by Amelia Shea
He wasn’t sure if his father was privy to all the talk of Kellie Mitchell, but her mother had a reputation to rival her daughter. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree had been a saying he’d heard a few times in regard to the Mitchell women. He didn’t know much about Donna Mitchell other than she was Kellie’s mom. She had worked at the hotel for a while and sold her handmade jewelry at the flea market on weekends. One look at Donna and one could see where Kellie got her beauty. She was stunning, with dark hair and the same green eyes. Much like Kellie, she was built in a way most men noticed. He’d heard she left town years ago, but other than that, he didn’t know much else.
He was just about to his back door when he heard the music coming from inside. The soft light from his kitchen glowed through the window. His back steps were the perfect height for a glance into the kitchen. He stared in to see Kellie at the sink. She was washing the dishes, but that wasn’t what had him hitching his breath. Her hips swayed, her ass shaking from side to side. It wasn’t the first time he’d noticed her curves, but it was the longest he’d ever spent staring. She wore the same clothes from this morning, a pair of jeans molded to her ass, giving him a perfect view.
He blinked and stepped back. If she caught him staring through a window, it would probably freak her out. It was creepy, and he felt the heat on his face. He opened the door and slid inside. He laid the cooler on his dryer and took off his wet clothes. The day was catching up with him, and his body was exhausted but on high alert knowing what was beyond the door. He made a point of knocking around the room when he took off his boots, making his presence known. Then he grabbed the cooler and opened the door.
She was drying her hands, and he noticed the dishes he had left in his sink earlier were now drying on a towel. Actually, when he scanned the room, it had been cleaned up. He wasn’t a slob, but living on his own, he didn’t care too much for scattered papers or dishes piled in his sink. Eventually, he would get to them. But someone beat him to it.
“You cleaned up?”
“Oh yeah, I hope it’s okay. I was a little bored, so I just straightened up.” She twisted her hands in the towel. “Sorry.”
Jasper glanced over at her. She looked nervous, like she’d done something to upset him. He smiled. “No, I don’t mind, but you didn’t have to.”
Her shoulders sagged in what seemed like relief. “Like I said, I was bored.” She glanced down at his hands.
“My mom sent some food up.” He placed the containers on the table and washed his hands. Having her in his space was an odd, easy feeling, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman over. Too long from the growing erection he was trying desperately to conceal in his pants.
The towel came from his left, and he glanced over to see her holding it out for him to take. Her eyes cast down. She did that a lot when she was around him. Most people wouldn’t refer to Kellie as shy, but here with him, she seemed it. Their current scenario was an awkward situation, to say the least. He took the towel and dried his hands, watching her pull down plates from the cabinet and bring them to the table.
“Does she know I’m here?” She bent over, leaning across the table with the plate. His eyes zeroed in immediately on her cleavage. He didn’t know which view was better, her ass or the view he was getting now. “Jasper?”
His gaze shifted upward, and from the curl of her mouth, it was obvious he’d been caught. He cleared his throat, giving her his back when he turned. “Yeah, she said there was enough for two.”
He opened the cutlery drawer when he felt a hand on his forearm. His back tensed from her touch. Resisting this girl around town was one thing, but in his house, alone, this would take great effort. He sucked in a breath and looked over his shoulder. Her lips were turned down, her gaze laced with worry.
“I’m sorry.”
He hated how she kept apologizing; it was driving him mad. If anyone should be down on their knees begging for forgiveness, it should be him for putting her in this position. He jerked his body, and she pulled away. He stepped closer to her, leaving only a small space between them. Her eyes grew wide. God, she had beautiful eyes. Without all the makeup, he could really see them, soft green, almond-shaped eyes. He reached out, taking her hand in his and holding it up to his chest. He needed something to separate them before he did something stupid, like leaning in for a kiss. Her lips were calling to him, and he wanted so badly to answer.
Her hand was limp and unsure. He clasped his fingers through hers. The soft pads of her fingers slid across his knuckles, and she gasped a breath. He had to shut this down before he started something which would end with them naked in his bed.
“Darlin’, you gotta stop apologizing, okay? You did me a huge favor by bringing me home, not the other way around. Now, I got no problem or issues about you being here. Just don’t want others to get the wrong idea.”
Kellie’s face paled, and she averted her eyes. He saw hurt shadow her features. He was screwing this up and not making himself clear. “I don’t want to do anything that will have people talking about you.”
She winced and then snorted. “Jasper, it’s a little too late for that. I’m a popular subject in Cloves County, as you know.”
He knew exactly what she meant. Kellie’s reputation was a punch line to a joke and gave every man she ever turned down ammo against her. He didn’t pay much attention to the guy talk, but he had heard it.
“Yeah, well, people like to talk. Doesn’t mean there’s any merit though. What you do or don’t do, isn’t anyone’s business but your own, Kellie.”
She searched his eyes and licked her lips. She seemed to be gearing up or at least trying to find the courage to say something.
“What?” he whispered. He wanted to know what she was going to say; he was actually dying to hear her voice again.
