Liar, Liar by A.R. Hall
Jasper
She wasn’t supposed to know he was there. Jasper internally cursed at himself. He hadn’t meant to get close. He was only going to watch from afar for a minute or two and then be on his way. His club was doing business in the area, and he had to see for himself that she was all right. He’d barely gotten off the phone with Ben when he watched her walk down the sidewalk and fall.
It had been easier to observe her before, when they were dead. He could watch her for hours. He’d often lie and tell himself he wasn’t a perve; he just wanted to make sure she was safe. He was obsessed though.
He’d seen the façade she’d put on in front of everyone. She acted like she was healing and that everything was all right. It was only behind closed doors where she thought nobody could see her that she broke down. He watched her look at pictures of both her brother and him. She missed them both. It gutted him to see her like that and not be able to comfort her. She was the reason he was determined to find a way back.
“You can put me down here,” she whispered.
“Keys,” he growled. He wasn’t ready to put her down. He knew once he put her down he would have to leave again.
“In my back pocket,” she answered.
When he made no move to put her down, she awkwardly reached into her back pocket for the keys. He leaned her forward so she could unlock the door. Once opened and the lights were on, he kicked the door shut with his foot.
“Just leave me there on the couch.” She shook her head.
He walked to her living room and sat her down carefully. He couldn’t leave until he knew she wouldn’t need to get up, so he made his way to the kitchen. He opened up every cabinet until he found the pain killers.
“What are you doing?” she shouted from the couch. “Jasper?”
He opened up the freezer and found an ice pack, then grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge. A moan from the other room had him rushing to her side in an instant.
His eyes and hands checked her over. He shook his head as he grabbed one of her many throw pillows and carefully elevated her ankle, then placed the ice pack on it.
“I can take care of myself. Thank you for the lift; you can go.” She gritted her teeth. He heard the anger in her voice.
He didn’t blame her. It was why he hadn’t been able to look her in the eyes. He kept his gaze on every other part of her, which wasn’t helping. Here she was injured, and his animal was pushing at him to claim her, his cock hard.
“Damn it, Jasper. Look at me!” she groaned.
He hesitated before walking into the kitchen to grab the water and pain pills he left on the counter.
“Seriously?” she muttered quietly under her breath.
If it hadn’t been for his shifter hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her.
Jasper returned with the items. “This should help with the pain and swelling. Stay off of it for the rest of the night,” he spoke but continued to avoid looking directly at her. He glanced around the room, taking in the surroundings.
He’d been in the house before but not while she was home. He didn’t like how easy it was to break in the first time he’d come to check on her and had slowly been making changes over time. For the last three years, he had fixed things for her. She didn’t seem to notice how broken things repaired themselves overnight.
“I’m not sleeping on my couch or staying in these clothes.” She gestured to her body.
He could practically hear her roll her eyes at him, then she attempted to stand again.
“Stop.” His hands fisted at his sides.
“Then help me if you want to help me.” She crossed her arms. “Jasper, with or without your help, I’m going to get myself upstairs to my room, change, and lie in my ridiculously large and comfortable bed.”
He knew exactly how big and comfy her bed was. He laid in it a few times while she was at work just to soak up her smell. Fuck, he was pathetic and psychotic.
“Well?” She waited. “Are you going to help or just stand there?”
He moved his hand through his hair. Jasper reached down to grab the ice pack, then picked her up, cradling her in his arms again.
“Thank you.” She melted into him slightly as he made his way through her house, up the stairs, and into her room.
He couldn’t help smelling her hair and breathing her in. Vanilla and honeysuckle. His bear nodded in approval. Mine.
He set her down on the bench at the foot of her bed. “Where do you keep pajamas or whatever?” He turned and faced her dresser.
Liar, you went snooping through her drawers the first time you were here. His bear shook his head.
He ignored his bear. Sure, it was true. He wanted to make sure there wasn’t any evidence of another man in her life.
“The second drawer,” she called behind him.
He groaned. He knew what was in that second drawer. She didn’t know that he knew though. He slowly opened the drawer that revealed lingerie and other scandalous things that nobody should see on her, or he’d have to rip their eyes out.
