Chapter 605

• All soft grays and silvers, a cozy, stylish boudoir of sorts, cuddly bears on the bed, and a million cushions. Pictures on the wall of scenery, mainly the New York skyline and some more tranquil black and white stills. The room was mature, but the small soft touches, candles, trinkets, and sparkly things hinted at a girly girl that she kept hidden from view. Jake felt like he was intruding suddenly. It was like seeing a part of her that even he hadn’t noticed. The romance book on the nightstand surprised him.
• “Hey.” He smiled and threw a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the asshole’s presence; he wanted to know if he had bothered her. She shook her head, but he could tell she wasn’t relaxed, and it made him frown. If that dickhead had done or said anything, he would kill him. Her face softened, and that pretty smile calmed his aggression almost immediately. His eyes slid to the floor at the Everest of girls’ things to avoid the way he wanted to stare at her mouth. He had never really gotten control of the staring thing when it came to her face. He had to stop himself from doing it a hundred times a day.
• “You weren’t wrong … I think Donna has dressed you for a year.” He tried to turn his attention anywhere but Emma in jeans and a T-shirt. She looked like a college student and cuter than hell. He had seen her in various casual attire on long trips but being here, surrounded by her things, made it different somehow. Like she was letting him in on her, completely unguarded and relaxed, seeing her in a new setting. She didn’t even seem to find it weird that he was here at all, another hint at the fact she thought all of this was harmless. Friends—that’s all she saw in this, which was a sobering thought.