Brazen (Brazen #1)(29)

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It rained all morning and well into the afternoon. Jasmine stayed away from areas where she was likely to run into Seth and Zane. It wasn’t that she dreaded the confrontation. But the next time she got close to either of them, it certainly wasn’t going to be because she wanted a long, drawn-out conversation.

She had no idea what to say to either of them yet anyway. Her feelings were complex. There was no simple way to articulate them. She was having a difficult enough time sorting through them herself without having to explain them to someone else.

Her preference was to show them her love. Make them see it, feel it. She’d never taken sex lightly, not since that night in Houston when she’d been forced to barter her body. In her mind, she was giving them a gift she’d never shared with anyone else. Her soul.

She locked herself in the study and piddled on the computer for most of the afternoon. Her latest project was creating a website for Sweetwater Ranch. Once finished, complete with all the guided hunt information and pricing, she was going to talk to Seth and Zane about launching it and advertising on a few online sites.

A knock sounded at the door, and Jasmine looked up from her computer to see Carmen bustle through with a tray in hand.

“I trust this lunacy will come to an end soon?” Carmen said in exasperation. “It’s ridiculous the three of you avoiding each other like this. It’s no way for a family to behave.”

“You’re right, mamacita. It’s not,” Jasmine quietly agreed. “But I have to warn you it might get worse before it gets better. If it ever does.”

Carmen set the tray down on Jasmine’s desk with a thump. “You sound as though you’ve already given up, niña. What happened to your ‘take on the world’ attitude? Besides, if you ask me, it can’t get much worse than it is now.”

It could, but Jasmine didn’t like to dwell on that possibility. Seth could always ask her to leave, or worse, he could remain so indifferent, so sealed off from her, that she would choose to leave. This time for good.

Carmen sighed. “Eat, niña. You don’t need to miss any meals. You never would eat when you were upset.”

“Thank you,” Jasmine said with a small smile.

Carmen walked out, and Jasmine picked at her food with little enthusiasm. Butterflies danced in her stomach which made putting anything on top of them impossible.

Tonight was the night. Seth and Zane had been forced inside all day by the rain, and she knew they’d both go to bed early. She opened the desk drawer and pulled out the pair of handcuffs J.T. had given her. Next she picked up the thin piece of satin ribbon she’d secured the key to. She let it dangle from her fingertips and swing like a pendulum.

She turned to look out the window as she heard the rain resume. Water sluiced down the glass panes in rivulets, and in the distance, thunder rumbled.

She glanced back at the time on the computer. An hour. She’d wait an hour before venturing out. Then she’d head up to Seth’s bedroom where she planned to take matters into her own hands.

Seth had never really considered himself a coward before now, but after days of avoiding the inevitable confrontation with Jasmine, he knew he was a first-class pansy.

He had no idea what to say to her, and he knew that whenever they did finally come face-to-face, their relationship would undergo a radical transformation. And probably not for the better.

Part of him longed for the simpler days when she was much younger and very off-limits. It had been a beautiful thing to behold to watch her shed the frightened, insecure mantle and blossom into a confident, beautiful young woman. But with that awareness, that growth, came the knowledge they could never go back to the innocent relationship they’d shared.

He sighed as he sank down onto his bed. He was damned tired, and he hadn’t even done anything today beyond watch it rain. His family was in tatters. Zane was pissed and brooding. Jasmine was avoiding them both. Carmen was walking around in a perpetual huff, and the only food she’d dished up was what could be warmed in a microwave.

It was time for him to stop putting off the inevitable. He needed to face Jasmine. Apologize for being an ass but make it clear he’d stepped over the line and it wouldn’t be happening again. Then he needed to make things right with Zane.

If Zane and Jasmine… He swallowed and shook his head. He hadn’t even been able to complete the thought. If his brother had feelings for Jasmine, and if she returned them, then did he have any right to step between them? Especially if he had no intention of ever acting on his own attraction?

He rubbed his hands over his face in irritation. What a goddamn drama. Why couldn’t things just go back to the way they were?

He yanked the covers back and then stood to undress. He was tired, moody and quite frankly, he couldn’t wait for another day to begin. Maybe then he could get rid of the angst knotting his damn belly.

Chapter Thirteen

She stood beside the bed, watching him sleep. For several long moments, she didn’t move. She barely breathed. She merely watched the smooth rise and fall of Seth’s chest. The sheets were in a bunch at his waist, and she could just see the waistband of his boxers resting below his navel. One arm rested across his taut belly while the other lay on the pillow next to his head.

It was all Jasmine could do not to reach out and touch him. To trace the lines of his body, curving around the firm muscles and ridges. She wanted to bathe the room in light so she could see better, but that would have to wait.