Inked Persuasion (Montgomery Ink Fort Collins #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,59

me wanted to, it would mean we had gone too far. And she would end up hurt. This was how it needed to be.

“Makes sense. Here, I’ll walk you out.”

“Jacob, I live right next door. I’m fine.”

“I’d rather make sure you’re safe.”

Her lips quirked into a smile, and she shook her head. “I’ve lived here longer than you have, Jacob Queen. I can take care of myself. I always have.”

She leaned forward, kissed me on the cheek, and then walked away, her clothes in hand as she made her way to the guest bathroom to change.

I stood, completely naked, still smelling of sex and Annabelle—and had no idea what the fuck I was supposed to do.

Chapter 16

Annabelle

I stared at my bedroom ceiling, knowing my alarm was about to go off at any moment. I should just roll out of bed and pretend I had slept. I’d maybe gotten two hours the night before, but it had been off and on when I wasn’t tossing and turning. And I only had myself to blame.

I had run out of Jacob’s home last night as if an ax murderer was behind me. I was so messed up. I couldn’t believe I had run like that. As if the hounds of hell were on my tail. I just couldn’t be in a room with Jacob any longer. And maybe that was the problem.

Because I loved him.

Damn it. I loved Jacob Queen. I loved how he made me smile, the way he made me laugh. How he could ask just the right questions when it came to my family to help me figure out what I needed to do—or even how I felt to begin with.

Eliza had been right. It hadn’t been a single moment, but a series of them. I had found myself wondering who this man could be and how I could be with him, and now we were here. I couldn’t take that back.

It couldn’t change who we were or what we’d said about being in this relationship to begin with.

Yes, I loved Jacob Queen, but he could never love me. I had helped put that block on our relationship. Was right there with him.

So why did it feel like I had made a mistake?

Maybe the mistake was falling in love at all.

My heart hurt, and I rubbed at my chest over my tank top, wondering if I could make it go away. I wasn’t supposed to love him. It was only supposed to be fun. Something entertaining, and a nice time to relax after a long day at work.

But now I was thinking about what kind of food he liked so I could choose a place for our next date. And what I would send to him for lunch at work. I also thought about Dustin, Seressia, Lucas, and the others on staff because I always sent them sandwiches along with Jacob’s.

Because Jacob did the same for me.

He had sent a meal in for the office and my family just because he could. Because he knew we’d had a long day, and it would only get longer. And he just wanted to be a nice guy.

He hadn’t even sent a note with it, saying he was thinking of me or anything romantic. It had been nearly business-like, and yet it had been the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me.

I was losing my mind.

Because I couldn’t fall in love with Jacob Queen. Only I was afraid I already had. I had broken the one cardinal rule of friends with benefits. I had fallen for the friend, and no benefits came with that.

My alarm finally went off, and I rolled out of bed, taking my phone with me to turn off the sound. I had to go into work today, face another family meeting, and try to get through this project without coming to hate my dad.

I didn’t want to hate my father. He was just making things difficult these days. And what a horrible state that was. On one side of the coin, I was falling in love with a man I shouldn’t. And on the other side, I was coming to hate the man who had raised me and taught me how to love my job.

He had been the first to show me architectural plans and walk with me through homes that he was working on to show me where joists went and what a support beam was. He’d taught me about shiplap and the design features he