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“You can’t sit on the floor,” Sarah said. I’d nearly forgotten she was still here.
“Sarah’s right. I’m fine.”
Nikole pulled her legs up and underneath her. Her bare left foot pressed against the couch cushions. I didn’t think, just reacted.
I wrapped my hand around her tiny ankle and gently pulled her leg toward me, only a few inches, but she jumped just the same. “Wh—What are you doing?”
“You seem uncomfortable. Stretch out your legs. There’s plenty of room on the couch for you to do that.”
She stared at me, then hesitantly moved her legs further down the couch until her cherry red toenails were only a few inches away from my thigh. She wiggled them and leaned back against the couch to watch TV.
I did the same and settled into the movie.
It truly was a beautifully filmed production. I’d been to France both as a soldier and several times as a vacationer, but never had I seen the vistas like the ones in this film. The blue of the water and the sky sandwiched a colorful mountainside peppered with homes and terraces. Sometimes stepping away from something made it so much clearer, more beautiful than how you’d remembered it. Or perhaps seeing it through another’s eyes made the experience richer. I couldn’t decide.
I’d become so engulfed in the movie that I hadn’t realized I’d scooted closer to Nikole somehow and found myself rubbing the inside of her foot. Not until a soft groan escaped from her lips and the sound pulled me back. She had her eyes closed and her mouth slightly parted, and while she was fully clothed, it was the most erotic thing I’d seen in ages.
I knew I should move back to the far side of the couch, but I didn’t want to be the one to ruin her mood, so I stayed. I caressed the inside of her foot with my thumb and pressed deeply into the muscles. Using my other hand, I did the same to the other side.
My gaze drifted to Sarah, who had fallen asleep on the loveseat, her soft snores reminding me of our childhood. I let go of those memories and focused on the soft skin under my fingertips.
I was crossing a line here tonight. I would give my brothers hell for even thinking of putting their hands on one of our clients, and I knew I should pull back right now. But while my mind screamed to do it, my body wouldn’t move. It couldn’t. It craved the intimacy and pleasure I was giving her. If even for a little while. I missed this. I missed it very much.
Then, in the next moment, her foot was gone. She had pulled her legs back and tucked them underneath her again. Biting the skin at the side of her thumb, she stared at the screen. She didn’t say a word, but her withdrawal was enough to let me know it had been a mistake.
I rested my hands on my thighs and tried to focus on the movie again. My hands fisted, and I caressed the inside of my palms, feeling how much softer they’d become in that short time. It reminded me how a person could change you. How they could leave their mark on you without even trying. I was getting too close, and I needed to put some distance between us.
I stood from the couch. “I’m going to drive Sarah home, but I’ll be back outside for the rest of the night. I won’t be long.”
“You really don’t have to come back and be cold. I’m fine, Jacob.”
“It’s not fine. This is my job and I take it seriously.” That reminder may have been more for me than for her.
She blinked a couple of times, and her brow furrowed. “All right. It’s your decision, I guess.”
I nudged Sarah and she groaned loudly, swatting my hand away. “Come on, Sarah. It’s time to go.”
When she rolled over to the other side, I decided to quit playing. I lifted her over my shoulder.
She sputtered and kicked. “Put me down.”
I did, and she wobbled a bit before straightening her shirt. Then she turned to Nikole. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said with half-closed lids.
Nikole smiled. “Thank you, Sarah. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I walked Sarah out and turned back to Nikole. “Lock all your doors and don’t open them for anyone.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but we’re going to talk about some new rules in the morning. I think this has gone on long enough.”
I wasn’t going to argue with her while I had a cranky sister on my arm. Besides, Jager had told me more than I needed to hear tonight. This guy was proving to be as serious as I had worried he would be. It was time I put the second part of my plan into action before something happened to Nikole.
10
Nikole
I stretched my arms above my head and arched my back. Oh, that felt good. My neck and shoulders ached but my feet felt lighter. Mm, I didn’t want to think about why that was.
Last night had been, well, it had been strange. For a moment, I believed Sarah could be right and that Jake and I would’ve hit it off, but I couldn’t get over the fact that he had left. My pride wouldn’t let it go. And more than pride, I didn’t want another person in my life not realizing how their actions affected me.