She shrugged slightly, the corner of her mouth tugging down. “It’s not all true. I’m mean, some of it is, but everything everyone says, it’s not all true. I just wanted you to know.”
She bowed her head slightly. He raised their clasped hands, nudging under her chin just enough for her to look up. “I do know, Kellie.”
Her face flushed, and she slowly pulled her hand away. He got the feeling she was doing it reluctantly. She stared down at the floor, seemingly embarrassed by the conversation. He would let it go, but not before making one more assurance. He lifted her chin to meet his stare.
“No more apologies, okay, sweetheart?” Her face blushed and shifted in a quick short nod. He stepped back and smiled. “Good, let’s eat.”
They took their seats and ate in silence. He’d never seen her so quiet. Of course, he hadn’t spent any time one on one with her, but usually she talked more. When she told a story, her hands would flay, and her face became animated. Maybe it was the conversation they had just had. Or maybe it was just him. Whatever it was, it bothered him. He watched her spear a green pepper and open her mouth. Her lips spread wide. She had amazing lips, full and pouty, perfect for… His gaze rose to her eyes, and she stared at him.
Fuck.
“Is it good?”
She chewed and nodded. “Yeah, tell your mom I think she’s an amazing cook.” She giggled and then abruptly stopped as if she’d said something wrong. “Or don’t. I mean, you don’t have to.”
Jasper laughed, grasping his beer and bringing it up to his lips for a swig. He wiped his mouth, keeping his gaze on her uncertain stare. “I will tell her. She’ll be happy it was appreciated. I think she misses cooking for all of us now that Grey and I are outta the house. Tripp sure as hell doesn’t appreciate it.”
Kellie drew in a breath. “Well, I do. Most of my dinners consist of burgers and fries at the bar. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked meal.” She forked the last bite of meatloaf. “And my mom never cooked this good. She tried, but um…never quite pulled it off.” She smiled. “She believed in being creative when cooking, which was code for adding a pinch of eve
ry spice in our cabinet. You ever have an oregano, dill weed, celery seed omelet?”
Her eyes widened and her nose scrunched, and then she winked at him. Here was the animated Kellie she’d been holding back from him.
He snickered, resting his elbows on the table and pushing his plate forward. “How is your mom?”
She flinched with the fork in her mouth. She seemed surprised and caught off guard by his question. She slowly pulled the fork from her lips and chewed quickly before swallowing.
“She’s fine.”
“She still making jewelry?”
Her eyes widened, and she coughed, quickly wiping her mouth with her napkin. “Uh…yeah.”
“Am I being too nosy?”
She shook her head. “N-no.” She sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. “Not many people ask about my mom.” She swallowed and rested the napkin near her empty plate. “She’s living in Vegas now. She works as a receptionist for an accountant but still does her jewelry on the side.” She flipped her hair behind her ears and leaned toward him over the table. “She made these.”
The tiny purple jewels encrusted in bronze metal dangled from her lobes. Jasper knew nothing about jewelry. They looked nice, he guessed. He smiled. “They’re pretty.”
“Thanks. She’s really talented. She thought about quitting for a while, but I talked her into staying with it.” The pride in her eyes for her mom stirred in his heart. You could tell the good in people by the way they loved their family.
“If you ever need anything, like something for your mom, let me know. She makes all different pieces.”
Jasper tightened his lips. The earrings were flashy and bold. The complete opposite of his mom. He couldn’t imagine his mother wearing anything of that nature. She smiled, and her eyes gleamed. There was no way he was going to announce his mother would probably junk them in a drawer for all eternity.
“Thanks, Kellie, I’ll keep it in mind.”
She grabbed her plate and stood. “You’re welcome.”
They cleaned up together. It felt very domesticated, and with Kellie being more at ease since their dinner conversation, working around his kitchen felt a little too right for his liking. She cleaned out the containers, and he dried them. At one point she backed into him, setting her ass against his groin. God damn, he needed to get away from her.
“We can finish up in the morning. I’m beat.” He walked out of the kitchen, Kellie following close behind.
He needed to put some distance between them.
Chapter Four
The tingling in her chin still lingered from hours ago where he touched her. She was never going to fall asleep. She curled deeper into the bed. His bed. If anytime there was a place to snuggle it was here, soft yet cozy, and Jasper’s scent laced through the pillows. The whole room carried his scent, and it was like an aphrodisiac for her. She twined her legs together.
After dinner, he insisted she take his bedroom. She refused, but it was short-lived. Aside from being kind, she was shown a side to Jasper she’d never seen. Stubborn. Even after she insisted she would be perfectly fine on the couch again, he was dragging her to his bedroom.
When he grabbed her hand, her body went numb. I’m holding Jasper’s hand. Her face burned. Thankfully, his back was to her saving her some embarrassment. She memorized the feel of his callused palm. Pathetic. She glanced down at their hands and smiled, trying to combat the giddiness running through her. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.
He let go of her hand as they breached the doorway where she stopped. She had been in his room last night, but seeing it again had her stomach twisting. The same bed she had settled him into last night was where she would sleep. Alone. She bit her lip, staring at the neatly made bed.
