Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
A spen threw back her head and laughed at something his sister said, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The delicate curve of her neck. The lift of her lips.
She was beautiful. The kind of beauty he could stare at all day. And she was getting along really fucking well with his sister. It wasn’t a surprise. His sister was friendly, and he hadn’t met a single person who didn’t like Aspen.
The only problem was, he wanted to go. He felt pretty damn uneasy about Aspen drinking on an empty stomach. How many times had he asked if she was ready to leave yet? Two? Three? Each time, she’d distracted him with that smile of hers. With little touches on his chest.
“Do you enjoy your job as an acupuncturist?” Aspen asked.
Clara’s expression softened. “I love it. Being sick changed my perspective on everything. I wanted a slower lifestyle. A healing lifestyle. That’s how I found acupuncture. Now I’m a crazy needle person who thinks acupuncture heals everything. Give me a problem and I’ll tell you how needles can fix it. Got anxiety? Acupuncture can help. Fertility issues? Acupuncture.”
The small smile on Aspen’s face slipped. “I’m sorry you were sick.”
“It was five years ago. I’m okay now.”
“But you still need to rest,” Jesse cut in.
Clara gave him a pointed look. “I know. And acupuncture is great for forcing rest because you stick the needles in and lie still. See, the solver of all problems.”
Aspen laughed, but there wasn’t much humor behind it. “Can it solve a crazy mother and a stalker ex?”
The beer paused halfway to Jesse’s mouth. It was the first time Aspen had referred to Dylan as a stalker, and even though Jesse already knew it was true, hearing the words from her mouth made him even edgier.
“It can certainly help with stress,” Clara said gently. While others would pry and try to get information, Clara wasn’t like that. She was a listener, and eventually, people started sharing their problems with her just because they felt so comfortable. “Come by my place anytime,” she added. “I work from a home studio.”
“I might just take you up on that offer.” Aspen took a big sip of her drink. It was her third one for the night.
Jesse leaned down so that his mouth was close to her ear. “Maybe we should go. Get some food.”
She looked up at him, eyes slightly glazed. “You’re always looking out for me.”
“You look out for me too.”
She snorted.
“You don’t need looking after,” she said. “You’re big and strong and trained in a hundred and one ways to kill people.”
“A hundred and two.”
“Oh, sorry, missed one.” She looked across the table at his brother and sister, who were now arguing about whether acupuncture could fix stupidity. “And you have an awesome brother and sister.”
“My mom’s pretty great too. You’ll need to meet her soon.”
Aspen put her elbow on the table and sat her chin on her palm. “While I have a crazy mother, no siblings and a dying career.”
“Your career isn’t dying.”
“Try telling that to my forever-unfinished manuscript.” She sipped her drink again. “How exactly does one become re-inspired?”
“When exactly did you lose inspiration?”
“One month into my relationship with Dylan.” She cringed before frowning down at her drink. “You’re right. I should stop drinking.”
“What happened between you two?” He’d asked before, but she’d always deflected. And maybe it was unfair to ask while she was drinking, but, fuck, he needed her to tell him his suspicions were off. Way fucking off.
Her frown deepened. “He showed me who he truly was.”
“And who was that?”
“Not you.”
He held her gaze for long seconds, willing her to tell him more. To open up to him. Trust him with the information he needed.
The navy specks in her ocean-blue eyes bore into him. Gutting him. Distracting him just for a moment.
When the silence stretched, he inched closer, slipping an arm around her waist before lowering his head and whispering, “Let me in, A.”
“Letting people in can be dangerous.”
“Not with me.” He lifted his head, those beautiful eyes once again holding him hostage. “You’re safe with me.”
Her chest rose and fell, her lips parting. For a moment, he thought—hoped and prayed—that she’d tell him something important. Then her lips snapped shut. She looked away, then immediately straightened and frowned.
He followed her gaze across the bar to a couple who appeared to be fighting beside a booth.
“Do you see the way he’s standing over her?” Aspen asked quietly.
Yeah, the guy looked like an asshole. He was tall, towering over the woman, an angry scowl on his face. But she looked just as angry, as if she could give as good as she got.
Jesse looked back at Aspen. “He’s not doing anything wrong, and she’s not walking away. It’s not our business.”
Aspen’s fingers curled.
“Jesse, will you tell Clara that my roast beef makes hers look like baked leather?”
Jesse turned to his siblings. “Both your roast beefs suck. Mine is obviously the best.”
Clara’s jaw dropped. “The last time you made me a roast, it was half raw.”
“It was intentionally rare,” he said, almost offended.
Becket shook his head. “You’re delusional. You spent too long on those dangerous Ghost Ops missions, and they messed with your head. Your roast beef is the worst in the family.”
“Hey, I—”
Jesse stopped when Aspen left the table and marched across the bar, right toward the couple. He looked at the guy who’d been towering over the woman, and he now had a firm grip on her arm as he yelled into her face.
Fuck .
He took off after her. “Aspen.”
She didn’t stop or turn. When she reached the couple, she grabbed the guy’s arm and yanked. “Get the hell off her!”
Now the guy turned and towered over Aspen . “Why the fuck are you touching me, bitch?”
“Bitch?” Aspen stepped closer. “You’re lucky touching your arm is all I’m doing. I should kick you in the balls for grabbing a woman like that.”
