by Sable, R. J.
Zipping back up the stairs, I quickly changed into my running gear. I shouted to the boys to let them know where I was going and received a few manly grunts in reply. It was no wonder I liked having them around, they were just like my brothers.
With the energy drink bubbling through my veins, I set the tempo high straight away. I knew I should have let my body warm up a bit first but I felt like I was running on rocket fuel.
As my shoes pounded the tarmac, I realised that going for a run was a stroke of genius. Jason was working in the lab and he wasn’t alone so I couldn’t join him. Running would pass the time until he got back. Not that hanging out with my flatmates wasn’t fun, it was, I was just completely addicted to Jason and having major withdrawal.
It wasn’t until about twenty minutes into my run that I realised I’d made a mistake. I had no idea how my body would react to the artificial energy I’d ingested. I shouldn’t have trusted it. I’d not even run that far but I could already feel my body growing tired.
I slowed the pace down drastically and settled into a jog. I felt like I’d run a half marathon rather than five kilometres. It left me feeling ridiculously out of shape even though I knew I was at the fittest I’d ever been thanks to my new, improved body weight and the regular training I was getting with athletics, swimming, and martial arts.
The slower pace helped somewhat as well as giving me a chance to take in my surroundings. I was in a residential area surrounding a quaint play park. I very rarely ran on my own anymore and I was usually focussed on my running partner. Whilst Ian had been away, I’d had Xander for company, but since then I was usually with Jason and he was more satisfying to look at than the scenery.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been for a run on my own. Usually, solo running was a good way of getting my thoughts in order but I was in such a happy place that I didn’t feel like I needed it. I actually sort of wished I had company.
I stubbornly forced my way through a few more kilometres, refusing to let chemicals dictate how far I could or couldn’t run. The problem was that I’d built up a bit of a sweat from going fast in the beginning and now that I was going slower, I was getting chilly and the biting wind wasn’t helping.
Spotting an underpass beneath the main road, I ducked in and took a few seconds to escape from the vicious breeze. I fiddled with my watch whilst I got my breath back. I wasn’t entirely sure which way I’d run but thanks to the GPS watch Jason had bought me, I could see a rough outline of where I’d run. Based on the map, I’d gone in circles a few times and could get back home much more efficiently.
I rested my back against the cool wall of the underpass, relieved to note it didn’t smell like urine or vomit. It was rapidly getting dark and I figured I should head back as soon as possible.
A noise at the opposite end of the cement structure startled me and I looked up to see two teenagers walking a dog. They both had their hoods up and barely glanced my way but it reminded me that I probably wasn’t in the best area of the city. Especially not on my own when it was getting dark.
I pulled the sleeves of my jumper down over my hands and jogged in the rough direction of my house. With the sun now hiding behind the terraced housing and a blanket of darkness sweeping over the sky, the area looked much less welcoming than it had previously. It was incredible what a difference a few kilometres could make between the inner city areas.
There weren’t many people out but I had the strangest prickling feeling on the back of my neck. I was almost certain I was being watched. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that was spooking me. I convinced myself I was being stupid. I was just being childish because it was dark and I was on my own. Nothing was going to happen.
I reminded myself that my martial arts skills were getting much better and I would never be a victim again. The thought strengthened my resolve and I made sure I held my head high as I continued running.
I was sure that the fear would diminish with my resolve but it didn’t. I had the distinct impression that I was running away from something rather than just running for the fun of it. I just couldn’t shake it.
I was mentally kicking myself for not running by the main roads where there would at least be more people. I tried to look around myself inconspicuously to see if I could figure out what was bothering me but it was fruitless.
I almost breathed a sigh of relief when my feet found familiar tarmac. I turned onto the road that led down to my house but as I neared my door, an old red banger drove past and I did a double take. The prickling at the back of my neck returned. I was sure I’d seen that car a few times that night.
With that thought in mind, I shot through the front door, locking it behind me before I locked myself in my bedroom. My breathing was coming in uncontrolled bursts and I took a deep breath to steady it.
Before I even knew what was happening, I’d locked myself in my bathroom and sunk to the floor with my phone in my hand. The number practically dialled itself as I raised my mobile to my ear.
“Jelly?” Xander’s deep voice answered almost instantly. I could hear confusion and concern in his voice.
I don’t know why I called him. I could have called one of my brothers or Jason but Xander was the first person that came to mind.
“Jelly? You there?” Xander said again with a sense of urgency.
“I’m here, sorry,” I answered with a small voice.
“What’s up?” He grunted.
I swallowed thickly. I felt really stupid for calling. He had no responsibility to me and he was probably pissed off that I was disturbing him now that his job with me was done.
“Sorry, I… I shouldn’t-” I started to apologise.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he ordered.
“It’s nothing, I’m sorry,” I squeaked, half way to hanging up.
“Can hear that you’re scared. Tell me.” There was no room to question whether he meant it or not.