“You coming in or gonna stand there all night?” She whipped her head to see him coming out of the bathroom with a small bag.
“I don’t feel right about taking your bed.” Unless you wanna join me? Her face heated. Luckily, she thought it and didn’t actually say it.
“Well, I don’t feel right about you sleeping on the couch. It’s a good bed, you’ll be more comfortable, and there’s a bathroom, so you’ll have privacy.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a shirt and then tossed it on the bed. “You can sleep in that.”
She stared down at the white T-shirt at the end of his bed. Did he remember her saying how uncomfortable it was to sleep in her jeans? Whether he did or not didn’t matter. He was offering her his shirt to sleep in. Her naked skin against his shirt. Her heart skipped a beat as she gnawed on her bottom lip.
“The roads should be cleared by noon tomorrow, and I’ll get you home.” She heard him but didn’t acknowledge. Her sole focus was on the shirt. “Kellie?”
She blurted out, “You want me to wear your shirt?”
He seemed confused and a bit surprised as he raised his brows. “Only if you want to.”
She was making this more awkward then it should have been. It was merely a kind gesture, not an invitation into his bed for all the dirty thoughts racing through her mind. Her cheeks blazed. Shut up and thank him.
“Thanks.”
He stepped toward her, and he moved to pass her at the doorway. She shifted slightly, which made less room for him when he moved in the same direction. His body swiped against hers, and he paused. “You’re welcome. Night.” His smile made her heart pound in her chest. It was so erratic she could swear he could see it. He moved through the door, and she watched him walk down the hall, glancing over his shoulder as he walked into the main bathroom. She skirted inside his room quickly and closed the door.
That was hours ago. Now, she was nestled in his bed with zero desire to sleep. She turned on her side, fluffing up the pillow in the process. The clock on his dresser was confirmation this would be a long night. 2:57 a.m.
She should enjoy being in his bed since it would most likely be her last chance. Somehow, in her dreams of being with Jasper, she never envisioned finally getting into his bed and being alone. She tossed onto her other side trying desperately to find comfort. Kellie was too wound up and considering she was usually settling in at this time after a shift, sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. A click at the door caught her attention. It slowly opened with the hallway light streaming in. It only opened a sliver before she saw Jasper creeping in.
Was he coming in to seduce her into sleeping with him? He moved slowly across the room. He cracked open the closet door and disappeared inside. She sat up in the bed and waited. What was he doing?
A minute later, he came out and headed to the door, careful to not make any noise.
“Jasper?” she whispered.
His body halted in mid-step, and she could see his shadow turn toward the bed.
“Didn’t mean to wake you.”
Kellie leaned over to the nightstand, flicking on the light and squinting, shielding the brightness. When her vision came back, Jasper was standing close to the door, staring down at her. She wasn’t about to admit she was wide awake thinking of him.
“It’s okay. Where are you going?”
Jasper looked back at her in a daze. His gaze flickered down to her chest and then shot up to meet her stare. He jerked his head to the door. “Gotta check on the animals.”
At three o’clock in the morning? Talk about dedication to the job.
“Want some company?”
He seemed surprised by the question and furrowed his brows. “It’s early, you should go back to bed.”
That wasn’t going to happen.
“Well, I’m up. The least I could do is make some coffee before you go.”
“You’re not gonna go back to sleep?”
She shrugged, throwing the covers off her legs. His intake of breath was a faint gasp. She looked up to see his gaze settle on her legs. She had taken him up on his offer to borrow the shirt. Chills streamed over her skin, and she squirmed under his heated stare. She knew the look, and her heart began to quicken. At least he appreciated the way she looke
d. She stood up from the bed, and his gaze traveled down her body and back up to meet her eyes.
“Thanks for the shirt.”
“Looks good on you.” He swallowed.
Maybe she was reading into it, but this compliment had her smiling. He didn’t return the smile as he watched her. His eyes seemed to darken as they stood across from one another. If he had been any other guy she wanted, she would have merely lifted her shirt off her body, dropped it to the floor, and asked, “How does it look off me?”
Not Jasper though.
“If you wanna come, you can.”
The corner of her mouth slid up. She wanted to come in more ways than one. Damn, girl, control yourself. Did he even realize where her mind had gone? His eyebrows cocked up. Yes, he did.
“I’ll just change and meet you downstairs.”
He nodded and walked out of the room. She hurried to the door, closing it, and skittered around the room to get dressed. She was tugging on her shirt as she made her way down the hall. He met her in the kitchen and handed her a thermos before they went into the mudroom. She reached for her jacket, but his hand landed on her wrist.
“You need something warmer.” He rifled through a bunch of jackets hanging on the back hooks. His eyes were intent, as if he was looking for something specific. The second-best view of Jasper was his profile. Long straight nose, a thick bottom lip, and a strong brow line. A light dusting of scruff covered his jaw. He usually had a clean-shaven face when she saw him out, but this made him more rugged.
He pulled out a coat from the back and handed it to her. It was a thick, brown lined jacket. It was big enough to swallow her. She put it on, and the sleeves fell past her hands.
