Body and Soul (Twist of Fate 3)

I hated the humiliation that went through me at his words. “You’re absolutely right, Jake,” I said, forcing a smile to my mouth that I wasn’t feeling. “How silly of me. Thank you for pointing out the error of my thinking.”

Jake’s eyes flipped up to mine and I saw them flash with confusion for a moment. “Oz, I’m sorr—” At that exact moment, his hands reached my hip and I couldn’t help but wince.

“Fuck,” I whimpered, interrupting him. Not that it mattered–his apology meant shit. I knew what he thought of me. It was what most people thought of me. Explaining to him that I’d spent my entire adult life in a world where things like spreading your own salt and knowing that snow tires weren’t just a button you pushed, weren’t even something you had to think about, was a waste of time. He’d see what he wanted to see. So I focused on getting him out of there. “That’s the spot I landed on. I think it’ll be fine if you can just help me up, please?”

Jake hesitated a moment and looked like he wanted to say something.

But then he reached out to grab me under the arms to help me stand.

Once he got me to my feet, we stood there for a moment, our bodies nearly touching. He was considerably larger than me. Unlike most models, my shorter stature hadn’t ever been an issue. I guessed that Jake had a good four inches on me and outweighed me by thirty to forty pounds.

“Your hair,” Jake suddenly whispered as his eyes skimmed my features.

I self-consciously reached for my hair, but the long locks hadn’t magically grown back overnight. It wasn’t that I missed my hair or the platinum shade of blond so many designers had gone crazy over… it was more what my short and now very brown hair represented.

Starting over.

Being someone else.

Accepting that for the first time since I’d walked my first runway, I might not succeed… that I might just be a one-hit wonder. A pretty face and nothing more.

“Oh, um, I cut it… and colored it. Just needed a change, I guess. You don’t… you don’t like it?” I asked.

What the hell? Why did I ask him that? I didn’t care if he liked it or not.

“No,” Jake said with a shake of his head. “I mean yes, I do… it’s… I do,” he murmured. I stilled when his hand lifted as if he were going to touch my hair.

That was the exact moment that my princess of a dog turned into a raging loon because Boo went nuts before Jake could touch me again. She growled and yipped and then jumped right at his crotch. Luckily, Jake didn’t release me because his arm around my lower body was what was keeping me upright. I shook my finger at Boo.

“Boo! No! Bad girl! We don’t touch the nice man’s package.”

I looked up at him, feeling my face flush. “I mean… unless he wants us to.”

Shit, had I said that out loud?

I knew that I had when I saw his face. You’d have thought I’d suggested whoring him out to the Queen of England. He jerked his hands back from me and mumbled something about me being fine with a little ibuprofen and an ice pack.

I clung to the porch rail to keep myself from falling again as he hurried back to his place. He disappeared into his cabin, leaving the haphazard collection of firewood all in a jumble on the floor of his front porch and not sparing me even one backward glance.

I stared after him, wondering what the hell his problem was. Was it typical straight-guy heebie-jeebies? I sure as hell hoped not. With the two of us isolated so far out here on our own, it would really suck if he was a homophobe.

After narrowing my eyes at Boo for scaring off the sexy eye-candy, I made my way stiffly inside. According to my laptop, I’d missed a video call from my best friend, Zoey. I texted her to let her know I’d call her back in a few minutes before making my way to the kitchen for the ice pack, pain meds, and a bottle of water. Once I was finally ready to call her back, I made my way past the two temporary folding tables I had set up as my makeshift sewing station. The cabin had come with some very simple furnishings, but I’d prefer finding much sturdier tables before really getting to work.

I settled onto the large sofa and pulled my favorite blanket around me before propping the laptop on my knees and starting the video call.

Zoey answered immediately, and just the sight of her wild, dark curls brought tears to my eyes.

I missed her already.

She was the closest person to me and the only one I trusted with my life. We’d met at my first agent’s office, and even though her career hadn’t taken off like mine, we’d been inseparable ever since. At least until recently.