote when Gabe walked out of the bathroom, a pair of gray sweatpants slung low on his hips and plain white t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and sculpted chest. Mymouth fell open and a raspberry escaped, landing in my lap. I quickly scooped it up and popped it back in my mouth, clicking on the TV so I had something else to focus on.
“Want to watch a show?” I asked, my words coming out breathier than I’d intended.
“Sure,” he replied with a shrug and settled on the opposite end of the sofa. It was so small, I could reach out and touch him. He was close enough that his intoxicating scent wrapped around me. I breathed him in, fighting the urge to close my eyes and take a deep inhale.
I held out my tray of goodies. “Want some?” I asked.
He scanned over the contents, and I scooted closer to give him a better view of the options. He shifted in his seat, angling his body toward me slightly so he could reach over and pluck a few berries and a handful of almonds from the tray. The movement caused our shoulders to brush, and his thigh pressed into mine. I fought the gasp threatening to escape at the contact, worried he’d instantly pull back if I reacted. He tossed a few blueberries into his mouth and faced the screen, but didn’t budge an inch or try to put any distance between us.
“What are we watching?” he asked.
I cleared my throat and attempted to keep my voice even despite my heart thundering in my chest at his proximity. “The Vampire Diaries,” I replied, and he cocked a brow, shooting me a sidelong glance. “It’s my comfort show,” I explained in defense of my choice of entertainment and playfully nudged his shoulder. A teasing grin tugged at his lips, and I rolled my eyes. “I always watch it while I’m on the road. It’s tradition. I’ve been through the entire series twice now and am working on round three.”
He chuckled and shook his head as I hit play, but soon he was just as engrossed as I had been the first time.
“Wait,” Gabe began after about twenty minutes of watching the show, “is she in love with both brothers?”
“Kind of. It’s … complicated.”
“Aren’t they, like, two hundred years old and she’s just a teenager?”
“No,” I replied in mock defensiveness. “They’re only about…” I began, attempting to do the math in my head based on when they turned and what year the show came out, “A hundred and seventy, give or take a few years.”
Gabe’s laughter rumbled through his chest, and I felt the vibrations where our bodies were pressed together.
