Page 5 of Rush Turner
I stabbed another bite with my fork, avoiding his eyes.
“You’re staring,” I mumbled.
“I know.” He didn’t even have the decency to pretend he wasn’t.
I risked a glance. His blue eyes were pinned on my face, unwavering, studying me like he was cataloguing my secrets one by one.
“Stop it.” I poked his hand with my fork. “Eyes on your burger, Rambo.”
The burger was almost gone, he set it down and looked at me. “How long has he been bothering you?”
My stomach dropped. “Who?”
Rush leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table, voice low and steady enough to make my skin tingle. “Jessa. I’m not stupid. Nobody’s this jumpy unless they’re scared of something real. Who is he?”
I slammed my fork down a little too hard. A passing waitress flinched.
“None of your business,” I hissed, glaring at him. “Lordy, I just met you! Stop being so nosy.
His jaw flexed. I could practically see the soldier in him — the man who didn’t take no for an answer.
“It is my business if you’re putting yourself in danger walking back roads at night.”
I lifted my chin. “I’m not your problem, Rush.”
His lips twitched. “Too late.”
RUSH
She was infuriating. Adorable. And stubborn enough to make a grown man consider duct tape and a safe house just to keep her safe.
I pushed the last bite of my burger aside. “Tell me who he is.”
She crossed her arms, eyes flashing. “Eat your food, Turner.”
I leaned in, dropping my voice so low her breath caught. “Sunshine. I can protect you. But only if you let me.”
She looked away so fast I almost missed it — the flicker of real fear before she masked it behind that spitfire mouth.
“I don’t need protecting.”
“Everyone needs protecting sometimes.” I nudged her plate closer. “Especially when they’re out here eating cake at night with a stranger instead of calling the cops.”
She flinched. Tiny. But I saw it.
JESSA
I hated how warm his voice made me feel. How easy it was to believe he’d keep me safe. How stupidly tempted I was to just… unload everything in my chest onto his broad, unbothered shoulders.
But .i didn’t want to bring strangers into our problems.
So I pushed my plate back, stood up so quickly the table rattled.
“Thank you for the cake. And the rescue. But this is where you stop playing hero, Rush. I’ll handle it.”
He rose too — slowly, deliberately, towering over me like a wall I secretly didn’t want to climb.
His hand hovered near my elbow. He didn’t touch. Just close enough that I could feel the promise behind it:If you fall, I’ll catch you.