“Fi,” he growled at her again. He wasn’t prepared for the sight in front of him. She pulled her shirt off and was wearing a very small and revealing matching set of said lingerie. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting ready to go to bed. Actually, can you help me to the bathroom so I can brush my teeth?” She bit her bottom lip, and he wanted nothing more than to bite down on it too.
Bite. Claim. She’s ours.
He quickly took her to the bathroom and attempted to look away before carrying her to the dresser for her to grab actual pajamas.
She was going to be the death of him. Jasper was careful to look away until he was sure she had changed and covered herself. It had been hard to let her go with the little she had worn to brush her teeth as he stood nearby.
He turned around to see the pajamas she grabbed did little to hide her. He could see everything. It took everything in him not to rush toward her.
His bear paced; he’d been on him to mark her since they first returned from purgatory. Mine.
Jasper had been relieved at the time. They had stopped at Ben’s house as soon as they returned—it was closest—so they could grab some cash and plan what would happen next. They wanted to be careful how they came back, because no one could know what had become of them. Jasper hadn’t been prepared to see Fiona yet. He thought he would have more time. His bear nearly ripped out of him to get to her. That was when he knew he had to stay away. Jasper had to stay away until he had more control of his shifter side. His bear had been vocal about it ever since.
“So that’s it?” Fiona sighed.
Jasper turned to look over his shoulder as she shook her head. She situated the ice pack on her ankle and covered the rest of herself with a blanket.
“Why?” Her voice was soft.
He turned to face her but continued to avoid looking directly in the eyes. “Why what?”
“Jasper,” she started. “Why have you been avoiding me? I thought we were friends once. I know not best friends like you and my brother, but we were close. At least, I thought we were. Why did you even come back?”
The truth was that he didn’t know how to answer her. He couldn’t tell her he had come back for her. Not when he had been avoiding her ever since. He didn’t want to hurt her. Jasper was afraid the animal in him would hurt her. He had to push her away. He had to keep her safe.
“Things change. People grow apart.” He clenched his jaw.
Lies. We both want her.His bear huffed.
“What changed? Ben came back and went straight to Diana. And you? You ran away from everything. Does your family even know you’ve been back for five years? What was the point?”
He stilled. They didn’t. He wouldn’t risk the animal hurting them either. He stayed away from his old life entirely. Except for Ben. He had his own animal though. Ben could protect himself.
After Jasper and Ben had their first meeting with other shifters, he made his choice. They heard the stories of others, and he knew what he had to do. He would stay away to protect his past. To protect Fiona.
It wasn’t long after that first meeting when Jasper grew close to some of the others. Several of them lived a life on the road, always on the run. It was exactly what he needed at the time. Jasper became a prospect for the Asylum MC. One year later, he became a full member, and shortly after that, he became one of the enforcers.
“I changed.” It was the only honest answer he could give.
“Obviously. I wouldn’t expect someone to come back from the dead the same person they were before.” She sat up. “Why are you here? You’ve been avoiding me all this time. Why now? What changed?”
He couldn’t look her in the eyes and tell her he kept watching her from afar.
“Jasper, look at me.” She threw her blanket off. “Fine, I’ll get in your face.” She started to move her legs off the bed.
Her feet didn’t have a chance to touch the floor before he lifted her back into the bed and sat next to her with his eyes closed. “You’re hurt,” he growled.
“Why do you keep growling at me, and why are your eyes closed? This is ridiculous.” She groaned.
“Because I shouldn’t be here. I can’t look at you looking at me as if I’m the same guy I was. Fiona, I died. Any part of me that was good or redeemable didn’t come back from that place. I’ve changed, and I’m no good for you. Not as a friend or anything else. I’m a monster.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe that.” She placed her hand on his. “Open your eyes, please.”
Jasper slowly opened his eyes and focused on her hand resting on his. He didn’t remember her hand being so soft and warm. He slowly looked up to her face; she was smaller than he remembered. Had she always been so small and fragile?
She leaned closer to him and brought her hand to his face. “I like the beard.” She smiled.
Make a move.His bear urged him closer.
Jasper wanted to. He thought it was hard before he died. He’d always kept his hands off her. Never kissed her like he wanted. He hadn’t acted on his urges before because of her brother, his best friend. The only thing stopping him now was his bear.
I would never hurt our mate.His bear was annoyed. Ours to protect.