Chapter Four
Jayla squeezed as much water from her thick, dark hair as she could. It would take forever to dry, but she couldn’t go another hour with bits of dirt and dried blood stuck in it.
She started pulling out the clothes someone had packed for her. What the hell? Two pairs of jeans, four t-shirts, and one set of underwear. Where were her sweats or pajamas, sweaters, or sweatshirts? They’d packed all the stuff she needed for the bathroom but hardly any clothes.
Now what? She sat on the toilet with a towel wrapped around her. Okay, she could either wear the hospital pants she’d worn before, a pair of the jeans that would kill her ribs, or ask one of the men if they had a large shirt and maybe socks she could wear.
Jayla opened the door a tiny crack. “Um, excuse me. Beau?”
“What do you need?” he asked.
“Was there another bag for me?”
“No, that was the only one in the SUV. Why?”
“Well, whoever packed for me didn’t do a very good job. I have two pairs of jeans, a couple of thin t-shirts, but nothing else.”
“What about the pants you came in?”
“They’re paper ones I got from the hospital and tore when I took them off.
Can I borrow a shirt or something until we can go into town?
” A long moment of silence passed. “Hey, it’s no problem, I’ll figure something else out.
” She closed the door, then her eyes, and pressed her head against the cool wood.
She was so incredibly tired. Tired body, tired of hurting, and tired of the situation. A knock at the door startled her.
“Open the door a bit, Jayla. I’ve got a shirt you can wear here. I’ll hand it to you around the door.”
Jayla cracked open the door and reached for the shirt. “Thank you, Beau. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
Jayla slipped on the button-down shirt and grinned.
It was perfect. It covered more than her nightgowns did.
She rolled up the sleeves as best she could.
She picked up the rest of the clothes, grimacing every time she bent or twisted, and draped the blanket around her.
She wished she had socks, but she wasn’t going to ask them for anything else.
Jayla got the feeling they did not want to be there, and she felt bad they’d been ordered to.
The men stopped talking abruptly when she came out of the bathroom and stared at her as if they’d never seen a woman before.
“Um, thanks for the loan of a shirt.” She pointed to the fireplace where, thank God, a blazing fire had been started, and the cabin felt okay to her at that moment.
“Is it okay if I sit in that chair and dry my hair?” She started to worry when they kept staring.
“What? Why are you staring? I know I look horrible with the bruises, but I’m sure you’ve seen worse. ”
Beau cleared his throat. “How old are you?”
“Why?”
“Just tell me.”
“Twenty-four, I’ll be twenty-five next month. I think.”
The men continued to sit at the small table, their gazes roaming over her. All they could see were her feet and ankles, her neck up, and her hands.
“Why don’t you know when your birthday is?” Beau’s face grew darker.
Jayla bit her lip. “I guess if I really thought about it, but it’s not something I ever celebrated.”
The one man who had only said a few words to her scowled and stood suddenly.
Jayla jerked back a step and then closed her eyes as pain radiated through her. She took a breath when the pain ebbed and opened her eyes.
Diego’s features had softened a bit, and she could tell he was trying to look less threatening. “Where are your socks?”
Jayla bit her bottom lip as all three sets of eyes, including hers, went to her feet. “Um, I don’t have any. At least until I go into town.”
“And you didn’t ask us?”
Jayla shrugged and then regretted it instantly. “I’ve already asked you for enough. If I sit by the fire, I won’t need them.” She held back a cringe when Diego walked by her. Fierce energy slid off of him, making the tension in the room spike.
She swallowed at the concern and compassion on Beau’s face. She didn’t want pity from anyone, so she turned away.
“Here, put these on,” Diego said next to her.
She reached for them and looked up into his eyes. “Thank you.”
Diego’s eyes burned her. “Go sit by the fire.”
Jayla nodded and moved carefully to the chair.
She made sure the blanket stayed in place and covered her from the waist down.
She glanced at them over her shoulder to find they were still looking at her.
She bent carefully and pulled on one sock, then the other.
She smiled at the look. The shirt came down to her knees, and the socks went over her knees. She was now covered neck to toe.
