Page 75 of Hyde and Seek

“Sure.” I said my goodbye to Key before following Jake into his office.

“What’s up?” I asked after he closed the door.

My question went unanswered as Jake walked to the front of his desk. Turning towards me, he leaned back against it and crossed his arms over his chest while his eyes searched my face.

When his gaze shot to my hands and his body tensed, I realized I was twisting my ring on my thumb. I dropped my hand and tried to appear casual when Jake finally spoke.

“What was up before was that I was hopin’ to convince you to fool around before you had to get back to work. What’s up now is I’m wonderin’ why half the time when I talk, you’re bracin’ like I’m about to tell you that your cat died?”

“I don’t,” I denied.

And lied.

Itotallydid that. Not always consciously, but I did it.

“Babe, you do.”

“No. I don’t even have a cat,” I joked.

“You can’t cute your way out of this.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

That’s soooo what I’m trying to do.

“What’re you scared of?”

“Nothing.”

“You can’t even talk to me without doin’ that.” He dipped his head to where I was twirling the ring again. “Or somethin’ like it.”

“That’s not entirely to do with our conversations, though.”

“Then what is itentirelyto do with?”

“You.”

“Me?” he asked in a rough, quiet voice as hurt slashed across his face.

Realizing what I’d said and how he’d taken it, I rushed to explain.

“You’re hot.” I watched as Jake’s eyes widened in surprise. “Like unbelievably, scorching hot. But you’re also smart and, despite what you say, sweet. You make me smile and laugh all the freakin’ time. Plus, you’re a total badass and that’s crazy sexy in and of itself. When you look at me like that,” I said, gesturing to his eyes that had gone more than their usual intense, “like you can see into my soul and you know all my secrets, I don’t know whether to hide or jump you.”

Nine times out of ten, though, it’s totally jump him.

Do it, do it now!

I’d always heard that to keep a man you should act disinterested and mysterious.

I was obviously never going to be the aloof siren since I was pretty sure that babbling my enthrallment with all things JaketoJake was the exact opposite of that.

The look in his eyes as he stalked towards me both affirmed my choice to lay it out and scared the hell out of me.

Even more so when, as soon as I was within reach, he wrapped his arms around me to cup my ass.

I was damn near hyperventilating when he used his hold to pull me close, dipping his face down to mine.

“I can’t see into your soul, sweets,” he admitted, his gravelly voice rougher than usual. “And I don’t know all your secrets. But I will. And you’ll be the one tellin’ them to me.”

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