“I went for a run and I got spooked. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have called you. I’m being stupid.”
“You were on your own?” He asked, his words soaked with disapproval.
I nodded before I remembered he couldn’t hear me and then mumbled a response.
“What spooked you?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted with a cringe. I was seriously regretting calling him because I felt like an idiot.
“Somebody approach you?” He continued barking out questions.
“No, nothing like that,” I answered, feeling very small. “I felt like I was being followed.”
I heard him sigh and I wasn’t sure what that meant. I figured he was pissed off at being disturbed in his personal time.
“See anyone in particular?” He probed.
“No. Well, I saw this car a few times but-”
“Did you get the registration plate?” He cut me off abruptly.
“No, but-”
“What kind of car was it?”
“Um, an old red one?”
There was the sigh again. “An old red one?”
“Yes,” I squeaked.
“Extremely observant aren’t you,” he gritted with no small amount of sarcasm. “You have any idea how many ‘old red’ cars there are in the UK?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I was too freaked out to have a snappy comeback. I felt like I was making a complete fool of myself and I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby.
“It’s okay, Jelly,” Xander sighed after a while, his voice softened somewhat. “You were right to call.”
“I was?” I answered in surprise, forcing back a few rebellious tears.
He grunted in response. “Better safe than sorry. Feeling like you’re being watched is your instincts kicking in.”
“So I was being watched?” I asked, horrified because that was somehow worse than me overreacting.
“Not necessarily,” he answered. “Had a rough few months. Been looking over your shoulder too much. Not beyond the realm of possibility th
at you’re paranoid.”
“I’m not paranoid,” I snapped automatically but without real conviction.
“It’s understandable,” he grunted. “Don’t lose trust in your instincts.”
“You realising by saying that I’m gonna be calling you every time I leave the house, right?” I attempted to joke but I was still feeling a little uneasy.
He scoffed mockingly and I frowned down the phone at him. I could picture his stony, intimidating expression without problem.
“Seriously now, trust your instincts but use your head. You were probably just reacting to the fact that you were a female, alone, at night. That was a stupid thing to do so your survival instincts kicked in and you read into it too much.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, wondering if he had gotten more talkative or if he was just naturally verbose over the phone.
Despite the fact that I felt like an idiot for overreacting, I was glad I’d called Xander. He was right. I shouldn’t have been out on my own at night, especially in an area like that. It was good to know that my survival instincts were working, although I hoped I wouldn’t be needing them again any time soon.
“Call if you need me, okay?” Xander’s gruff voice broke my introspection.
“Okay,” I smiled, grateful that he wasn’t telling me off for disturbing him.
“Only if you need me, Jelly.”
“Yes, Xander,” I smirked and he hung up the phone.
I took a deep breath and let my head lull against the wall behind me, feeling thoroughly sheepish. I was glad I hadn’t called Jason or my brothers with my miniature panic attack. They didn’t need to know I was a crazy lady.
He was right, there were tonnes of red cars out there and there was no reason for me to think one of them had been following me. Ian was home and I was safe from whatever threat there had been.
I stood up and straightened my back, regretting acting like a scared little girl. That wasn’t who I was any more. I stripped off my sweaty clothes and hopped in the shower, feeling better the moment the hot water washed over me.
When I opened the door, wrapped in a fluffy towel, there was a surprise waiting for me on my bed. A six-foot, sexy muscle mass of surprise. Jason was sat on the edge of my bed with possibly the biggest grin I had ever seen on his face.
“Hey, handsome!” I greeted him, my smile matching his own. “What are you so happy about?”
“You’re kidding?” He grinned, standing up to meet me. “You just came out of the shower.” He kissed my lips briefly and caught me off guard by tugging my towel away from me. “And now you’re naked. How could I not be happy?”
I chuckled at his audacity, pressing my naked body into his clothed one to be closer to him.
“You are so perfect,” he sighed happily, pulling me with him to the bed and placing me sideways on his lap.
“Yes you are,” I countered, already tugging his t-shirt off him because it wasn’t fair if he got to see me naked and I didn’t get to see him. Besides, I wanted skin against skin.
Jason didn’t protest as I stripped his upper half. If anything he looked quite pleased. Probably because I was unabashedly drooling over his body. I was only human after all.
“The guys said you went for a run,” Jason prompted, his eyes on my face.
I loved that he respected me enough to make eye contact whilst we talked, even though the girls were right in front of him.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Adam force-fed me Red Bull and I had to run it off.”
Jason chuckled and his long fingers tenderly stroked up and down my back. “You enjoy it?”
“Sort of,” I frowned. “I wasn’t really paying attention and I ended up in a weird neighbourhood and it was getting dark. I kind of spooked myself.”
“Jamie,” Jason frowned.
“Xander’s already lectured me,” I sighed. “I know it was stupid. I should have stuck to populated areas at this time of night.”
“Or gone to the gym,” he mumbled disapprovingly, giving me his no nonsense, firm look.
