Delicious - Page 27

“I gave you my bed,” Jed points out. “It’s not like I’d let you sleep on the couch.”

I suck in a breath. “I tried to take your chainsaw.”

“You…certainly tried,” he agrees, and I swear there’s a hint of amusement in his tone when he says it. But that’s not what I’m focused on. Suddenly he’s closer than he had been, and I’m stuck scrambling in my brain to figure out when he got this close to me.

Where did all that space between us go?

“I threw up when I saw your slaughter-shed,” I add in a rush of words that come out almost jumbled.

“Wren almost threw up the first time he walked in as well. That’s not the insult you think it is.” It should be impossible for him to sound this good when it feels like he’s quietly laughing at my words. I can’t see the floor between our bodies anymore. Instead, my vision is consumed with his front, and the borrowed shirt that hugs my curves too-tightly for me to feel anything but uncomfortable. The thought makes me lift my hand, and I pinch the fabric with my fingers, trying to pull it away from my hip without doing much good, though I can’t help but repeat the movement on the other side as well.

“You don’t need to do that,” Jed murmurs, eyes training on my movements. “Especially if it’s because you think something bothers me.Nothingabout you bothers me, Saylor. Except how you’re afraid of me. But…” He doesn’t continue until I look up at him, just in time to see the dark, tempting grin curl over his lips. “If you want me to convince you, then I’ll take all the time youneed to reassure you that you never,everneed to be afraid of me, or think I’m going to hurt you. I just need you to be willing to convincemeyou won’t tell anyone what I did. Whatwedo. Can you do that for me?” I’ve never heard him talk like this. I’ve never heard him sound so confident, or so tempting.

He takes that last, small step to close the rest of the distance between us and my breath catches in my throat. I can’t move when his hand comes up to cup my cheek in his warm, calloused palm.

He’s going to kiss me again.

And I’m more than willing to let him.

One of his knees presses between mine as my mind scrambles, trying to figure out how the hell we got here. How the hell I’m suddenly more okay with this than I was earlier. He’s so fucking hot, so sweet, and the red flags that litter his metaphorical yard are suddenly looking like my favorite color in the whole damn world.

But fuck, this is not right.He’s a murderer. A killer. I see it in him every time I look at him and every time I close my eyes.

When Jed catches my gaze, I know he sees it too. The indecision. The memory that I can’t stop playing over and over and?—

“It’s okay,” he breathes. “I know we’re not quite there yet. I know you don’t trust me like I need you to, and you still can’t open your mouth and tell me, without a doubt, you won’t be tempted to tell anyone, can you Saylor?”

As if to prove him wrong, I part my lips, words ready on my tongue…only for me to find that they won’t come out the way I want. My stomach sinks and I realize that he’s right. Idon’ttrust him like he wants me to. Idon’tthink I can promise him I won’t find myself at the local sheriff’s station the moment he lets me leave.

And what in the world does all of that say about me? I feel panic rising in my throat, along with the worry that he regrets not letting Wren make me an offer to keep me from going to the police. I’m sure it’s more trouble than it’s worth for him to do this himself, considering he isn’t offering me money or a car or a job orwhatever.Nor is he threatening me, past the obvious part of still being kidnapped and having no real idea where I am.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Jed murmurs, his free hand resting on my hip. “You always have a way out of this. I won’t make you do something you don’t want.”

“I can’t tell you what you want to hear, though,” I remind him, feeling almost disappointed in myself for that fact. “I can’t say?—”

“I know, Saylor.” There’s a definite hint of amusement in his voice. A very audible chuckle as he gives me the softest, sweetest smile that covers something much less tender, but no less affectionate. “I’m not dumb. And you’re not that mysterious. You were literally on your hands and knees throwing up because of what you saw in my backyard. Do you really think I expect you to announce your overwhelming trust in me now? Do you think even if you promised never to tell, never to say a word, I’d believe you after I know what you saw?” He shakes his head at me, and something in me unfurls, loosening like a too-tight knot.

It shouldn’t make me feel better, because it means he’s not about to give me my keys and phone and let me waltz on out the door.

“I’m trying,” I say instead, letting out a disappointed breath. “I’mtrying.But you’re a killer, and I’ve never exactly sat down and had a pep talk with myself aboutwhat to do when you’re kidnapped by a serial killer.”

“Serial killer is a strong accusation,” Jed interrupts, snorting, though he doesn’t move away. “You’ve seen me killonewhole person.”

“Are you saying I’m off base?” Some part of me grows hopeful, my chest lightening.

“Oh, no, not at all. No, I’m definitely by all definitions a serial killer,” he promises, still amused. “I just wanted to point out it’s a jump from knowing I killed one person to knowing I’ve killed a lot.”

Oh. Well, then.

I can’t stop the small scowl that pulls at my lips, or the way I glare balefully at him. He chuckles deep in his throat, as if he can’t help himself, and presses his thigh more firmly between mine, holding me against the sofa unless I’m willing to backflip over it.

But even then, I might end up just getting pulled back up, or dragging him with me. Which brings a lot of inappropriate images to my head; I work to beat them back with a stick, for all the good it does when I know I’ll see them again the moment I fall into his bed and press my face against the pillows that smell just like him.

“Fuck, you’re adorable when you do that,” Jed murmurs, once more in that rough voice.

“Do what?” I ask, snapping from my thoughts. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Oh, yeah, you are.” Jed chuckles, leaning closer to me. “You should see your face when you do that. When you try so hard not to think about whatever it is that you can’t keep out of your brain.” A smile splits his lips, his eyes dancing. “What are you trying so hard to ignore this time, Saylor?” he asks, while my heart races against my ribs.