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“Because if my dad finds out you came in here to take advantage of me, he’ll strangle you with his bare hands. With all that’s going on, he doesn’t need a murder rap too. Why don’t you have clothes on?”

“Why don’t you?” he fired back. As exhausted as he still was, he couldn’t fight the amusement flooding him. He was tempted to flip on the light so he could see if she was blushing.

“I was sleeping, you pervert!” She jumped up and moved away from the bed, only to stop when she felt a tug from the covers where they were still tucked under the mattress.

“Why are you in here? Why aren’t you sleeping in the room next to your parents?”

“Because Dad snores. You can hear him through the wall. I gave them the room I was using because it was bigger than this one or the other one. You weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

Jackson pushed to his feet and reached for his discarded jeans. “I came back tonight instead. You didn’t seem to mind me being back a few seconds ago.”

She whirled around, her hair flaring out like the swing ride at an amusement park. “What…I…you were…I didn’t…” She sputtered a few more times, and he gave into the temptation to spur her on.

“I mean, that kiss you laid on me was pretty hot. You were all over me like white on rice.”

“I was not!” She checked herself when her voice rose too loud. “I was sleeping. I thought you were a dream.”

“You dream about me, princess?” He moved closer, stopping when she was backed up against the wall. He didn’t touch her, but her breath hitched all the same. “And how far do we go in your dream? What else do you do to me besides kiss me? Or do you kiss more than my lips? Maybe my—”

“Get out!”

“Don’t worry, princess. I’m going. It’s just nice to know you’re not completely made of ice.”

He scooped up the rest of his clothes and strode out the door before she could explode. Even if he couldn’t see her face clearly, he knew he pushed one too many buttons. He couldn’t be sorry though.

Moving into the other spare room, he once again settled in bed. This time, sleep wasn’t so quick in coming. Jackson had a hard time shaking off the feel of Reagan pressed against him or of her lips fused to his.

∞∞∞

Breathing in the delicious smell of fresh coffee and pancakes and hearing the din of conversation, Reagan almost lost her nerve. No one in the kitchen would agree to her plan, but she’d thought it through, running every scenario much like she would develop a plot for a book. Unable to fall asleep after Jackson left her room, she had nothing but time to mull over the idea. She believed it would work, but she wasn’t sure she could convince the others.

The laughter drifting from the kitchen startled her. She hadn’t heard anyone laugh since leaving the hospital, and considering the stress they’d all been under, the sound was nice. She lingered outside to listen. She couldn’t bring herself to interrupt the moment, and her announcement could very well chase it away.

“Reagan?”

She jumped and spun around to see Jackson standing a short distance away, studying her curiously. She hadn’t heard him step into the room and had actually thought he was already in the kitchen with the others. Goosebumps pimpled her skin, but she blamed them on him surprising her and not the sexy sound of him saying her name.

“What’s wrong?” His brows lowered over his eyes, his stare a combination of concern and speculation.

Reagan opened her mouth with every intention of lying, but the falsehood dissipated from her tongue. She shook her head before dropping her gaze. “Nothing. As least I wouldn’t classify it as wrong, but I think it may be upsetting.”

She watched his boots move him closer to her. “Stop. Stay right there. It’ll be easier to say this if you’re not standing right in front of me.”

Jackson stopped moving. “Then you better say what’s on your mind before I start thinking the worst.”

“It’s not the worst,” she said, fixing her gaze on the breast pocket of his T-shirt. “I want to go back to the hospital. Today. Right now if possible.”

“No.” He didn’t yell or sound upset, but the one word resounded around her like the noise from a gong.

“I’m not asking your permission. This is something I have to do. You or one of your brothers can drive me, or I’ll call an Uber. Either way, I’m going to the hospital.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Yes, but it’s necessary. I should check on English and speak with his doctors. But I was thinking…well, I seem to be the target of whoever is behind this. I thought—”

Jackson closed the distance between them so fast that Reagan was too stunned to react. His features were made of stone, anger brewing in his eyes. His hands clasped her biceps, and she braced herself because she believed he would shake her. Instead, he held her firmly.

“You will not use yourself as bait. You can check in with English’s doctors over the phone, but I will not allow you to put yourself in harm’s way. English wouldn’t want you to make yourself a target.”