Page 96 of Stripping Bare

“Oh, just something Brynneleft.”

Strolling closer, he brought a clean tropical scent with him. He took the sweater from Tessa’s hands and looked itover.

“It’s not really my style. I’llprobably—”

“Keepit.”

“What?”

“You should keep it,” he said. “It’s beautiful.” Somehow, one of his hands found its way around to the back of her neck and stroked the sensitive skin there, sending a shiver of awareness through Tessa. “Just likeyou.”

For some reason, that made Tessa’s cheeks heat. Something about Jonah’s rough and intimate tone threw her off balance. She’d been trying to capture this man’s attention, his affection for so long. Now she wasn’t sure what to do withit.

“With all the craziness today,” he said, “I don’t think I ever said thankyou.”

“Forwhat?”

“Not sure I can count them all. Dealing with my crazy family, staying calm when things went off the rails, maneuvering like a freaking race cardriver.”

“I wasjust—”

Her protest was cut off by his mouth covering hers. The stress and fear of the day finally hit Tessa like a brick to the heart, and her legsshook.

This—Jonah’s demanding lips on hers—feltdifferent.

Deep.

Desperate.

Dominant.

Today’s events had scratched away a little of his veneer. Exactly what she’d wanted, but was she ready for this? Ready for the realJonah?

A trembling started in her midsection and radiated its way out to every part of her body. Apparently, the sensation was truly physical because Jonah rubbed his hands up and down her arms, but Tessa’s involuntary reaction onlyintensified.

He must’ve realized she was about to break apart in his arms because he eased away and said, “Hey, hey. What’swrong?”

She wanted to drop her head and rest it against his chest, to reassure herself that he was alive and real, but his burns looked so painful. “He could’ve killed you. I think that’s what he wants. What do you call it…killing you is hisend…”

“Endgame.”

“How can you say that socalmly?”

“Because I know I’m going to stop the son of abitch.”

I. Notwe. She needed him to understand she had to fight her own fights. Yet his concern for her was tempting her to lean on him more than was healthy. More than wassafe.

She needed a minute to get herself under control, because they had to talk and think about this situation clearly. “I could use ashower.”

“Tessa…”

“Yes, it’s temporary avoidance,” she said. “Classic defense mechanism. I just need a few minutes.” If she could wash away the dried layer of fearful sweat on her body, she might be able to regain herequilibrium.

“I left you a towel on thesink.”

She pressed a soft kiss to his bristly jaw, scooped up Badger, and fled. When she stripped out of her clothes, she realized just how dirty she felt. Not only from rushing around trying to outsmart a madman, but also from her complete lack of control in this situation. Her world didn’t work that way. Things had theirplaces.

And right now, everything was decidedly out of order. Why had she believed that she could bring Jonah into her life without it going topsy-turvy?