The fire was pulsing with heat and driving away any cold she might have had. Little by little, she separated her long, thick waist-length hair, letting the heat dry the mass slowly.
A few times, she looked over at the men to see that they were in a conversation but kept glancing at her. Both wore harsh scowls on their faces. Dammit, she was tired of being looked at by people like she was different or odd.
“Listen, if you don’t like looking at me, then stop. In fact, I’d appreciate it. The cabin is small, but I imagine there are an abundance of interesting things to look at other than me.” She turned back to the fire and continued to dry her hair.
Jayla ignored them when they started talking again in whispers. After a while, her arms were getting too tired to hold up her hair, and she decided it was dry enough. She moved farther back in the chair. It was huge by most people’s standards, so she fit in it very easily.
She must have dozed off because the next thing she saw was Beau crouching in front of the chair with a few strands of hair between his fingers.
He was so handsome. Over six feet. His hair was dark and cut very short.
The sharp angles of his brow and cheekbones made her think he might be part American-Indian.
His eyes were deep, dark brown with shards of lighter browns in the striations.
She reached and lifted the hair he held away before tucking it under her head.
“Sorry. Your hair is so long, it’s draped over the floor. Are you hungry?”
Jayla was so tired she didn’t want to move, but knew if she was to get better, she needed to eat. She nodded before turning and sitting up, looking toward the small table.
They had bowls of soup on the table, but only two kitchen chairs. She stood, wrapped her blanket tighter around her, and made her way over. She lifted the warm bowl. “Thank you very much,” she said without looking at them and started back to the chair she’d been sitting on.
An arm came around her and pulled the bowl from her grip. “What...?”
Diego dropped back into his chair with her bowl next to his. Oh, Jesus. She’d assumed that was hers and took Diego’s meal. She felt the red tide climb her face. “I’m sorry. I assumed that was mi—”
“Dammit, Diego, use your words, dude. She thinks you want both bowls.”
Jayla was startled by Beau’s bark and took a step back, slipping on the floor. In that millisecond, her thoughts were, damn, this is going to hurt. But strong arms came around her and lifted her against a massive chest.
A swarm of feelings raced through her, fear the strongest one. The alarm from falling was just starting to drain away, but the fear of a man she didn’t know touching her was unsettling in the least. The fear was mixed with something she couldn’t identify, which compounded her turbulent emotions.
“Did that jar your ribs?”
Jayla was frozen for a moment. The dangerous-looking man could actually talk? “It’s okay. You can put me down, please. I think I’ll skip dinner and rest for a bit.”
Diego sat down at the table and put her on his lap before handing her a spoon. “No, you’re going to eat first.”
She knew she looked ridiculous sitting on a stranger’s lap, shock written over her face, and a spoon held in one hand. She sat frozen. She didn’t know how to deal with this situation at all. She jolted a bit when another pair of arms wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
“You lost your blanket.”
Jayla looked down. The shirt was tucked up a bit, showing more leg than she wanted, but she didn’t think they saw, hopefully. Could a person burn up because of a blush so severe it scorched?
She set her spoon down and tried to stand.
“Where are you going?” Diego growled.
“I don’t know why I’m on your lap, but it’s highly improper.
” She stared when a smile cracked Diego’s stern face, transforming him into one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen.
“Um...” Diego’s hair was also very short and dark, his eyes a little lighter brown than Beau’s, but she could tell he had a South-American heritage.
Everything about him spoke of arrogance and dominance.
He could very well be the scariest person she’d ever encountered.
While Beau was a few inches taller than Diego, Diego’s body was a solid mass of muscle.
Beau was muscular. Every muscle was defined, but Diego had muscles on muscles. His thigh beneath her bottom was as solid as a rock.
“Honey, everything about me is improper, so get used to it. Now...” He picked up her spoon and handed it to her again. “Eat.”
Jayla looked at Beau for help, but he only smiled and nodded at her bowl before taking another bite of his own.
She didn’t know what to do, so she leaned forward and took a spoonful of warm soup.
Before she knew it, the bowl was gone, and she finally became aware of the men’s silence.
