Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I fully expected Jules to begin wiping away the expertly applied makeup, but to my surprise, he put the cloth down. It was then that I noticed his arm. It was still covered in bandaging, but it no longer looked as professionally applied as it had when we’d left the hospital.
Which meant he’d probably been redressing it himself. As much as I wanted to ask about the injury, I kept my mouth shut. I took a chance and lowered my hand over Jules’s shoulder and opened my palm. I held my breath as I waited for him to respond. I could tell he knew what I wanted, but I couldn’t tell what he was going to do. He could follow through on my silent request or he could throw it back in my face.
I was stunned when he chose the former and reached his hand up to take mine. He stood at my urging and then slowly turned around until he was facing me, our hands still joined. I led him out of the bathroom and over to the long, old-fashioned storage chest that sat at the foot of his bed. I let my eyes rake over him as I skimmed my fingers over his face and outfit. His skin felt as silky as the top he was wearing. His perfume was light and fresh but still intoxicating. I couldn’t help but drop my head so I could inhale deeply at the back of his ear where the smell was stronger.
What other places had he dabbed the perfume?
I reminded myself that I’d given up the right to find out.
I took a few more steps back so that I could sit on the storage chest. I tugged him forward until there was less than a foot of space between us. I was glad when he didn’t fight me. Resuming my perusal, I saw that his pants were similar to his shirt. The same silky outer fabric covered darker material that left a small amount of his flat stomach bare before emphasizing his graceful legs. He even had thick-heeled boots on. Jules could have stepped off the cover of a magazine or been ready to walk the catwalk for whatever designer had been lucky enough to snatch him up to showcase their clothing.
However, he didn’t look just masculine or just feminine.
No, he was a unique mix of both.
“You look beautiful,” I said softly. I was fortunate enough that he hadn’t pulled his hand away, so my fingers automatically began to toy with the strange bracelet. I lifted my eyes to meet Jules’s. “But that’s not why you do it, is it? To only look beautiful, I mean.”
“No,” Jules said after a long pause. The tension that had drained out of him while he’d been applying the makeup was all back now. I hated knowing I was the cause of it. I didn’t question him further about his reasons for the clothes and makeup. I already had a pretty good idea of what the answer was, but I wanted to hear it from him whenever he was ready to tell me.
If he was ever ready.
I was still toying with Jules’s hand when he snapped out of whatever haze he’d been caught up in. He pulled his hand away and said, “You should go.”
I nodded in understanding and stood. Jules hadn’t moved back, so it meant we were practically touching. Despite Jules’s request, I couldn’t make myself move. And the speech I’d practiced in my head to explain my behavior in the motel had evaporated the moment I’d seen Jules in front of that mirror.
So I really did need to go.
Instead, I cupped his cheek like it was the most natural thing to do and kissed him. I kept it tame, but it still shredded me. Especially since Jules kissed me back. After everything I’d said and done, he was kissing me back.
I forced myself to end the kiss, but I couldn’t remove my hand. I pressed my forehead against his. “I have something to show you,” I whispered. “Will you come with me?”
Jules stiffened. I was on the verge of losing him again.
“Jules, I just… I just don’t want to leave things like this. I don’t want… I don’t want you to remember your time here—” I paused because it was something I hadn’t wanted to admit, even to myself. “I don’t want you to only remember me as the asshole who kept hurting you over and over. I promise, after this, I’ll leave you alone for however long you decide to stay here.”
It seemed to take forever for Jules to respond, but when he did, it felt like someone was taking a cleaver to my insides. Jules stepped back, putting several feet between us. He crossed his arms protectively against his chest.
I nodded reluctantly and turned to leave. My hand was on the doorknob when I heard the sweetest words I’d heard in a long time.