Page 21 of Forced Mate Bride
“It’s open,” Nikki’s voice finally called.
An overwhelming sense of relief that he hadn’t anticipated washed over him, and he found himself breathing easier for the first time in days. He pushed the door open.
She was sitting on the bed, feet dangling over the side. Her hair was indeed tucked behind her ear. Nikki watched him, her expression guarded, neither of them speaking. A long moment stretched between them.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi,” she said, her expression still guarded, neutral.
Letting out a breath, feeling strangely self-conscious, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to apologize,” he muttered.
Nikki blinked. “What?”
“I fucked up,” he admitted. “I should have handled yesterday better, and I’m sorry.”
Her features softened, and she uncoiled from her curled position. She studied him, her head tilted.
“Things need to change, Jasper,” she finally said. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I need some space. I can’t keep going like this.”
He nodded. “You’re right.”
Again, another blink of surprise. She stared at him, almost bewildered, as if waiting for some other version of him, the one she had seen at the library, to reemerge.
“I’m not going to stop protecting you,” he growled. “And I’m not going to stop telling you when I think what you’re doing is dangerous, but I should have handled all of this better.”
Her features softened, her shoulders that had been tensed and ready to battle began to ease. She contemplated him in a new light, regarding him with a curious expression.
“All right,” she said.
A pause lingered between them. Jasper regarded her, taking in the handful of freckles that dotted her cheekbones. Her hair was a tiny bit messy, as if she had used her fingers as a comb but nothing else. She wasn’t wearing makeup. Something about that natural state made her even more beautiful.
They stayed like that for a long time, neither of them speaking, both considering the other as if they were in the presence of a dangerous species.
Jasper moved first. “Come on,” he said, jerking his head toward the door.
Her features immediately turned guarded once more. “Why?” she demanded.
“Because I wanted to do something nice for you?” he said, turning it into a question. “I have a surprise.”
The suspicion in her eyes lingered. Jasper let out a puff of air, trying to conceal his exasperation. He managed to obscure most of it, at least.
“Look, you’re the one who wanted to get out of the house,” he said. “Would you rather stay here?”
She shook her head. She moved until she was on the edge of the bed, but stayed there. She considered him once more, her feet dangling inches from the floor.
“But why? For what reason?”
He grinned. “Come on, that’s not fun, is it? That’s the whole point of it being a surprise. I promise you’ll like it, though.”
Her own lip twitched upward. After a moment, she shrugged. “All right.”
She stood and stretched. He tried not to notice the way that cat-like gesture accentuated her gentle curves. He imagined his hands running along her body, tracing those contours. His jaw twitched, and he had to force himself to stay in place when all he wanted was to go over and pin her to the wall. He’d felt similarly when they had been in the library, in that small, confined room. Once again, he had to resist those urges. That didn’t stop him from watching.
She caught him looking. At first, he expected her to glower at him. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and gave a coy smile.
“Are we going or not?” she asked.
Jasper smirked. “Come on,” he said, and began leading her outside.
