Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GABE
Igently lowered Jasmine to the floor in front of the sofa, and she slid off my back, landing on one foot. She dropped down onto the cushion and immediately propped her foot up, wincing with the movement.
“What do you need?” I asked. I’d do anything I could to help her feel better.
“I need some food, pain relievers, and a wrap for my ankle,” she began, ticking each item off with her fingers, “but first I need to shower.”
“What do you want to eat? I’ll run out and grab you anything you want,” I offered, and a soft smile played over her lips.
“Anything?” she asked, pulling her phone from her back pocket.
“Anything,” I confirmed.
“You know we could just have something delivered,” she said, flashing her screen at me where she had a food delivery app pulled up.
“I thought I’d grab something while I was out getting your medicine and wrap for your ankle so you could have some privacy to shower.
” A look of worry flashed in her eyes. Maybe she was afraid to be alone with her fresh injury.
“Unless you think you’ll need my help,” I added, kicking myself for not considering she might need some assistance getting to the bathroom.
She cocked one brow, and her worry melted into playfulness.
“How exactly were you planning on helping me?” she asked, and the suggestive nature in her tone caused my cheeks to heat.
“It might be too hard to get these jeans off by myself.” Fuck, I’d walked right into that one, and I only had myself to blame.
“Stop being a menace,” I said with a forced chuckle, trying to pretend the suggestion didn’t have my entire body buzzing with anticipation. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need any help getting to the bathroom.”
“Of course you did,” she replied with a smirk, and I had the sudden urge to kiss that look off her face. That was a dangerous thought, one I needed to bury in the darkest recesses of my mind.
Clearing my throat, I stood and headed toward the door. “Text me what you want, and I’ll grab it while I’m out.”
“Careful, a girl could get used to this kind of treatment,” she said with a wink. Even with her taunting and the way she took every opportunity to get under my skin, I found myself smiling as I hopped in my truck.
Forty minutes later, I walked back through the door with a bag full of takeout from a local barbecue joint, pain relievers, and an ACE bandage from the pharmacy.
Jasmine was freshly showered with her damp hair secured in a clip.
She wore a pair of cotton shorts and a baggy t-shirt with a loose neckline that hung off one shoulder.
Somehow, it was only slightly less sexy than her little sleep sets, effortlessly so.
She iced her ankle again while we ate. Then she took a dose of ibuprofen, and I helped her wrap her ankle.
“I’ll go get Juniper loaded up so we can hit the road,” I said when we were finished.
“Excuse me?” she said, her eyes flashing with irritation and a hint of fire in her tone. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“What do you mean you’re not going anywhere? There’s no reason to stay when you can’t compete tomorrow.”
She scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. “Says who?” she challenged.
“Says the ankle that’s black and blue and twice the size of the other one,” I replied incredulously.
She rolled her eyes. “Stop being dramatic. It’s not that bad.” I let out a derisive snort, and she pinned me with a glare. “I just need to keep icing it, take my medicine, and make sure it’s wrapped real good in the morning, and it’ll be just fine.”
I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest, standing my ground. “You can’t even walk. How are you going to mount your horse?”
“That’s where you come in.”
I chuckled. “I’m not carrying you around on my back all day.”
“I’m sure I could catch a ride with the Butlers again. I’d just need a boost to get on my saddle.”
I released an exasperated breath. There was no changing her mind.
She was going to do what she wanted regardless of what I said, and I wasn’t interested in trying to control her or tell her what to do.
“Fine,” I relented. “I’m going to go take care of Juniper.
” I’d been too worried about Jasmine to go through her horse’s post-race routine.
I hoped the man who returned her to her stall at least gave her food and water.
“Okay, I’ll get the next episode ready while you’re gone,” she said with a satisfied grin.
“You better not start it without me,” I warned, and the sound of her laughter followed me out the door.
“How does your ankle feel?” I asked when Jasmine limped back from the bathroom after our fourth straight episode. She’d refused to let me help her, instead holding on to anything she could as she hobbled across the trailer.
“It’s a little better.”
“You gonna be able to race tomorrow?”
