Ignited Heat: An Age Gap, Friends to Lovers Romance (Heat Between the Sheets Book 2)

Chapter 6

Last night, I followed my instincts, and I got the best kiss I”ve ever had in my entire life. What was supposed to be a friendly kiss turned into a fiery, passionate war between our mouths and tongues. I could feel the heat emanating from Jason”s body even though he kept his hands on my face. But the best part was how I saw his demeanor change. I think he wants me as much as I want him. All I have to do now is convince him that we can be good together. Because after that kiss, I”m not letting him go.

Today, I had to spend most of the day alone because Jason had to go get groceries and check in at work. The owners of the nightclub have been extremely generous with their understanding of my situation. A part of me is glad to have these moments because I have to fight that fear that comes whenever I”m left alone. It”s like a panic attack that eats at me little by little. But when I know Jason will be back by a certain hour, I can handle the episodes with more finesse than if he just left and didn”t prepare me beforehand.

In the distance, I hear Jason”s motorcycle, but I also hear a car. I go to the window and peek out, recognizing Carlos” car. There are two people inside. I wonder who he brought with him, probably Mama. I go to the bathroom to check how I look. Some of the bruises look worse than they did a couple of days ago. I wish I could hide them somehow, but they know how badly I was beaten. There”ll be no surprises there.

I open the door while they get out of the car. Carlos is carrying a whole lot of food. I”m glad. I”m sort of done with sandwiches, even if it”s Jason who makes them. I need some comfort food, and Mama knows exactly what I like. I go to her and offer her my good arm for a hug. She”s very careful with me and then smiles and touches my face tenderly.

Mama Lee is one of the best people I know. She took me in and saw the loneliness and anguish inside me, and immediately started working to heal them. It”s no surprise that after only a few weeks with them, I begged her and her husband to adopt me. But she and Papa also gave me a huge family with my brothers.

”Mama, it”s so good to see you.”

”You too, baby.”

”Come on in. I want to see what you and Carlos brought me.”

I wave at Carlos but pull my mother inside the house. I sit her down in one of the living room chairs, and I almost tear up at all the feelings that are bursting inside my chest. The Lee family is close, and I miss that closeness.

”Are you in pain, Cassie?”

”A lot less than I was, but I”m still sore all over. It”ll take time, Mama. How”s Papa?”

”Hounding the police officers that have your case so that they find Solis quickly and you can come home.”

”Jason is looking, too,” I say. “If he hasn”t found him, I doubt the police can.”

”How are you and Jason getting along?”

”He”s been really good to me, Mama.”

”How good?”

”Mama! Shh.”

Jason chooses that moment to enter the house and bring in the groceries. He looks absolutely edible in his jeans and leather jacket. For a moment, I am lost in thought, and then I feel a hand on my knee.

”Cassie, come back to me.”

”Sorry, Mama.”

She leans in and whispers. ”Don”t worry. I see the appeal, but be careful.” Then she looks toward Carlos and Jason and says to them. ”You two, get dinner ready. My daughter and I are starving.”

Carlos jumps to follow Mama”s orders and Jason starts helping him as well. In less than fifteen minutes, a wonderful Chinese meal is sitting on the table and we start eating heartily. Mama immediately notices Jason”s proficiency with chopsticks.

”That”s a new development, Mr. Harris.”

”Call me Jason, please. And, yes, Cassie taught me. She”s an amazing teacher.”

”My daughter is amazing, Jason. Are you treating her well?”

”Mama!” Both Carlos and I shout.

”It”s a mother”s prerogative to make sure her daughter is taken care of. I know Carlos speaks highly of you, Jason, but I only have one daughter, and I don”t know you that well.”

”I”ll always do everything in my power to take care and protect Cassie, Mrs. Lee.”

My mother nods and thankfully stops scrutinizing Jason. My face is probably red as a tomato from the embarrassment. When we finish our meal, the men clean up and leave to talk on the back porch. Mama and I stay in the living room, but when I move to turn on the TV, Mama holds my hand.

”Cassie, maybe you should come home.”

”I feel safe here with Jason.”

”I understand that, but spending so much time with him is bringing your feelings for him out in the open.”

”You think?”

”I know, baby. I can see it whenever he talks or moves—your eyes follow him with a hunger that rivals the one I had for your father when he was courting me.”

”He and I need to have a talk, but it”s not easy. Sometimes, I see a glimpse of interest for me, but then it vanishes as if it was all in my imagination. Will you accept him as a prospective son-in-law?” I blush at the thought, but I just like saying it.

”I can”t make any promises. I have to talk to your father. By the way, I”m staying here tonight.”

”What!?”

”Yes, whatever you had planned for tonight is not happening.”

I hadn”t really planned anything. I just wanted to spend some time with Jason and maybe go into the whole ”us” topic. But I definitely can”t do it with my mother here. My mother gives me a sympathetic look and I turn on the TV to watch whatever can distract me from the mess that is my life right now.

I”m trapped in what must be a nightmare because all I feel is this horrible pain. I feel every kick that Marcos gave me, as if I was living it all over again. I wake up screaming, and the door is practically torn off its hinges as Jason and Carlos come to ”rescue” me. My mother is next to me, trying to get me to calm down, and Jason comes to my side of the bed and puts his arms around me. That”s the only thing that gets me to calm down, knowing he”s here with me.

My mother goes to the kitchen, and I guess she”s going to make me some soothing tea. She carries all sorts of baggies in her purse for emergency purposes. I guess this counts as one. Once the tea is done, I drink it, sipping slowly, letting the warmth of the liquid soothe my throat. Jason stays with me for about an hour, but when he sees my eyelids start to droop, he takes the cup from me and kisses me on the forehead. Carlos and Mama share a look, but I”m too sleepy to care.

Jason leans down so that only I can hear him, and he whispers. ”Get some sleep, angel.”

Mama and Carlos leave in the morning. I tell her not to worry, and she tells me to be careful. She”s right to be concerned. As soon as they leave, I”m going to pull Jason aside and tell him how I feel.

Jason is cleaning up after making all of us breakfast. Carlos merely made the coffee and expected accolades.

I come inside the house and stand in front of the kitchen island across from Jason.

”Ready for some target practice?” he asks.

”Let”s skip it today. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

He looks uneasy at my words, but he doesn”t say anything.

”Jason, I have known you for the longest time. You are my brother”s best friend, and I know you”ve always looked out for me in the background.”

There was nothing but silence and a closed look on his face.

”I want there to be more between us. That kiss…”

”Can”t happen again.” He bursts out.

”That kiss showed me there”s something between us, and I want to explore it.”

He crosses his arms across his chest, looking menacing, but I”m not going to back down.

”I”m not a good man, Cassie. I can”t be the man you deserve.”

”Don”t I get a choice in that? It”s my life.”

”I”ve done things…”

”You”ve killed people, I know.”

”Damn Carlos and his big mouth.”

”I don”t care about your past, Jason. What I want is to see if eventually we could build a future together.”

”Even though I have a stain on my soul? Even though sometimes I can”t sleep because of the things I”ve done?”

I move from my spot to stand next to him. His stance tells me he”s closed off, but his eyes tell me how difficult this conversation is for him. I reach out to touch his face.

”Jason, you are a good man. What I see is the protector in you, always fierce and doing what”s best for others. For me.”

”You”ll grow to hate me because of all the secrets a man like me needs to keep. You”ll always be in danger because you”ll be my weak spot.”

”Do you care about me?”

”More than anything.”

I untangle his hand from where he”s crossing it at his chest and start pulling him towards my bedroom.

”Come, you don”t have to say anything. Just show me.”