Page 22 of Melt for Me (The Last Snow of the Season 1)

"There's a dead woman upstairs and no one knows where her killer is. How can you think this is safe?"

"I did just fine taking care of myself and keeping myself safe before I met you I'll have you know."

"Really?" My temper starts to flair and I try to tamp it down. "You took care of yourself? That's why you ended up in a stranger's bed on a weekend vacation? That's why you're sitting there with my cum on you from last night, because you kept yourself safe?"

Damn it! Why can't I stop talking?!

"That stranger was you!" She looks at me like I might have just lost my mind. My argument doesn't make sense even to my own ears, but I can't stop.

"You didn't put up much of a fight. Not in the sauna and certainly not last night." Her mouth pops open in a little round 'o' of surprise. I need to find a way to stop this. To make up for being such a high-handed ass. I need to find some way of telling her that I'm just scared for her.

"All of this was because of you. You pushed for this, for us to spend time together, for me to be in your room. Why? Do you just go around picking and choosing girls that you want for the weekend? Maybe I should be more aware of my safety where you're concerned. Maybe you're right and I should start asking more questions about the person in my bed before someone hurts me!"

"That's...,"

"Stupid? Am I stupid? Some stupid little girl that you can use for a weekend and then not have to hear from again? Why, Jag, why did you do it?" She looks at me with desperation in her eyes, begging me to answer with the right thing - the right words. "Did you feel sorry for me? Did you think I needed...," she looks around for the right word, "a pity fuck?"

"That is not what this is about, and you damn well know it!" Before I can tell her anything else Rani comes in.

"What's going on? What is all the shouting about?"

"Apparently I'm too stupid to understand what's best for me."

Rani turns angry eyes on me.

"I did not say you were stupid!"

"Maybe the two of you should take a break. I'll stay with Milly. Jag you go find Charlie."

I want to argue with Rani and tell her that this is none of her business. That it is between me and Milly and we’ll handle it but I don't think any of those arguments are going to get past Rani. I'll give her this -because later there won't be any getting rid of me, and we'll just have to talk it out. Later I'll tell her what an ass I am and beg for her to forgive me. I'll tell her this is the first time in my life I've had someone to care about, someone to take care of, and the fact that she's so close to danger is not bringing out my best qualities. Later...

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