Page 65 of Impulse

Lex’s heart stopped.The next second, he was bulldozing his way through the onlookers, his eyes on Jillian as she fell.A few people protested.Others saw him coming and moved out of the way.

“You can’t go beyond this point, sir,” a security guard ordered him and stood in his way.

“You want to try to stop me?”he snapped, his eyes on the people converging on Jillian with fire extinguishers.The guard was scrawny and several inches shorter than he.Lex could lift him out of the way with one arm and not break a sweat.A second guard appeared.This one looked like he bench-pressed the Rock of Gibraltar.He would take them both to get to Jillian.

“She’s okay, Lex,” Barb’s husband said from behind him.

“How can she be okay?She’s on fire.”He looked above the head of the scrawny guard and tried to find Jillian.The crew had her surrounded, which wasn’t reassuring.“Did you know this would happen?”

“Yes, but she’ll be fine.”

“How the hell can you guarantee that?Anything could go… wrong.”His eyes found her as she stood.Her wig was messy and partially singed, her outer suitwasripped and had dark smudges, and her clown makeup seemed greasier than when they’d first met, but he’d never seen a more precious sight in his entire life.The best part was her smile.

She was okay.

Relief washed over him.The security guards stepped aside to let Lex through.He closed the gap between them, wanting to check every inch of her body and make sure there were no burn marks.Wrap his arms around her and never let go.

She looked up, saw him, and the smile disappeared from her face.

CHAPTER 12

Jillian had heard Lex’s voice raise in anger, but she hadn’t expected to see the haunted look in his eyes.He searched her face, arms, and body as though looking for injuries.

“Are you okay?”he asked in a strange voice.

She nodded.“Everything went smoothly.”

He grew paler.Obviously that wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear.She reached out and took his hand.It was clammy.

“Come with me,” she whispered.

Eyes followed them as they left the crowd and headed toward the trailers.He held her hand in a death grip, but she didn’t complain.Seeing her pull that stunt must have scared him.There were risks with most stunts, but she’d never had a reason to worry.

She waited until they were inside the trailer with the door closed before facing him.He still looked like he’d swallowed a rotten egg and was about to throw up.

“I’m okay,” Jillian reassured him.He didn’t seem convinced.“You were worried.”

He laughed harshly, let go of her hand, and scrubbed the back of his neck.“No.You’ve done this countless times, right?”

Disappointed by his denial, Jillian nodded.“Yeah.”

“So mishaps are nothing to lose sleep over?”

“You got it.”She sat at her dresser, removed the wig, and shook her hair.Through the mirror, she watched Lex.His hands shoved in his front pants pockets, he glanced around the trailer before his eyes found hers again.He still looked shaken.

She didn’t understand men.They jumped into dangerous situations to play heroes all the time, but they’d never admit to feeling an emotion they deemed weakened them.Her brothers were like that.They’d watch her like a hawk when she performed, but as soon as she rode off the ring, they’d act like she’d just taken a walk through the park.A pat on the back from her father and pointers on how she should improve certain moves from her brothers were all she ever got.

Her mother had been the fusser.Chris took over after she’d died, hugging and praising Jillian when her brothers weren’t watching.Just once, she’d like a man to admit to having real emotion outside the bedroom.

Jillian started to unbutton the outer suit.Lex still stood behind her, scowling.

“So where are we going for lunch?”she asked.

“Downtown,” Lex said curtly.He pulled up the chair his mother had used yesterday, sat, and gently rotated Jillian’s chair until she faced him.

“Lex, I need to remove these suits, shower, and—”

“They can wait.”He spoke slowly, taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes.“I wasn’t worried, Jillian.I was petrified that you were burned and possibly injured in some way.The last ten minutes before you jumped, I imagined all sorts of terrible things going wrong.When I saw you on fire…” He stopped and shook his head.“I don’t think I can watch you do stunts again, yet I want to be here to make sure you’re okay.”He frowned, his hand reaching for her face.“What did I do?Why are you crying?”