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would pop into her head. Holland
was still waiting for the words to come to her. Jakob looked impatient, hard, and not all that receptive to whatever might eventually
come spewing from her mouth. She’d better make it good then.
    “Yes, you scare me.” Holland flinched internally.
Open mouth and insert her foot, standard operating procedure for her under
pressure. “You’re hard to get a read on. I also don’t know how to deal with
what you make me feel when you’re around.”
    He shifted on the bar stool, leaning in toward her.
Not that Jakob said anything, probably a good thing.
She was babbling enough already and didn’t need him helping to amp up the anxiety riding her.
    Scraping a thumb nail over a scratch she had on the
opposite knuckle, she fought to wrangle her thoughts. “I always have this dual
battle inside. On one hand I want to smack you, and on the other,” she trailed
off. Holland could not believe what she’d almost admitted. Pressing her lips
together tightly she internally berated herself for the near slip.
    Jakob’s knees were almost touching hers suddenly. A large male hand landed on
hers to stop the nervous movements. Her body whimpered at the contact, need
racing through her even while some part screamed to run. Sneaking a peek
through her lashes at him, she found herself being watched. The grey eyes
warmer than she’d seen them in a long time. At least when pointed in her
direction.
    “You planning to share what the other might be?”
    “Nope.”
    He gave her a hard look but there was no way she
was going to cave. They both knew what she’d almost said. She knew he knew, the
expression that morphed from the hard look told her straight up he did. If she
went and said the words god only knew where that would lead. Not happening.
    “I, uh, need to finish closing. You should…” She
waved a vague hand toward the door.
    “Not leaving you here alone,” he said shocking her.
    “I do it all the time. What makes this time any
different?”
    “Who said you were alone?”
    “Are you trying to creep me out? Because if you
are, it’s fucking working.”
    “I didn’t mean it like that, Holland. We watch out
for one another around these parts. And when a woman closes up a business late
at night there’s always someone keeping an eye out for any trouble. Go do what
needs to be done, and then I’ll leave once you’re tucked into your car and on
your way home.”
    His words made her feel mildly better. The thought
he’d been watching over her though had other parts of her body humming to
attention. Damn fucking hormones, she seriously needed to get laid.
    Sliding off the stool she moved to up end the
chairs onto the tables. No way in hell was she focusing on who her current
dream lover was. Not when the man in question happened to be right there with
her. She didn’t even protest when Jakob started to
help her clean. Between them they managed to get the bar closed down faster
than if she’d taken on the task herself.
    She set the alarm, and slid through the door he
held to lock the building down. After a quick check to ensure the garbage lids
were down to keep critters and strays out, she headed for her car with him a
silent shadow at her side. Strange that, even with the snow on the ground she
seemed to be making plenty of noise, yet he didn’t. Yet another mystery to add
to the growing pile surrounding Jakob Nichols.
    After unlocking her door, she grabbed the scrapper
only to have it tugged from her fingers. “You get it warming up, and I’ll deal
with the snow.”
    Holland wasn’t about to argue, it was fucking cold
outside. The temperature had dropped another easy ten degrees since she’d done
her garbage run a half hour prior. Settling into the driver’s seat, she blew on
her fingers, and then stuck the key into the ignition. She knew her car
wouldn’t start on the first go. Fucking thing was nearly the same age she was.
Not quite, given she was thirty-two, but fucking close.