“Are you okay? You were swaying.” Jarod stopped shaking me, but his palms remained on my shoulders as though he was worried that if he removed them I’d keelover.
How long had I been unresponsive? “Sorry.”
He rose from his crouch and reached over me, and then he was crouching again, pushing a glass of water into my hands. “When I was a kid, I’d faint at the sight ofblood.”
I took a sip, my head still swimming from the memory of my first encounter with Trevor. “Notanymore?”
“I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I fainted now, wouldI?”
My throat went dry at the reminder that I was in a Triple’shome.
Sharp. I needed to staysharp.
I emptied my water glass to clear my mind of my previous mission so I could focus on my presentone.
Chapter 15
Murieland one of Jarod’s armed guards stood in the marble foyer, hands clasped in front ofthem.
“Can we clear away dinner, Jarod?” Murielasked.
He nodded to her before heading up thestairs.
Was I supposed to follow him? Did he have another reception area upstairs? I didn’t move, waiting for hisinstructions.
“Feather, are youcoming?”
Thumbing the adhesive strip of my bandage, I clipped across the marble toward the curving staircase, feeling every set of eyes grind into me. His staff probably assumed I’d come to bed the boss. Even though I longed to set them all straight, what they thought he and I would do tonight didn’tmatter.
As I started to ascend the carpeted steps, Muriel called out Jarod’sname.
He gestured for me to keep going. “I’ll be up in a minute.” He returned to the older woman and spoke in hushed tones withher.
I peeked over my shoulder but didn’t dally, suspecting it would be construed as eavesdropping. On the landing, a collection of seascapes in sumptuous carved frames dotted the cherry-paneled walls, thick dabs of lavender, gray, and gold giving life to tormented oceans tossing ships with bloated white sails. I wanted to touch the paint, but what if it set off an alarm? Besides, it was probably not a good idea to touch art. I leaned forward and squinted to make out the signature at the bottom—Aivazovsky. I sensed I’d read the name somewhere before. Perhaps, in amuseum?
When I straightened, my back bumped into abody.
Reflexively, I tucked my wing-free shoulder blades in. Without turning, I said, “Do you have to stand soclose?”
“I didn’t think proximity bothered you considering how you hung on to Tristan lastnight.”
I spun around. Even in my three-inch heels, Jarod towered over me. “I let him lead me around because he was familiar with your house and Iwasn’t.”
He let out a short snort that suggestedskepticism.
I balled my fingers, ungluing one of the sticky flaps of the Band-Aid before pushing it back in place and crossing my arms to create a barrier between our too-close bodies. “Why are you so intent on making me feel trapped? Do you think it’ll make merun?”
His gaze eddied like the squall in the seascape. “Possibly. Or possibly I enjoy watching yousquirm.”
“Tough luck. I don’t squirm.” I squared my shoulders. “So, what’s on thisfloor?”
“Mybedroom.”
“The entirefloor?”
“No. There are two other bedrooms, but they’re far less interesting thanmine.”
“What am I doing uphere?”
