"Let's get to bed. It's been a long day for both of us."
She nods and stands up, following me to my room. While she lingers in the corner by the window, I grab a change of clothes from my dresser and head into the bathroom to get changed. I'm gonna let her take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch. As much as I'd like to have her in my arms, I don't want to put her in a position where she's uncomfortable.
I want her to trust me.
"You can have-" The words catch on my tongue, completely shocked to find her naked on the bed. Her head is dipped and her eyes have the blank look I hate.
"Jasmine, what are you doing?"
She looks over to me. "You said we were going to bed. I just wanted to be ready for you. I'm thankful that you helped me. I have to show it."
She has to?
With my eyes on the floor, I move around the bed to grab her clothes. I hand them to her but freeze as I try not to notice the different scars that litter her chest because if I look beyond the cuts and bruises, she's gorgeous. Full breasts, narrow waist, curvy ass. Everything in me wants to slide under the covers with her and make her mine. But that isn't what she needs, and if I do want her, that will ruin us before we ever start. "Put your clothes on."
I turn away from her before I do something we both regret. The bed creaks and I turn back toward her. She's tugged her T-shirt over her head and pulled the sheets up to cover her waist. Tear streaks stain her cheeks.
Fuck.
This could be the entirely wrong thing to do but hell if I know what else to do. I sit down next to her, lifting her chin so she's looking at me. "Why the tears?"
She hesitates.
"Tell me."
She exhales. "Nothing I do is right. I can't please you just like I couldn't please Dylan. I try, but I always seem to get things wrong." Her voice breaks as she spews out the confession.
I run my fingers through my hair, needing to do something with my hands, but it's useless. Before I can stop myself, I pull her onto my lap.
"You're wrong. I didn't tell you to get dressed because I don't want you. I told you that because I want you more than I can stand." My voice is a strangled moan as her eyes lock on mine before traveling down to my toes. I'm hard as a rock, and I'm sure she can feel it, too. "Having you here today has been great. I want you to stay, I want you here. Don't doubt that again, do you understand me?" I harden my voice on the last sentence to make sure she knows I'm serious.
I stand up and walk toward the door. "I need to get to bed, and so do you."
"Where are you going?"
"The couch. I wanted to give you your space." She looks around the large room. Her hands clutch the sheets and her teeth bite at her bottom lip. "Did you want me to stay?"
She tries to process what I've just asked her. I'm sure it's the first time she's been asked her opinion about what she does for a long time.
"Yes-I mean, if it's okay."
Everything in me screams that this is a bad idea. That I'm about to fuck up. But surely part of her recovery is leaning on someone, and if that someone is going to be anyone, it'll be me. I walk over to her, standing in front of her so she looks up at me.
"Anything you want I'll give you. You just have to ask."
On the spur of the moment, I lean down and place a kiss on her forehead. I know it's wrong but I can't resist. I lean closer, my forehead resting on hers and, fuck, if the smell of her doesn't overwhelm me.
I pull away before I'm tempted to do any more and she turns her back to me, bunching the sheets up under her chin, her hair splayed over my pillow.
Raising my eyes to the ceiling, I take in a deep breath before I climb in next to her, my back to hers, hoping with everything in me that I can pull her out of this sooner rather than later.
Chapter Fourteen
Jasmine
I wake to soft sheets and the first rays of the morning sun trickling through the blinds. I try to twist to see the time but find a heavy arm draped over me, pinning me to the bed. Fear invades me as my body goes stiff. My chest heaves and it feels like I'm suffocating, even though I know I'm not.
"Hey, it's okay," a voice whispers in my ear. My body strangely relaxes, and the arm lifts off of me.
I look around, remembering where I am. I turn toward the man next to me, the man who I can't figure out for the life of me. He is so different from anyone I've ever met. I was ashamed to tell him my story and show my weakness to him, but he listened without comment. He didn't look down on me. I found no judgment in his eyes. He eased my anxiety with gentleness.