“I know,” I pouted. “I’m sorry.”
“You are too adorable,” he sighed, kissing my pout away. “How come you called Xander?”
“I dunno,” I frowned, hoping he wasn’t offended. “Kinda forgot he wasn’t my bodyguard any more.”
Jason laughed. “He was good at it.”
I realised he wasn’t offended at all and breathed a sigh of relief. I liked Xander because he was good at his job, respected my brother, and he didn’t take any crap. Jason obviously shared my sentiment.
“But I’m the only one allowed to guard your body, right?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me in a comical fashion and I laughed.
“You can do anything you like to my body,” I replied, only half-joking.
“Damn straight,” he beamed, rewarding me with a heated kiss and groaning slightly when he pulled away. “This day just gets better and better.”
“Oh?” I asked curiously. “You’re having a good day?”
“Every day with you is a good day, little squirrel,” he answered fondly.
“Cheesy,” I smiled, kissing his cheek softy.
“Today was extra good, though,” he continued, ignoring my playful jibe.
“What happened?” I beamed, glad that Jason was so happy.
“My thesis supervisor came to talk to me today about my work.”
I shuffled in his lap so that I could give him my full attention. I could see this was important to him. With my nakedness forgotten, I wrapped my arms around his neck and listened.
“The University has been approached by quite a few multinationals interested in my work.”
“Wow,” I answered, slightly awed. I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant but it sounded impressive.
“The head of department apparently forwarded round my proposal and there were a few bites,” he continued.
“What does that mean?” I asked curiously.
“It means I have a few job offers for when I have my doctorate,” he smiled.
“Really?” I bounced excitedly. “That’s great, Jason. You must be so chuffed.”
“Sort of,” he shrugged. “Mostly it’s just nice to know that other people are interested in my work.”
“That’s because you’re a genius,” I kissed him proudly. “Were there any offers you wanted to take up?”
“Not really,” he said, studying my face. It looked like he was chewing something over.
“What is it?” I frowned, stroking my palm over his slight stubble.
“The pay is insane. Far too many digits insane,” he explained.
“So?” I didn’t understand. He didn’t look happy about it all. It seemed like the sort of thing he should be happy about.
“If I accepted one of those jobs, I could take care of you. I could get you whatever you wanted.” He looked so serious, so genuine.
“I already have everything I ever wanted, Jason,” I admonished him slightly. “That shouldn’t have anything to do with which job you take. You should take a job that will make you happy.
“What if the job that makes me happy won’t let me take care of you the way I want?” He asked carefully.
“I take it back. You’re not a genius. You’re veering towards idiot,” I shook my head in disbelief and was rewarded by a slight smile on Jason’s part.
“No refunds,” he smirked. “You can’t send me back because you only just realised. That’s all on you.”
I laughed and cupped his face in both hands, making sure I had his full attention. “Jason Reed. I want you and only you. I don’t need fancy cars, designer clothes, or a big house. I need you, oxygen, and possible instant noodles to survive. That is everything.”
“But-”
“But nothing,” I cut him off with a finger to the lips. “I want you to do what makes you happy.”
A broad grin broke out on his handsome face behind the finger I was still pressing to his soft lips. “You mean that?”
“O
f course I mean that. Don’t make me call you an idiot again,” I warned him.
He pulled me tight to his chest, burying his face in my neck. His hot breath tickled my sensitive skin as he told me over and over again how much he loved me and how perfect I was. I pulled him up for a kiss when I sensed my ego was getting too large.
“Tell me about the job offers,” I smiled. I wanted to know which one of them he was interested in. It sounded like maybe it was the one that paid less but I honestly couldn’t have cared less. It wasn’t like I wanted to be rich and sleep every night on a mound of money. Happiness was enough for me. A roof over my head and the occasional meal would be nice too, but that didn’t require a lot of money.
“They’re all the same,” he shrugged.
I eyed him curiously, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Well, not the same. Obviously they’re different but I mean it’s all the same to me. I don’t want to work for any of them.”
I studied him for a while longer, trying to work out what was going on in that beautiful head of his. He’d had over a year’s practice at reading my mind. I was still working on reading my control-loving, possessive alpha’s brain.
“You don’t want to work for anybody do you?” I asked as the pieces slot into place.
He blinked at me in surprise, as though he hadn’t expected me to say anything.
“You want to work for yourself.” I affirmed. It was logical. Jason liked control. He hadn’t been able to control his environment as a child and it had hurt him badly. He didn’t want to give anybody power over him again and I understood that.
“I want to start my own company,” he nodded, a slightly awed look in his eye.
“Then that’s what you’ll do,” I smiled. I’d do anything to help him meet his goals.
“The twins have a business degree between them, I’m sure they can give you a few pointers when you get started.” I never knew which one of them had which degree. I was pretty sure they switched places the whole time they were at university.
“Are you serious?” Jason arched his brow at me.
I frowned. “Of course, I doubt they’d say no.”