Fever (Breathless #2)(33)

She threw up her hands as he worked the jeans down her legs. “You honestly do always get your way, don’t you?”

He smiled again and helped her step from her jeans. “I already told you that. Nothing worth having is ever easy, baby. And you don’t get things without fighting for them.” He leaned down and brushed his mouth across the bruise at her ribs. “Be warned. I’m fighting for you and I have no intention of losing.”

As he lifted his head, he saw hope flash again in her eyes and this time it stayed there. She stared up at him in awe, her entire body trembling. He could see that it was finally sinking in. That this was real and that he was deadly serious.

“Lose the underwear,” he said.

This time she didn’t offer any argument. There was only brief hesitation as she slipped her thumbs into the waistband of the silky scrap of material. A moment later, the panties fluttered to the floor and she toed them away.

“Get into bed and wait for me there,” he said in a soft but firm voice. “I’m going to shower and then join you. Get comfortable. And Bethany?”

She lifted her gaze to meet his in response to the address.

“Don’t try to go anywhere. I’ve locked the elevator and even if you managed to get to the lobby, they won’t let you leave here without me.”

“Am I a prisoner then?” she asked huskily.

He smiled. “Never that. But I’ll do what I have to in order to ensure your safety. Even if it means making sure you can’t leave while I’m in the shower. Now get into bed so you don’t get cold. I’ll adjust the heat.”

Leaving her standing there, he strode into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He purposely gave her the time to get into bed on her own and a few minutes to get over her nerves before he joined her.

Bethany was going to take a lot of patience—a lot more than he was used to giving a woman. Before, if the woman wasn’t fully on board, he cut ties quickly. He knew what he wanted and he didn’t have any desire to hook up with a woman who didn’t give him exactly what he demanded.

She was also going to require a firm hand, and that he didn’t mind at all. He relished the thought of taking care of her. She’d learn quickly what he expected, and he’d enjoy every minute of lavishing his care and protection on her. In time so would she.

There were things he needed to take care of. He mentally went over his list as he quickly showered. Security was of utmost priority. He couldn’t have her unprotected when those bastards had no compunction about coming after her for this money Jack owed them.

And she needed outfitting from the feet up. There was the issue of Mia’s apartment, though Jace knew she’d spend little to no time there. He was tempted just to move her right into his apartment, but he didn’t want to completely overwhelm her from the start.

She needed the semblance of independence before he brought her fully under his control. Even if he controlled all aspects of that independence. It was a little warped—okay, a lot warped—but he wanted her to regain her confidence. Have at least the perception of making her own choices even if she did it in a completely safe environment.

She’d have her own place. They’d date. He’d shower her with affection. They’d spend time together. Eventually, when she was more secure in her role in his life, he’d move her into his apartment. From there? That was as far as he’d gotten. And he knew that until the day she was living in his space he wouldn’t rest easy.

Until then, he had to ensure that her problems disappeared. He frowned as he stepped from the shower to towel off. Jack was a big problem. She obviously had a lot of loyalty to him and he was bad news. He couldn’t allow Jack to interfere in her life and put her in danger. Which meant Jace was going to have to step in. Something Bethany likely wouldn’t appreciate.

Not bothering to dress, he wrapped the towel around his hips and walked back into the bedroom.

His gaze softened and a smile curved his lips when he saw that she was already sound asleep. Her head was on his pillow, or rather, in the middle of the mound of pillows and she was snuggled tightly under the covers. They were pulled to her chin and her lashes rested delicately on her cheeks.

Everything about this image was right. She belonged in his bed. Never had he felt such a keen sense of satisfaction over a woman being in his bed. This was right. She was right.

He let the towel drop and then he carefully pulled the covers far enough back that he could slide in. She stirred only slightly, uttering a sleepy sound that brushed pleasingly over his ears. He gathered her close, curling his arms protectively around her, and then he arranged her head so it rested on his shoulder.

He hooked his leg over hers so that she was solidly molded to his body. Then and only then did he relax and fall into sleep with her.

Chapter thirteen

Bethany awoke to a hard male body wrapped solidly around hers. For a moment she panicked as she sought to gain her bearings. She was disoriented and couldn’t immediately place her surroundings. Then, as her eyelids fluttered open, she saw Jace’s eyes on her, watching her come awake, and the previous day came back to her in a flash.

She stared wordlessly at him, overwhelmed by the fact that he’d essentially taken over her life. And how much her life had changed in less than twenty-four hours. She couldn’t even grasp it all. It seemed unreal. And yet . . . welcome.