Rules of Protection (Tangled in Texas #1)(32)

“You could ask me politely. Do you expect me to obey your every command?”

“Yes. Now sit.”

“Tarzan usually beats his chest,” I said, walking past him.

Jake caught me by the arm and pulled me down next to him. He grabbed my ankles, shifting my legs into his lap, which made me fall onto my back. “I don’t know why you have to be difficult.”

Something cold touched my leg. “What are you doing?”

“I’m putting some medicine on your mosquito bites. Otherwise, you’ll be scratching them all night in your sleep.”

I propped myself up on my elbows. “I can do it myself.”

“It’s easier and faster if I do it,” Jake said, rubbing another spot with a cold salve-laden finger. “Lay back. I want to get between your thighs.”

My whole body tensed, making Jake’s fingers stop. I looked at him, and he looked at me. We waited for the awkward moment of double meaning to pass. No doubt we were both still harboring sexual feelings toward each other and thinking the same thing, but I sensed his hesitation. He wasn’t going to give in to temptation. At least not tonight.

Jake’s finger dabbed my skin again as I lay back and closed my eyes. His light touch was torturously teasing, causing shivers to run the length of my body.

“Cold?”

“No, ticklish.” And, apparently, easily aroused.

When he finished with my legs, he worked on my arms. “Okay, I’m done,” Jake said. “I’m going to take a quick shower before bed. You don’t have to wait up.”

As usual, Jake left the bathroom door open. I slipped into the bed and closed my eyes. I tried to slide down the ladder of unconsciousness and into the black hole of slumber, but I got caught in the rungs. The light didn’t bother me. The sound of running water didn’t bother me. No, what bothered me was the naked man in the bathroom who refused to have sex with me but would soon be crawling into the same bed.

Yep. That was it. Jake definitely bothered me.

…

I woke up shivering.

The window unit must’ve been really something, since I’d stolen most of the quilt from Jake, but was still as cold as an ice sculpture. The room wasn’t chilly when I went to bed, which meant he knocked the air conditioner down to…oh, I don’t know, below freezing. Good thing I didn’t have to pee or I would’ve had to acquire a mush team to go to the bathroom and back.

Jake slept diagonally and commandeered an unreasonable chunk of the bed, probably to keep his feet from hanging off the end. He must’ve moved his leg closer because his toes were suddenly touching mine. They were warm, and the small amount of heat felt heavenly against my icicled nubs.

Quietly, I scooted toward him, hoping to soak up some of his thermal energy, but it wasn’t enough. The warmth his body generated wasn’t permeating my skin the way I’d hoped. I wasn’t close enough.

His back was to me, and I could hear him breathing evenly. I reached over with my cold hand and lightly touched his back. I half expected him to jump with surprise or at least flinch away from my cool fingers, but he didn’t. Actually, I jerked back, surprised by the feverish heat of Jake’s skin. It felt pleasant under my slight touch, and I ached for more of his delicious warmth. I scooted closer until my entire body pressed against his back.

“Emily, we talked about this,” Jake said, stirring from his slumber.

“You’re awake?”

He groaned sleepily. “Wasn’t that the point?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I already told you we can’t. It’s against the rules.”

“Can’t?” I paused in confusion. “Oh, wait. You thought I was trying to have sex with you?” I couldn’t help but giggle. “Boy, are you way off!”

Jake wasn’t amused. “Then what were you doing?”

“I’m cold.”

“And…?”

“I poached your body heat, nothing more sinister than that. Besides, you had your chance with me and turned me down flat, remember? I doubt you’ll ever get another. I don’t take rejection well.”

“No! You?” Jake said with a sarcastic tone.

“Hey, I tried to keep from waking you. It’s not my fault if you got the wrong idea.”

“You snuggled up to my back and squished your breasts against me.”

“So?”

“Like you said, you were cold. In the future, you might want to consider wearing a bra to bed.” Jake turned his head to the side, as if he were trying to look at me. “Turn over,” he ordered.

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

I rolled over onto my back, while Jake flipped over to face me. He grabbed my hip and shifted me onto my side until I faced away from him. Then he wrapped his arm around my waist and slid me back into him until we were in a spooning position. His heat swaddled me.

Jake settled in behind me, getting comfortable, and his hips ground across my bottom. That’s when I noticed the elephant in the room. Actually, it wasn’t an elephant, more like the elephant’s trunk, but nevertheless, it was present and demanding attention.

For a moment, we both lay motionless.

“What’s poking me?”

“An involuntary reflex,” Jake said. “Roll over at your own risk.”