Page 52 of Black Jack (Advantage Play 5)

“I was getting ready for bed,” she mumbles into her hands.

“This’ll only take a minute, and”––my brows furrow––“why are you hiding from me?”

“I–I’m not hiding.”

“Bullshit. Are you okay?”

She peeks up at me through her fingers, her entire body vibrating with fear. “Get out of here, Jack––”

“Bianca––”

“Leave, Jack. I’m not even kidding.”

My concern beats out my own self-preservation as I reach forward and pull her hands away from her face. Her glare is almost enough to distract me from finding what she’s hiding from me.

Almost.

I run my finger down the dark purple birthmark painted across her cheek. Her chin lifts a little higher, but that same glare is burning with fury.

“Bianca….” My voice trails off.

“Are you finished?” The bitterness in her voice nearly breaks me.

“Have you always had this?”

“Nope. It just appeared out of thin air while I was taking off my makeup. Crazy, right?”

“Bianca––”

“Are you finished?” she repeats.

I drop my hand from the side of her face but don’t step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t––”

“Know? Yeah. I know you didn’t. Because I’ve worked my ass off to keep it hidden.”

The dark purple mark demands my attention, but not in the way she expects. It’s…unique. Like her. It deepens the color of her eyes and almost manages to make her lips more tempting, though I didn’t think it was possible.

“Why?” I murmur. “Why would you hide it?”

She scoffs. “Are you serious right now?”

“It’s a birthmark.”

“On. My. Face.”

Confused, I try to tread lightly, but I have no idea how to make this better. “You’re beautiful, Bianca.”

Another scoff. “Cut the shit, Jacky Boy. I’m not stupid, and I’m not naive enough to believe your bullshit compliment all because you don’t know what else to say now that you’ve seen it.”

“It? As in…your face?” My brows furrow. “Bianca––”

“Just stop, Jack.” Her shoulders hunch, and her chin drops to her chest as a fresh wave of shame flashes across her face. “Please, just stop.”

The desperation in her plea almost breaks me.

I tuck my finger beneath her chin and force her to look at me. “How long have you been covering it?”

Her voice is nothing but a breath of oxygen being expelled from her defeated frame. “Always.”