“What does it look like I’m doing?”
Gia rolled her eyes at him in a show of defiance, which triggered his knee-jerk reaction of wanting to punish her. Their one night together had barely whetted his appetite or allowed him to test her boundaries.
How would Gia react if I bent her over my knee and spanked her? Would it make her turn feral and wild, or would she melt from being handled roughly?
His cock stirred to attention at his wayward thoughts.
Remembering where they were, Jake crossed his ankle over his knee, willing his stiff cock to calm down.
“It looks like you’re breathing the same air as me, and you need to leave.”
If Gia had fangs, she’d probably flash them at him. Animosity radiated from her every pore. Thank God it wasn’t deadly, or he’d be dead on the spot.
“I was here first.” Jake rolled his lips together to keep from laughing. The comeback was pretty lame, but it reminded him of their teenage spats.
“Yeah, well, you need to leave.”
“Why? There’s plenty of room here on this bench for both of us.”
“Where did this bench come from? It wasn’t here the last time I visited.”
“Don’t know. Probably was carried up here or something.”
Jake covered his mouth with a hand to hide the smile at her growled response.
“Who put it here? This was Thao’s favorite spot.”
“I know.” Jake nodded toward the edge of the cliff where they used to jump over the edge. They had all been young and stupid. Except what used to be an open area was now blocked off by a wall of blooming flowers.
Gia stared, mouth agape, at the wildflower bushes blocking off the cliff’s edge.
“But…”
He knew what she was thinking. It had been their favorite pastime when they were younger, but it seemed nature had other plans.
“Gia, sit. Please.” Jake slid over and made room for her on the bench. She must have been in shock because she complied without a fight. She sat with a plop in the spot he’d made available for her, still warm from his body heat. In contrast, the coolness of his new position felt nice against his heated skin.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. Take your time.” Jake kept his voice soft as if he was talking to a wounded animal. A part of him was worried she’d run away from him. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to catch her alone. Living in a small town made being alone impossible.
With her gaze focused in front of her, Jake covertly looked her over. She had her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. The humidity had caused waves to curl her otherwise straight hair. Dark strands escaped and framed her heart-shaped face. The image of the bruises seemed to have burned into his memory, even though they’d faded. Fists clenched in his lap, Jake resisted the urge to act on his impulse to question her.
Earning her trust was his top priority, and he didn’t need to act like a raging alpha-hole and scare her off. Or worse, force her to mount her walls back up.
Belatedly, he wished Marley had reviewed the stages of cat socialization with him again.
What’s the chart she keeps mentioning?
He’d have to study it closely so he’d know exactly what he needed to do.
Gia’s cheeks were still flushed. From anger or exertion from her hike, he wasn’t sure. It was likely both, but the color looked good on her. Much better than the pale and haunted look from their first meeting. It reminded him of how she’d looked beneath him once upon a time. A memory he’d kept protected in his mind’s eye. One he rarely took out of its coveted corner unless he was caught unaware.
Until recently, thoughts of Gia had plagued him with deep sorrow and regret. It made being around her family difficult, knowing how he’d played a part in sending her running from town. The Liens had been through so much already, and he owed them his life and loyalty.
Sitting back against the bench, he rested one arm on the armrest and the other across the back. His fingers were merely centimeters from touching her. Wrapping his hand around the cool metal, it bit into his palm as he fought the urge to curl his fingers through her dark strands.
“They started growing up from the cliffside some time after Thao… died.” He cleared his throat from the emotion clogging it at the mention of his best friend and Gia’s twin brother. “I didn’t come here for a while after the accident, but when I came back, the flowers had already taken over the path.”
The dense bushes with their indigo flowers blocked off the edge, making it completely inaccessible to anyone daring to leap over its edge. It seemed claiming Thao’s life had sparked an overgrowth—or perhaps it was because the people of Willowbrook were forbidden to jump off the cliffs following his death, which had allowed the flowers to grow in their natural habitat without being trampled by eager teenagers.
