JARED-1(Lane Brothers, Book 4)(35)
“I love you, too, Mr. Lane. Now stop frowning and worrying about me. Everything will be fine. I promise. You just worry about taking care of Mama when we get home, because I just know she’s going to be ready to skin me alive.” Paulie laughs, kissing me once more before rolling away and rising to walk to the bathroom.
She turns at the door and my mouth goes dry at the heated look of invitation in her eyes.
“Come on, Lane. Come wash my back and all my girlie parts,” she purrs, licking her lips once before disappearing with a smile.
Oh what the hell. One for the road, I mutter to myself, jumping to my feet just as the shower turns on and I hear her groan in bliss.
She’s humming and rinsing her hair when I reach her and I feel myself pause in wonder when she turns and smiles at me unabashedly, no longer self-conscious about the faint silvery lines running along her hips and upper buttocks.
I don’t see anything but perfection in her, and I told her so, but I’m glad she feels secure enough with me not to hide anymore. So much of a woman’s confidence comes from the way her man sees her, and I’d die before making her feel like she’s lacking in any way.
“Let me take care of you, Cupcake,” I murmur lovingly, coming in behind her to glide a hand through her long hair and rinse the soap from her tresses.
She smiles and leans back into me, breathing deeply as if totally sated now that I’m near.
“You already do, Jared. You take care of me in the best of ways.”
I feel my chest tighten with the sweet elation her words bring. Who would have thought, just one week ago, that I would be so gone for a tiny slip of a woman like Paulie Hayes?
Chapter Eleven
Paulette
We make good time later that morning and reach the small town of Fisher’s Watch a little after eleven after driving without pause for the last four hours.
My nerves are strung tight now that we’re here, and I have to force myself to breathe constantly when the panic attack I’ve been battling since our shower threatens to make itself known in the worst way.
I can’t allow it freedom now, not when we’re so close to finally getting somewhere, because I know my guy. If he so much as suspects that I’m about to spazz out, he’ll have me home so fast, my panic attack won’t know what hit it.
He’s just as jumpy as I feel inside, and that fear is only adding to my own, making me want to cry and tense up.
“We’re here,” he says, and I find a smile somewhere deep inside at the irate tone he’s trying to tamp down for my sake.
We’re currently parked just on the outskirts of the sleepy little town in a copse of tress that hide our location from the rest of the town and the road leading in.
Case and Jace have stopped behind us and gone off to scout the warehouse and surrounding area for a good place for them to set up the rifles that Miah drove all night to bring to them.
I’m a little glad he didn’t stay and that Jared managed to make him leave because the man looked fit to kill, an attitude we don’t need, not when everything is so delicately balanced.
“You realize that if anything happens to you, I may as well die, too, right?” Jared says after a long silence, taking me completely by surprise with his seriousness.
His intensity and the utter truth I see reflected in his gaze give me pause and I feel myself start to tear at just the notion of anything happening to my love.
“Nothing bad will happen.”
He grunts and grips the steering wheel so hard, I hear it shine beneath his fingers.
“Hope does not a success make, Cupcake, we all know that. Just remember, if something feels off or you start getting antsy, you run and keep going. Don’t stop till you get to your car. We’ll keep you covered at all times.”
I know this all already, he’s said it so many times on the drive over, but if he needs me to say it again, I will if only to put him at ease.
“I won’t stop. I promise. Just swear that you’ll meet me and leave those idiots alone if things go wrong,” I say now, hating my suspicion that Jared could get himself killed going after Clyde or Roman.
He sighs and releases the wheel to take my hands and lay gentle kisses to them.
“You get out and I get out. That’s the plan. I won’t do a damn thing to mess with that scenario, so stop worrying and breathe, Cupcake.”
I swallow and breathe, not even realizing that I’ve been holding my breath till it rushes out in a loud whoosh.
“Good. Now remember to keep your wire concealed. If one of those assholes starts patting you down, you drop him like you mean it and spit on his ass for daring to touch you. Got it?”
“Yes, worry wart, I got it. Kick in the balls and haughty attitude. Done. Should I go for outright testicular decimation or just a little warning kick that will leave them unable to father children ever again?”