The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 413

He froze, standing there as stiff as a board.

"It's... it must be the wiring," Jasper managed, his voice sounding like he'd been swallowing sand. "Since no one's lived here for a while, a circuit probably tripped."

"Right," Nicole whispered. "The, um... do you have the clothes?"

Realizing how close they were, she took a shaky step back, her voice tinged with awkwardness.

"Right here."

As he handed the clothes over, his hand brushed against something impossibly soft. He recoiled instantly as he heard her let out a muffled gasp.

"You—you just touched my face," she stammered, her voice low and strained.

"Oh! Sorry!" Jasper was dazed.

Was that really her face? The texture felt... different. And even if it was her face, why was her reaction so intense?

"Jasper, close your eyes."

"Nicole, the power is out. I can't see anything anyway."

"What if the lights come back on?" she countered.

"We're getting engaged soon," Jasper teased gently. "A little peek shouldn't be that big of a deal, right?"

"Absolutely not," Nicole said firmly, the sound of fabric rustling suggesting she was dressing as fast as she could.

"Fine, fine. Eyes closed."

Snap.

The power surged back on. Jasper had his left eye squeezed shut, but his right eye just wouldn't seem to cooperate. By the time he looked, she was already covered. Seeing her drowned in his oversized shirt made his pulse quicken.

"The pants are way too big," Nicole murmured, looking down and clutching the waistband to keep them from sliding off.

"Your clothes will be here any minute."

She nodded tentatively. "Why did the power just kick back on like that? You don't think someone broke in, do you?"

"Don't worry, the security alarms are active."

"Can we check anyway? I'm scared."

Jasper took her hand. It was a bit of a comical sight—Nicole hobbling along while hiking up his huge trousers—but they did a full sweep of the ground floor until she felt safe.

"You didn't finish washing your hair, did you?" Jasper asked.

"No."

"Come here. I'll wash it for you."

"Really?"

He swept her up into his arms, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Consider it a little preview of married life."

Nicole couldn't help but smile back.

Jasper already had a feeling that Nicole was too scared to even close her eyes.

The moment they reached the bathroom and he set her down, a soft thud followed—her trousers had slid right to the floor. They stood there, frozen, before both breaking into an awkward, self-conscious laugh.

"The pants... they're just too big," Nicole stammered. "I lost my grip."

"It's fine," Jasper said quickly.

Luckily, his dress shirt was long enough to save her from total mortification. Even with her height—she stood five-foot-eight—it provided just enough coverage, though only barely. Jasper took a sharp breath, trying to ignore the sight of her long, pale legs and fighting to keep his more primal instincts in check.

Focus, Jasper. You're the hairstylist right now. Your only job is to wash her hair. Just wash the hair.

Nicole closed her eyes. As the warm water ran through her hair, her fear began to melt away, replaced by a sense of calm.

"How's the pressure?" Jasper asked.

A small smile played on her lips. "You can go a little firmer."

"How about this?"

Why did Cody sound so terrified all of a sudden?

Candy? He wants me to go out in the middle of the night for candy? Is he babysitting?

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