Red darkened the guy’s cheeks, and he reached for her, but Jesse pushed between them before he could touch her and shoved his chest. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What am I doing? This bitch—”
Jesse grabbed his arm and twisted it back, shoving him down so he was bent over the table, ignoring the gasps around him. “You do not call her that. And while I’m here, you don’t grab women like that. Do you understand?”
“Get the fuck off me!” the guy yelled, attempting to shove back into Jesse, but he didn’t move an inch.
“I will,” Jesse said between gritted teeth. “Once you tell me you understand.”
The asshole struggled for another second before clearly realizing he wasn’t getting out of this until Jesse let him up.
“Fine,” he growled. “I understand .”
Jesse released him and stepped back, making sure he remained between the jerk and Aspen. “Now get out.”
The guy’s brows rose. “You can’t tell me to—”
“I just did.”
“So did I,” CJ, the older bartender, said as he came up behind Jesse.
The asshole’s chest rose and fell as he looked down at the woman he’d grabbed. “Come on. We’re leaving this shithole.”
The woman glanced at Aspen, holding her gaze for a beat before looking back at him. “No.”
His hands fisted, and Jesse’s muscles twitched, preparing to grab the guy a second time. But he was obviously smarter than he looked, because he turned and stormed out of the bar.
Good.
Jesse turned to see Becket standing close by. He had no doubt his brother would have backed him up if he’d needed it.
He looked down at Aspen.
“Thank you, I—”
“What the hell were you thinking?” he interrupted, his voice almost a shout.
Her brows rose. “What was I thinking? Um, that he was an asshole.”
“So, what? You grab him? A guy who’s over six feet tall and clearly aggressive?”
“If he has a hand on a woman, yes, I grab him.”
Jesus Christ . “No. You get me, and I grab him. We’re going.”
“I don’t think so. Not after you shouted at me like that.”
“ Yes , we are. We’re done here.”
“Stop telling me what to do.”
He lowered his head. “Aspen, I’m this fucking close to losing the slim hold I have on my self-control. Either you walk to the door with me, or I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going.”
“Fine.” He bent and threw her over his shoulder.
She screeched. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m taking you home before you piss off the next asshole and get yourself hurt.” He passed his brother and sister. Clara was looking at them wide-eyed, while his brother was visibly biting back a grin. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Aspen pounded his back. “Let me go, you big bully!”
“No.” He stepped outside and walked to his car.
“Put me down. Now .”
He slid her down his body beside the car.
The second her feet were on the ground, she shoved him. “I can’t believe you did that. And why the hell didn’t anyone stop you?”
“People in this town like me.”
“Yeah, well, they see you kidnapping a woman from the bar and that should change.”
He opened the passenger door. “Get in, Aspen.”
“No.” She crossed her arms.
Jesus. He forced his voice to soften. “Aspen, I’m on edge because you were a second away from getting hurt in that bar. I’m easygoing until I’m not anymore. Now will you please get in the car?”
She swallowed as her chest rose on a deep inhale. “Look, I know I put myself in harm’s way, but I did it for a good reason. I didn’t want to cause a scene, and I didn’t want you to have to lay hands on anyone. But you still shouldn’t have shouted at me.” She was about to turn when she added. “And the next time you throw me over your shoulder, I’m going to kick you in the balls.”
Then she lowered into the car and slammed the door.
Even though he was still mad about what she’d done, he couldn’t stop the wide ass smile from crossing his face. Even after all that she still threw that shit at him.
He rounded the vehicle and got in, then gave her a few seconds to put on her seat belt. But when she sat there too long with her arms crossed, he reached for it himself.
“What are you—”
He pulled the belt across her body, ignoring the way his arm grazed her chest, and the way her breath brushed his cheek.
Yeah, his heart fucking sped up, and he hated that.
On the way home, neither of them spoke, and the silence was tense. It was probably the longest he’d ever witnessed Aspen not speak before.
They were almost home when he shot a glance her way. “You’re not talking to me now?”
She leaned her head back. “I’m tired, Jesse.”
When he pulled into his driveway, he turned off the car and looked at her, only to see the even rise and fall of her chest.
“Aspen?”
Silence. She was asleep.
He reached over and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear, grazing the smooth skin of her cheek. A small hum slipped from her lips, and the sound shot right into his gut.
With tight muscles, he climbed out of the car and crossed over to her side.
She was soft in his arms as he carried her inside. And warm. And she kept making those sexy little humming sounds.
It was killing him. All of it.
He went straight to her room. A room that had been empty a couple months ago, but now there were pink bed linens, a fluffy purple clock, photos… It was all Aspen.
Gently, he laid her in bed and removed her heels before pulling the covers up.
Her eyes opened, a small frown on her brow. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
She rolled to the side, pulling the sheets over her body. “You still mad at me?”
“I could never be mad at you.”
She gave a soft laugh, holding up two fingers and showing the smallest gap. “You were a little mad. I forgive you too.”
“Good. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep otherwise.” Then he did something stupid. He leaned down and kissed her temple. He even let his lips linger. “Good night, Aspen.”
There was a slight shift in her breathing before she whispered, “Good night, Jesse.”
Without looking back, he left the room, almost damn well running to get away from her.