She glanced away and shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her confidence waning.
I didn’t see how there was any way she could compete, but I had to trust her to do what was right.
She continued to ice her ankle and took some more medicine as we watched one more episode before deciding to turn in for the night.
“You can take the big bed this time,” Jasmine offered as I pulled out the sleeper sofa and flattened it into what barely passed as a bed. “I’ll sleep here.” I started shaking my head before she could even finish her sentence.
“No. This is your trailer. You take the bed. I can sleep here again,” I insisted, nodding to the sleeper sofa.
“You don’t even fit on this thing. That’s probably why your back has been hurting so bad. I’m surprised you were even able to carry me back from the arena,” she added with a smirk.
“Oh, really?” I asked in challenge.
“Really,” she affirmed.
“I fit just fine,” I proclaimed, dropping onto the sofa bed on my back and folding my hands under my head. “See? Perfect fit,” I declared smugly.
“Umm, your feet are hanging off the end,” she said, pointing to where my boots dangled completely over the edge.
I glanced down as if I hadn’t noticed and toed off my boots. Shifting my body, I laid diagonally across the mattress. “There, now I fit.”
“Not even close, cowboy,” she said, giving me a flat look.
“Close enough,” I countered with a shrug.
“You’re ridiculous,” she declared, trying not to laugh. “Just sleep in the big bed. I need you in tip-top shape to help me with Juniper.”
“Nope. I’m sleeping right here.”
She released a dramatic sigh. “You leave me no choice.” She climbed over the arm of the sofa, careful not to put too much weight on her injured ankle, and wedged herself between me and the wall.
“Get out of my bed,” she demanded, planting her knees into the mattress and pushing against my side in an attempt to roll me off.
I chuckled but didn’t budge. “This bed is made for kids. You’re going to break it, sasquatch,” she grunted as she tried again to roll me over. I just laughed harder.
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re only five feet tall then,” I retorted. She gasped in mock offense and momentarily halted her efforts.
“I’m five two and three quarters, thank you very much,” she replied haughtily. Now I was full-on belly laughing. She tried so hard not to smile, but her lips twitched as though the sound of my laughter brought her great pleasure.
“Not a chance. You’re five one at best.”
“Lies!” she accused playfully, continuing to shove at me. That was when it happened. She tried to push against my ribs, but her hands slipped on my shirt. Before she could stop herself, momentum carried her over, and she slid across my body, landing sprawled out on my chest.
“Oh shit,” I barked and clamped my arms around her before she tumbled completely over the edge. Her wide, startled gaze met mine and held for a long moment. Her body was pressed so close to mine, I could feel her pulse thundering against my ribs. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied breathlessly. “Thanks for catching me. I thought I was about to hit the floor.”
“No problem,” I replied, my voice shaking as I fought to catch my breath.
For several long seconds, she simply lay there, her chest heaving as she stared into my eyes as though searching for something.
Then her gaze dropped to my mouth, and my lips parted as I drew in a ragged breath.
“Jasmine,” I said, my voice strangled and pleading.
“Sorry. I-I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine,” I said in a rush, cutting her off. Neither of us moved. She made no attempts to get up, and I didn’t push her away.
“If you ask me to get up, I will,” she promised, her voice barely above a whisper, “but just know that I don’t want to.”
“Fuck,” I ground out, fisting my hands in her shirt, causing my knuckles to graze her lower back. She sucked in a sharp breath at the contact, and I swallowed hard as the sound shot straight to my cock.
“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll move, and we can go back to pretending like there isn’t this spark between us.”
There. She said it. It was all out in the open now, the reality we’d been tiptoeing around.
I couldn’t answer her, couldn’t admit that she was right.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I shook my head.
“I have to let you go,” I replied, my voice pained.
Despite my claims, my hold tightened on her for the briefest of moments.
And then I released her, gently moving her aside so I could sit up.
Propping my elbows on my knees, I hung my head as I gathered myself, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. When I finally spoke again, my voice was strained.
“I’ve got some calls to make, so I’m going to take a walk while you get ready for bed.”