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"Don’t try to go anywhere I’ve locked the elevator and even if you et to the lobby, they won’t let you leave here without me"

"Am I a prisoner then?" she asked huskily

He smiled "Never that But I’ll do what I have to in order to ensure your safety Even if itsure you can’t leave while I’et cold I’ll adjust the heat"

Leaving her standing there, he strode into the bathrooave her the tiet over her nerves before he joined her

Bethany was going to take a lot of patience--a lota woman Before, if the woman wasn’t fully on board, he cut ties quickly He knehat he wanted and he didn’t have any desire to hook up with a woive hi to require a firht of taking care of her She’d learn quickly what he expected, and he’d enjoy everyhis care and protection on her In tis he needed to take care of He mentally went over his list as he quickly showered Security was of utmost priority He couldn’t have her unprotected when those bastards had no co after her for thisfroh Jace knew she’d spend little to no tiht into his apartment, but he didn’t want to completely overwhelm her from the start

She needed the seht her fully under his control Even if he controlled all aspects of that independence It was a little warped--okay, a lot warped--but he wanted her to regain her confidence Have at least the perception ofher own choices even if she did it in a completely safe environment

She’d have her own place They’d date He’d shower her with affection They’d spend tiether Eventually, when she was more secure in her role in his life, he’d move her into his apartotten And he knew that until the day she was living in his space he wouldn’t rest easy

Until then, he had to ensure that her problems disappeared He frowned as he stepped fro problem She obviously had a lot of loyalty to him and he was bad news He couldn’t allow Jack to interfere in her life and put her in danger WhichBethany likely wouldn’t appreciate

Not bothering to dress, he wrapped the towel around his hips and walked back into the bedrooaze softened and a smile curved his lips when he saw that she was already sound asleep Her head was on his pillow, or rather, in the htly under the covers They were pulled to her chin and her lashes rested delicately on her cheeks

Everything about this ied in his bed Never had he felt such a keen sense of satisfaction over a woht

He let the towel drop and then he carefully pulled the covers far enough back that he could slide in She stirred only slightly, uttering a sleepy sound that brushed pleasingly over his ears He gathered her close, curling his ared her head so it rested on his shoulder

He hooked his leg over hers so that she was solidly molded to his body Then and only then did he relax and fall into sleep with her

Chapter thirteen

Bethany awoke to a hard male body wrapped solidly around hers For a s She was disoriented and couldn’t is Then, as her eyelids fluttered open, she saw Jace’s eyes on her, watching her come awake, and the previous day came back to her in a flash

She stared wordlessly at him, overwhelmed by the fact that he’d essentially taken over her life And how ed in less than twenty-four hours She couldn’t even grasp it all It seemed unreal And yetwelco part of her was relieved She’d been alone and fending for herself, eking out a spartan existence for so long, and to have this man sweep in with pro And so very te

Her life wasn’t much But it hat she was used to Hoas she supposed to make the adjustment from her world to his?

Yes, he’d been adamant that they lived in the same world, but she knew better They may occupy the same universe, but his life was so different than hers that she couldn’t even comprehend it He had wealth and power His life ell ordered and he had exacting standards What on earth did he ith her? Why did he want her? It ic

"What the hell are you thinking?" he murmured

"That I have no idea why you’re so determined to involve yourself with my problems," she whispered back "I don’t understand why a man like you would want someone like me It’s crazy, Jace I can’t fathom it None of it It’s like a bizarre spin on the Cinderella story--only for girls like me, there aren’t happily-ever-afters"

"I’," he gru the lines of you thinking how gorgeous I a you while you’re still half asleep That other shit you’ve been thinking is just fucked up, and I swear if it takes et that crap out of your head"

She laughed, relaxing against the pillow His eyes gleahtened around her

"God, you have a beautiful laugh," he said hoarsely "And your smile Jesus, it knocks the breath out of me"

Her entire body reacted to the look on his face

"You can’t talk to s like that to a woman he just met It’s insane"

"I just did And I plan to keep saying them until you believe every word"

She shook her head, trying to drive away thein her mind Any moment now, she’d awaken in the shelter and all of this would have been a dream

"You’re real," she whispered

He rolled, shifting his body above hers so he looked down into her eyes His body settled, covering hers as the sheets twisted around his hips He hs were spread and she could feel his heavy erection right between her legs

"I’m real, baby This is real We are real The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can move forward and you can be happy I want you to be happy I want you to be content Warm For you not to have to worry about your next meal Most of all, I want you to knoithout a doubt that I’ve got your back And your front And your sides I’ve got all of you and I’o"

"How can you want ht?" she whispered

He leaned down to kiss her, his body pushingunder his pillow, and retrieved a condo away the wrapper with his teeth and sheathed himself with the latex It all happened so quickly, so expertly, that all she could do was gasp when he slid fully into her