Sometimes, when they’d been given hot dogs for lunch or for supper in prison, the sharp tang of mustard and the sweet, vinegary punch of ketchup would hang heavy in the cramped air.Nick remembered how he and Axel used to share private jokes about drenching each other in condiments, of licking the sticky sauces off one another’s cocks.The laughter that followed would echo off the cold, tiled walls, making the shadows in their prison feel a little less suffocating.He had to admit that their laughter was a fleeting comfort amidst the metallic clatter and distant shouts of men.
Now, Axel’s gaze flickered as he looked at Nick.It was sharp and assessing.His pulse kicked.Axel missed nothing, especially when it came to him.
Had he caught Nick staring at Jenna?
His heart began to pound, uncertainty mingling with a flush of excitement.Was the kick beneath the table a warning to mind himself, or perhaps it was a dare, challenging him to step forward into unfamiliar territory?
Nick couldn’t be sure.What he did know was that he wanted Jenna.That wanting felt dangerous, like the edge of a blade or the charge before a storm.
The sharp clink of cutlery against a glass ground Nick back to the present.
“Earth to the food hog.Can you pass the salad?”Axel asked.There was a crooked grin on his face as he watched Nick with curiosity.
Nick’s cheeks burned as he slid the salad bowl across the table, feeling like a fool for letting himself hope.There was no way Jenna would ever be interested in him.
She only had eyes for Axel.The thought settled heavy in his chest.Wanting her felt like wanting the sun, beautiful and impossible.
Nick had seen it in the way she leaned in when Axel spoke.The way her laughter seemed fuller, richer.
Yet something compelled him to glance up, heart thudding, only to find Jenna still watching him, her lips parted in a quiet, interested smile.
Holy crap.Wasshe interested in him?
Jenna’s voice reached him from across the table, gentle and melodic with an undercurrent of hesitancy, as if she were testing the waters, uncertain but hopeful.
“How long do you think it will take for the roof to be done?”she asked.Her words floated above the faint aroma of onions that drifted from the salad bowl.Her blue eyes held him, steady and bright.
Her voice wrapped around him, warm and tentative, and suddenly words felt like they were stuck somewhere behind his ribs.He fumbled for any word, collecting his scattered thoughts.The pressure of her gaze made him feel exposed, and well…tongue-tied.
Axel stepped in after a moment, his voice carrying an edge of practicality.Relief and disappointment tangled together.Axel always stepped in first, always filled the space Nick struggled to claim.
“I'm guessing it'll be sometime tomorrow, weather permitting,” Axel said.
“Or if we hustle, it can be done tonight,” Nick managed.
The words tumbled out before he could stop them.It was a clumsy attempt to prove he was worth noticing.He knew it would be brutal, hard work, but something in him wanted to prove himself to Jenna.
Axel stared at him, giving him anare you nuts?look.
“Weather permitting of course.I can go late to Sam’s place.Or we can bring it to a point where Axel can finish it, and I can go,” Nick added, steadying his tone.
“Or I could go to Sam’s place, alone,” Jenna offered, her voice now firmer, but still carrying that gentle note.
His stomach dropped.The idea of her out there alone made every protective instinct in him roar awake.He glanced at Axel and saw him stiffen as well.They knew it wasn’t safe for Jenna to go over there by herself.If she went alone, they wouldn’t be there keeping an eye on her, timing her routine.If that assailant was out there, watching and waiting for an opportunity, Sam’s place would be the perfect secluded spot for her to get jumped.
“I do have my gun.I can take Daisy.If something comes up, I have my cell phone and I can call you guys.”Jenna’s words were practical.
Nick caught a glimmer of defiance in her tone.He understood her desire for independence.
Despite what she wanted, Nick didn’t like the idea, and by the way Axel’s jaw tightened, he didn’t either.
The low hum of the refrigerator hung between the three of them.
Nick found himself breaking the silence.
“We don’t want to stifle your space, Jenna.But staying here might be a safer option.Just humor us for a few more days.Every time I go out to Sam’s or come back I’m checking around up there on the ridge for evidence of someone being around.I haven’t seen any new tire tracks or footprints on the road.I didn’t want to say anything, but let’s just wait this out awhile longer.”
His voice came out steadier than he felt.He wasn’t trying to control her; he just couldn’t stomach the thought of something happening to her or her baby.
