Death and the Girl Next Door
Page 42“Jared,” I scolded, “that is very dangerous.”
His eyes glittered as he studied me, appreciation for my concern apparent.
Overcome by a shy kind of awkwardness, I pulled away from him. Blindingly gorgeous boys weren’t interested in me. He would figure that out sooner or later. I took his glass and plate to the sink. “We have a few touristy items for sale in the store. I’ll try to find you something to wear as soon as I check on the shower situation.”
Humiliated by my own behavior, I left him with Glitch and rushed upstairs to check on Cameron and Brooke. Fatigue had leached into my muscles, and my bruised ribs ached. But the thrill of finding Jared, of having him in my house, kept my adrenaline pumping strong. And he was an angel. A celestial being. Who would’ve thought?
I walked into my room as a freshly showered Cameron sat shirtless on my bed, suffering through Brooklyn’s ministrations. She was applying antibiotic ointment and butterfly stitches to a nasty cut on his back.
“You’re a mess,” Brooklyn said.
“So they say.”
Her mouth thinned as it did when she wanted to say something but didn’t quite know how to put it. Gathering her courage, she took a deep swallow of air and asked, “Why do you hate Jared so bad?”
He stilled but didn’t answer.
After a moment, she continued. “Is it because he was sent to take Lorelei? Sent to take the person you’re here to protect?”
“How do you know?”
He looked at her from over his shoulder. “We have a history.”
She smoothed a bandage over the cut. “Can you tell me about it?”
“No.”
“Figures. Want a sandwich?” she asked, taking care not to touch the wound when she helped him with the T-shirt he’d confiscated from his truck. “Glitch makes awesome grilled cheeses.”
“I guess,” he said as his head popped through the opening at the neck.
“Fine. I’ll go place the order, but don’t think for a minute I’m not furious with you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I winked at her as she left the room, then folded my arms over my chest. In obvious pain, he struggled to his feet and turned to me.
“Brooklyn? Brooke’s pretty direct,” I said, trying to come up with the right words to describe my best friend. “If she didn’t like you, you’d know it.”
He shrugged. “Guess that’s something.”
“Am I interrupting?”
I turned to see Jared standing in my doorway.
Cameron answered before I had a chance. “Isn’t that, like, your job? Interrupting the lives of others? Creating havoc and despair wherever you roam?”
“Cameron,” I said in that warning tone my grandparents used every so often.
“I’m going downstairs.” He strolled out, giving a light shove as he brushed past Jared.
Jared ignored him, his gaze unwavering as he watched me watch him. Even beaten and bruised he was stunning. A cut on the side of his mouth did nothing to lessen its beauty, its fullness emphasized by the dark shadows of his unshaven jaw. His eyes—sable shimmering pools framed in thick, impossibly long lashes—sparkled even in the dim light of my room. He was the most sensual being I’d ever laid eyes upon. Yet he was like those guys who didn’t know how beautiful they were. It made me like him all the more, and I wondered how his mouth would feel pressed against mine.
With a mental shake, I dragged my thoughts out of the gutter and headed for the bathroom. Just because a god stood in my doorway didn’t give me permission to objectify him. Really, it was like I hardly knew myself anymore.
I moved the shower curtain aside and turned on the water. After testing the temperature, I turned back. Jared had followed me and now stood in the bathroom doorway. There was something about him and doorways. He filled them up so completely.
His line of sight meandered to my mouth and lingered there a short while before traveling back up. “Your eyes get darker when you’re emotional.” He took a step toward me. “They’re darker now, like smoke from a forest fire drifting toward Heaven.”
“Really?” I asked, my lungs burning inside my chest. “I didn’t know that.”
His expression, curious and intense, sent sharp tingles arcing through my body. My insides went all mushy and my knees weakened. I couldn’t believe how wildly beautiful he was, how powerful and seductive.
He stretched out his hand. “I believe this is yours.”
I looked down. My necklace sat resting in his palm, the delicate chain laced over his long fingers. With a squeal of delight, I took it from him. “Where did you get this?”
The barest of smiles softened his features. “It was in my hand when I jumped from Cameron’s vehicle.”
“Oh, my goodness, thank you so much,” I said, fastening it around my neck. I couldn’t believe he had it.
He lifted the pendant where it rested, the backs of his fingers brushing the base of my throat, his skin warm against mine. If I let myself, I could look at him for all eternity. His strong jaw. His full mouth. His eyes so dark, they were like the ocean at night.