Bracing herself for the encounter, Gia brought the plate to the table, plopping it down a little harder than necessary. The orange dipping sauce spilled.
Oops.
“Careful, they’re hot!” she warned as Marley and Th?y Mai recoiled from the steaming spring rolls, blowing on their fingertips. “Told you,” she muttered.
Jake chuckled. “You kids never learn.”
The bell chimed again, signaling another order was ready. The main dishes this time for Minh and Jake. The others were smaller, for the girls. There was a third large bowl her father plopped in front of her as she was placing the food onto a tray. Looking up from her task, she briefly met her father’s eyes before glancing away and bowing her head in respect. Her father was a man of few words, but she knew what the gesture meant. It was a silent welcome. Food was the love language of the Lien family, and his offering told her everything she needed to know.
It didn’t matter Minh had already made her food earlier. She would eat the soup simply because of what it represented.
Gia’s eyes misted as she focused on the task in front of her.The tray was too small for the number of bowls she had to serve, but she didn’t want to have to come back so soon and confront her emotions. Balancing everything precariously on the tray, she backed out of the kitchen, bumping the swinging door open with her hip. But as she turned, her foot caught on the rug.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like in one of her movies. The tray tipped over, causing a chain reaction as she lost control. Porcelain shattered as it clattered to the ground. Food spilled out of the bowls, and the hot broth soaked through her sweater.
She gasped, frozen, stunned by the burn. The tray fell from her arms.
“Oh, shit.”Jake was suddenly at her side, lifting her off her feet. He didn’t hesitate. Ignored the mess. Pulled her to the back, into the bathroom, while Minh rushed to clean up the mess she’d made.
“Let’s get this off you,” he said, tugging at the soaked sweater clinging to her like a second skin.
She didn’t stop him. She was too shocked to help him as he tugged the sweater away from her body and over her head. Jake turned away to grab paper towels and handed them to her. With leaden arms, she dabbed at her damp skin.
With his back turned away from her, she watched as he wet a paper towel and handed it to her over his shoulder. Her chest was red and tender, but she didn’t think it would blister. Another blow to her pride. With the damp cloth, she wiped off the sticky broth, cursing her luck beneath her breath. When she finally braved a look in the mirror, she gasped at her reflection. Soup had gotten everywhere, ruining her makeup.
Belatedly, she realized she was standing in the bathroom in her black lace bra. Jake was doing his best to preserve her modesty, averting his eyes the entire time. An act she was thankful for.
She walked over to the trash can, tossing the paper towels away. She looked at her crumpled sweater with a frown, but she had nothing else to wear at the moment.
As if he knew where her thoughts had led her, Jake shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the hook on the door. Then, without a word, he reached a tanned arm over his head, muscles flexing as he peeled off his shirt and handed it to her behind his back.
Gia’s eyes traced the play of muscles across the broad back, her lips parting in awe. A tiger stared back at her, surrounded by lotus flowers. The tattoo was one she had never seen before.
When did he have the tattoo done?
“Here. Take it.” Jake gestured with his arm to the shirt he’d literally ripped off his back to hand to her.
She slowly reached for the shirt, her breath hitching as their fingertips brushed. The air crackled with unspoken words, making the room thick with a palpable tension.
“Thank you,” she whispered, rubbing the soft fabric before slipping it over her head. Too late, she realized it was a mistake.
His scent immediately engulfed her, triggering a wave of longing and grief. Her stomach fluttered with a long-buried ache. Hereyes threatened to close as his musky scent mixed with the smell of his cologne invaded her senses, bringing her back to the infatuated teenager who was in love with her brother’s best friend. And the same stupid girl who’d had her heart broken.
She moved back to the sink, hands trembling as she splashed cold water on her face. The smell of soup mixing with Jake’s cologne was making her stomach turn in knots. The cooler temperature helped to calm her racing heart. She turned off the faucet and gently dried off with a fresh paper towel. By the time she turned around, Jake had his jacket zipped up to his collarbone. She made a move to walk around him, but he blocked her with an arm braced against the door.
Her spine tingled with warning, knowing there was no escape. His nose brushed against her ear as her body tensed, her muscles coiling in response. The air shimmered with repressed rage as he leaned impossibly closer. “I know I have no right to ask you this, but… Who did this to you?” His low voice was tight and laced with danger.
With her head tilted back, Gia gazed up at him, studying his expression. His eyes flashed a warning; a hard glint hinted at the threat simmering beneath the surface. His blue eyes were a vast, fathomless ocean, drawing her in while threatening to drown her. But she had done it before. Jumped in without so much as a life vest and got sucked under.
Did I ever resurface from the depths?
Her heart pounded franticallyas she looked him over closely. From his tense posture, muscles bunched, jaw and fists clenched, he looked like he was about to snap. Despite it, what she felt wasn’t fear butexhilaration.His reaction thrilled a sick and twisted part of her. Made her want to lean into him. Let him fight her battles.
But she couldn’t afford to let him.
Not again. Not with Jake.
The threat Jake posed had more to do with her ego and heart. And her traitorous body. Unfortunately, her body thought it was completely appropriate to respond to his aggression and male dominance with tingles to her aching clit while heat pooled low in her belly.
