“Is there something I should know?” Jarrett asked. “Have you maybe never kissed a guy before?”
Whatever emotions warred on her face must’ve come from something painful in her past. Someone must’ve hurt her. Jarrett had never been a violent man, but he was tempted to sock this guy in the gut.
“No, I’ve kissed men but…” She sat in the chair beside Gabe, who crawled into her lap, latching onto her like before. “The last few times I kissed a guy, it was purely physical, because I was actually in love with someone else. It was awful. So I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss a man again unless it meant something. Unless he and I were in love with each other.”
He wanted to ask her more about the guy she’d been in love with. Had they dated a long time? Had he dumped her? Had he left her for another woman?
But Jarrett kept his mouth shut. He hated that this guy had broken her heart, but he’d already dredged up enough painful memories.
“I’m sorry, Rylie. If I’d known it was such a big deal to you, I wouldn’t have asked.” He picked up Gabe’s empty plate and carried it to the sink. “We’ll find some other way to convince Mom we’re doing okay.”
He could’ve sworn he saw tears in her eyes. But he knew Rylie never cried. He must’ve been seeing things.
Their conversation stuck on replay in the back of her mind for the rest of the evening. What had she expected? That he would swear his love for her and kiss her senseless? How could he do that when he was still in love with Carlie?
Unable to turn off her brain when nighttime came, she tossed and turned in the middle of the huge king-sized bed. She hadn’t even dozed off when Gabe woke up, his pitiful cry filtering down the hallway at two a.m., so she hopped out of bed to reach him before the noise disturbed Jarrett. Though she lulled Gabe back to sleep patting his back, he woke the minute she left his side. Desperate, she moved the beanbag close to his bed so she could lie down while reaching up to rub his back. She was cold without a blanket, but surely she could go back to her bed soon.
She didn’t remember falling asleep, but the early morning light was filtering through the window when she woke to her body being jostled. Strong arms reached under her to lift her up, where she nestled against Jarrett’s hard chest as he moved down the hallway. She was almost disappointed he had a t-shirt on, though she knew it was for the best. As his warmth seeped into her, she shivered and wondered how long she’d been asleep in Gabe’s room.
“What time is it?” she mumbled.
“About five,” his deep voice answered in a soft tone. “Why were you sleeping on that bean bag? Did you hear him wake up during the night?”
“He started crying around two, and I couldn’t get him back to sleep.” She ought to protest and make him put her down, so she could walk on her own. But it felt so good to be in his arms, she just wanted to enjoy it for a few more seconds.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You spent Friday night at the hospital. You needed to sleep.”
She’d also thought he probably slept without his prosthetic leg and hadn’t wanted him to have to attach it in the middle of the night—one of those things that felt too intimate to ask about.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Gabe is my responsibility.”
“Excuse me?” She stiffened in his grasp. “He’s as much my responsibility as yours. Or did you forget we’re both his legal guardians?”
His arms tightened around her, as if to prevent an attempted escape, though she was enjoying her captivity. She had a great excuse for his arms to be wrapped around her, and it was dark enough he couldn’t see how the blood had rushed to her face.
“That’s not what I meant.” He reached the door to the bedroom and bumped it open. “I’m saying I chose to do this, knowing the sacrifices it would take. You got trapped into it. You’re doing enough already. You don’t need to stay up all night with Gabe.”
Her back landed gently on the mattress, and covers were pulled over her. Jarrett propped himself on the edge of the bed, the glow of dawn lighting his face. Dark circles under his eyes attested to his fatigue, counter to his argument that she should’ve let him handle Gabe during the night.
“Listen, Jarrett. I made the decision, and I’m committed a hundred percent. I’m married now, and I’m a mom. So, I’m going to do what every other wife and mother would do.”
“Is that so?” At the corner of his mouth, a dimple appeared. “Whatever another wife and mother would do? Here I thought you wanted a platonic relationship.”
She stifled a giggle. This was probably a prelude to the way his parents teased, but it was a side of Jarrett she’d never seen. “You’re bad.”
She flung her hand in a playful swat, and he caught her wrist. With a jolt, their gazes locked, his pupils disappearing into the deep chocolate of his eyes. He slowly lifted her hand until his lips brushed her knuckles, chill bumps rippling up her arm.
“Seriously, Rylie, you’ve been so awesome. I don’t know why I thought I could handle this alone. I’m already depending on you so much.”
“All I did was sleep on a beanbag for a few hours. No big deal.”
“It’s a big deal to me. And to Gabe.”
She would’ve protested again, but his head bent toward hers, his lips pressing against her cheek with a kiss that somehow sucked every intelligent thought from her head.
Less than twenty-four hours since she’d moved into Jarrett’s home. Could she really handle a year of living with this man, pretending she didn’t love him?
I need to look for more faults!
CHAPTER 13
Jarrett pulled his mom aside a few moments after they arrived on Sunday afternoon. He had to do something to protect poor Rylie from his mother.
“Listen. Rylie’s kind of shy, so maybe you should go easy on the teasing.”
“What teasing? I never tease.” His mother batted her lashes at him before throwing her head back with a loud cackle. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring her out of her shell.”
“You’ll do no such thing.” Jarrett glanced over his shoulder to be sure Rylie was out of earshot. He lowered his voice. “I’m warning you, Mom. I’ll send you both back to Grand Junction if you upset her. I especially don’t want you teasing her about sex.”
She made a face like she’d bitten into a lemon. “Why? Is she some kind of prude? Oh, I should tell my joke about the newlywed couple where the woman always made her husband turn the light off before they had sex.”
“No! Absolutely not!”
