Page 80 of Only the Devil
Chapter 26
Jake
“I’m a mess.”
She’s not a mess at all. She’s brilliant. Sexy. Delicious. “If so, you’re the hottest mess I’ve ever seen.”
She sniffles, and I feel her smile.
Good. She’s gotta work through this.
“A hot mess isn’t the compliment you think it is.”
“Baby, all I’ve got for you is compliments.”
“Why? I can’t hold a job.”
“Who says? You’ve got two.”
“I’ve been through like fifteen.”
“There are a lot of boss-holes out there. You’re too strong-willed to put up with someone who doesn’t value your potential. You deserve more.”
“I forgot about Uncle Alvin’s gravestone. Who does that?”
“Someone who immediately sensed something wasn’t right about her loved one’s death, so she leaped in to investigate.”
She’s quiet against my chest, and I can feel some of the tension leaving her body. Her breathing evens out, and I know she’s letting herself accept my words.
“Anything I say—you’re going to try to make me feel better, aren’t you?”
“Is it working?” I ask, running my hand through her hair. I feel her smile against my skin before her lips press against my chest. Her thumb finds my nipple, pressing in like she’s grounding herself in the physical connection between us.
“You’re too good to know.”
“Ha,” I bark out. What a ludicrous statement.
“Seriously,” she insists.
“You got any idea what a mercenary is?”
“But you’re working for the good guys.”
“They’re better than the devil, I suppose. It’s a good team. Good people. They’re not angels. Definitely not too good to know.”
“Why were you forced to leave the military?”
This isn’t something I wish to get into, but she rolls onto me, her soft, warm body covering half of mine, and those deep, syrupy brown eyes telling me I’m not getting away without answering.
“Medical.”
Her eyes narrow, disbelieving. “You’re in fantastic health. I’ve never been with a guy in as good a shape as you.”
“Really?” Well, now, that’s almost better than a woman saying my dick’s the biggest she’s ever had.
And as if our mental wavelengths are connecting, she palms my erection.
“I thought you were talking about my muscles,” I growl, teasing.