Jayla tried to stand again without looking at the men, but Diego just tightened his grip on her hip.
Thankfully, not the one with the bruise.
Jayla frowned over her shoulder. “Why are you keeping me on your lap?”
“Because I like you there.”
Her irritated frown turned into a confused one. “Why?”
Diego shrugged.
Her anger rose swiftly. “Okay, that’s it. You let me go right now. I just met you, for God’s sake.”
“Or what?” Diego challenged.
“Or, or ... I’ll make you wish you had,” she sputtered.
Diego chuckled. “How?”
Jayla growled in frustration, which only made him laugh. “You’re a jerk.”
Diego lifted several strands of her hair and rubbed them between his thumb and fingers. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s called me in a long time.”
“I can vouch for that,” Beau said helpfully.
Could she slug him and not end up hurting herself worse than she already had?
“Don’t even think about it, honey. If you hit me, I’ll spank your sweet ass. Not right now. I’ll wait until you’re healed first.”
Jayla’s eyes rounded dramatically, and her mouth dropped open. The irritation turned to anger. Her eyes narrowed, and she pressed her lips together in a line. “That will never happen.”
He ran one finger down her cheek and just nodded.
“You and what army?” she snapped.
“Me,” Diego replied, and then nodded over to Beau. “Or him.”
Jayla’s eyes jerked to Beau’s. “What? No, not you, too.”
“I’m afraid so, sweetness.”
She gave up. Jayla’s shoulders drooped a bit. Fatigue was pulling her down quickly.
“Can we fight later? I really do need to lie down.”
Diego instantly stood, startling a squeak out of her that made him smile again. He started to walk to the enormous bed that took up one-third of the cabin.
“No, wait. The bed’s too far from the fire, and I get cold very easily.”
Diego turned, then made his way to the chair and sat in it with her on his lap.
She pushed against his chest. “This is not what I had in mind, Diego.”
“Say that again.”
Jayla rolled her eyes. “This is no—”
“No, say my name.”
“Diego. Why?”
“I don’t know. I like the sound of it on your lips, I guess. Now let’s relax for a bit. You pooped me out.”
Jayla snorted out a laugh, not expecting something so cute coming out of this man’s mouth. A sigh escaped as she carefully settled against him. She was too tired to fight, and the heat rolling off him was better than any heated blanket she’d ever had.
****
Diego sensed Beau come into the room a few minutes later and sat on the sofa across from the fire and watched them. The back of Jayla’s head was to him, so he couldn’t see if she was sleeping or not. She unknowingly cuddled against Diego’s chest before lying still and relaxed.
She was the most stunning woman they’d ever met. Her waist-length black hair was beautiful. Her delicate features were stunning, but her eyes ... the crystal-clear blue was something he could look at forever. Add her curves, and she might just be the perfect woman in his thoughts.
Diego looked down at the sleeping woman on his lap, then up at his friend. “I don’t want to put her down. Isn’t that crazy?” He’d had an instantaneous attraction to her since she walked out of the bathroom. His body had hardened to a painful degree before his mind caught up.
He knew he was pushing her, probably too much, but that was his personality. His motto was, You just don’t know how long you have on this earth, so you need to grab as much happiness as you can, as fast as you can.
Beau settled deeper into the cushions. He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles and then his arms over his chest. “No, I don’t. I’ve heard if you find the right woman, you just know.”
“You feel it, too, right?”
Beau chuckled. “Oh, yeah. I don’t think that woman is going to know what hit her.”
Several minutes went by in silence.
“What if she doesn’t want us, or the director tries to separate us?” Diego asked
Beau shrugged. “We’ll deal with whatever is thrown at us. Right now, let’s rest a bit, then I’ll scout around before we hunker down for the night.”
“You could hold her while I do that.”
“No, sit. You’re both relaxed. You can do it tomorrow,” Beau said before walking to the door.
“Hey,” Diego whispered loudly and smiled.
“What?”
“Don’t forget we need to check her injuries.”
Beau’s smile grew. “How do you think she’s going to take that?”
They both snickered.
Beau waved before shutting the door behind himself.