Free Heather Rainier by His Tattooed Virgin Page B

hurried up to them with Angel and Joaquin and a beautiful blonde whom Seth didn’t recognize following behind her. “Jayne? Are you all right?”
    Jayne looked up at Seth and took her purse from him after he gently set her on her feet, noting that she kept a tight hold on him. “I’m fine. Had a bit too much to drink. Seth’s taking me home.”
    “I’m glad you’re not driving yourself.”
    Angel and Joaquin turned their eyes to him, and he nodded his reassurance that he’d watch over her. Two blond-headed strangers in cowboy hats, who appeared to be twins, joined their group and murmured to Joaquin before skirting them and joining the cowboy who’d been dancing with Jayne. They glanced back with mild curiosity before heading toward a table.
    Jayne sighed and leaned against him, and Seth said, “I’ll take good care of her.”
    Teresa said, “I hope you feel better.” She glanced at Seth with concern in her eyes and softly asked, “Will you stay with her?”
    Seth nodded and turned to the door with Jayne as Angel and Joaquin drew Teresa into the club with them. Once they were alone, Jayne groaned and put her hand to her head. The late-July heat hit them like a hot blanket and she glanced up at him cautiously when they walked out of the club to his truck.
    “Buck and Chad will bring your car to your house.”
    “Okay.”
    Once she was situated and he had the vehicle started and the AC running, he turned to her. “Let me know if you feel sick.” Jayne nodded and looked down at her hands.
    On the drive to her house, Seth tried to calm the rising tide of anger and possessiveness that swelled at the thought of how the night could’ve ended for her. He contemplated all the things he wanted to say and all the questions he needed to ask. Jayne leaned her head back against the seat and stared out the windshield quietly.
    Once inside her house, she flicked on a lamp, which bathed the living room in soft light. Her house was decorated with a feminine touch, which suited her personality. He followed her into the kitchen, sat her down, and then found a glass in a cupboard. He filled it with water and placed it in front of her.
    “Drink that, baby.”
    She glanced at him curiously, and the barest hint of a frown furrowed her brows for a second before she did as he asked. When she sipped from the glass and made a move to put it down, he tipped it back to her lips.
    When she was finished, he put the glass in the sink and asked, “What was going through your head tonight, Jayne?”
    She rested her head in the palms of both hands and closed her eyes. “It seems like a stupid idea now but I just wanted to get it over with. If I wasn’t a virgin, we—” She seemed so vulnerable, sitting there as she tried to reassure herself and explain to him at the same time, and the anger seeped out of him. They hadn’t really dated yet or made declarations about being exclusive, but that was changing tonight.
    “We what, Jayne?”
    Jayne shrugged. “We might’ve been intimate by now.”
    “Fucking doesn’t always equal intimacy.”
    “It wouldn’t have been fucking—”
    “That’s what you would’ve gotten tonight, from that cowboy. Whether he’s a good guy or not, you wouldn’t have gotten intimacy from him. Not under those circumstances. Best-case scenario, your first time would’ve been a one-night stand. Worst case…I don’t even want to think about. I wanted more for you than that, Jayne.”
    The thought of her waking up vulnerable in a strange bed sent a cold chill racing over his skin.
    Never. Mine .
    “I know.”
    “You have no idea how hard it was to turn you down.” He tried but couldn’t keep the sharpness from his tone.
    “Was?” Her stormy eyes met his, and he was surprised by the wave of heat her gaze cast over his skin. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind?”
    Don’t do or say anything you’ll regret later. She’s in no shape for this conversation. “Let’s finish this in the