Fever (Breathless #2)(23)

“Taking you away from here,” he bit out.

She began to protest in earnest and Jace caught Kate’s worried stare. He nodded to reassure the older woman and then he tightened his hold on her further.

“Enough,” he ground out. “Don’t fight me. You’re worrying Kate. I’m not going to hurt you. I promised her I’d take care of you. Don’t make a scene. Do you want to frighten all the women?”

She bit her lip and went limp. Slowly she shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “But you can’t just carry me out of here, Jace.”

“Watch me.”

He shouldered his way out of the door and the burst of cold air made her instantly shiver. He swore under his breath, pissed that she wasn’t better protected from the cold. Her clothing was no barrier to inclement weather at all.

“You’re scaring me.”

Her voice was small and he could feel her trembling in his arms, whether from the cold or from true fear he wasn’t sure.

“I won’t hurt you and you goddamn well know that.”

Her gaze was haunted as she stared up at him. He paused at the curb as his car approached, ignoring the stares from passersby.

“How do I know that?”

His lips tightened. “If you don’t already know it, you soon will.”

The car stopped and his driver hurried out to open the back door. Jace leaned in to settle Bethany on the seat and then he slid in beside her. She sighed the moment she made contact with the heated seats.

A moment later, the car pulled into traffic and silence settled over the backseat.

“Where are we going?” she asked, the tremble still evident in her voice.

He reached for her hands, turning them both palm up so he could inspect the scrapes.

“What happened, Bethany?”

She went so still against him that he had to look to make sure she was breathing. There was such darkness in her eyes—hopelessness—that it took his breath away. And he knew, without a doubt, that he’d done the right thing. No matter what demons she battled, what her present or past circumstances had been. He’d done the right thing by tracking her down and taking her away.

• • •

Bethany tugged her hands away from Jace and turned her face to the window. What on earth was he doing? How had he found her? Why had he found her?

Seeing him in the shelter had been a huge shock. One that had rendered her incapable of the simplest thought process. She barely offered a token protest when he’d hauled her away and stuffed her into the back of his car. Wasn’t this kidnapping?

“Bethany, look at me.”

Though his tone was gentle, there was no mistaking the command in his voice. It was one she couldn’t help but obey. She turned her chin and peeked up at him from beneath her lashes and her breath caught in her throat.

He was such a beautiful man. So dark and brooding. Power emanated from him. Anyone would be a fool not to sense his strength. It was plain for all to see. He wore authority like he’d been born to it.

Though she’d sworn he was a man who’d always make a woman feel safe, at this very moment she was a nervous wreck. The look in his eyes suggested she wasn’t safe at all, though she wasn’t sure what it was she wasn’t safe from.

He wouldn’t harm her. Of that she was sure. But there were many other hurts than just physical.

“Don’t be afraid of me.”

Her lips twisted. “That isn’t something you can just dictate. Telling someone not to be afraid of you doesn’t make it so!”

His gaze hardened. “Have I given you any indication that I’m going to hurt you?”

“You just carried me out of the shelter against my will! What you did was kidnapping! Why were you even there, Jace? How and why did you find me? I don’t understand.” Her words came out much higher than she intended. There was a shrillness to her voice that spoke of her panic.

He put his fingers to her cheek, pressing in just enough that she felt his touch and was powerless to turn away.

“You need me,” he said simply.

Her mouth gaped open and she stared back at him in astonishment. She had no idea what to say to that. What could she say?

Then he leaned forward and put his lips to her forehead in the gentlest of kisses. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweetness of the gesture. This man was trouble with a capital T. She was in trouble. In a big, big way.

Tonight you’re coming back to my place,” he said as he sat back in the seat. He spoke with a calmness she sure as hell didn’t feel. “Tomorrow I’m taking you to my sister’s apartment. She’s not using it anymore. It’s furnished, so you won’t have need of anything.”

Her mouth fell open again at the certainty to his voice. It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t asking her anything. He spoke as if it was already decided. As if she had absolutely no say in her destiny.

“This is insane,” she whispered. “You can’t just rearrange my life like this. I can’t stay in your sister’s apartment.”

He lifted one eyebrow and leveled his steady gaze at her in a manner that made her feel stupid.

“You have somewhere else to stay?”

She flushed. “You know I don’t.”

“Then I fail to see why this is an issue. Mia isn’t using the apartment. She’s living with Gabe until they marry. Her roommate has moved in with her boyfriend. It’s empty and it’s paid for. You’ll stay there, at least for now.”