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her hand to stop him from saying any more.
    “Don’t call me that.”
    He stood and went to stand beside her. “I never thought you were boring or unsophisticated.”
    “No? Oh, that’s right. You just thought you were too much for me to handle in the bedroom. Translation, I’m not enough woman for you.”
    He’d really fucked things up. “That’s not what I meant.”
    “Sure it is. Don’t start lying now, Jake. Not when you’ve been so honest up until now.” With her hands on her hips and her head tossed back, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. And she wasn’t done bringing him to task yet. “So honest in fact, you’ve been watching me and following me on my dates. Did you enjoy the art film last Tuesday?”
    Jake winced. He’d dug himself a hell of a hole. “Ah, not particularly. And I know you didn’t either. You prefer older movies.”
    “And you prefer action flicks. What about the concert on Thursday?” One toe tapped against the hardwood floor as she continued to question him.
    “That one I had to wait outside. And before you ask, I enjoyed the Italian bistro and the art opening. What I didn’t like was seeing you with other men.” It had left him itching to hurt someone. He’d hated watching all those different guys walking with her, talking with her, holding her hand, kissing her good night. Thankfully, she hadn’t invited one of them up to her apartment. He wasn’t sure what the hell he would have done if that had happened.
    Her anger seemed to deflate, leaving her looking bewildered. “I know you like your steak rare and you hate asparagus, but you’ll eat it if someone cooks it for you. I know you like to read thrillers and you’re close with your brother. I know a lot of superficial things about you, Jake, but I really don’t know you at all. I thought I did the night I took you to my bed, but I found out too late that I was mistaken.”
    Jake moved as close as he could without touching her. He sensed her immediate tension but didn’t back away. “I hurt you and I’m sorry for that.” He rubbed his hand over his face, searching for the right words to make her understand. “You’re so innocent and filled with light.”
    She frowned and sighed. “Like I said, boring.”
    Jake shook his head. “No, never that. I find you endlessly fascinating. The way you enjoy whatever it is you’re doing, the creative way your mind works, your natural beauty. It’s all such a gift.”
    “Why are you saying these things to me now? After everything that’s happened between us.” There was pain in her eyes, pain he’d put there, and he hated himself for it.
    He had to make her understand. “I left because I thought it was the best thing for you. You’re filled with light and there’s a darkness inside me that is so deep, so ingrained, I feared it would overwhelm you and change you.”
    Her brows drew together and he resisted the urge to rub at the lines that formed between her eyes. “So what you’re saying is that you decided what was best for me?”
    He nodded, wondering if she truly understood.
    “You ass.” She pushed past him and stalked back into the living room, her heels clicking furiously on the hardwood floor. “Who the hell do you think you are to decide what’s best for me. Of all the arrogant idiocy.”
    Jake followed her, trying to think of what he could do to deflect her anger and swiftly came to the conclusion that he couldn’t and shouldn’t. He deserved all of it and more. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
    “That’s obvious.” The cutting edge to her voice almost made him smile. Sapphire was tough beneath her soft exterior. He knew that, couldn’t help but know it after spending so much time as her bodyguard. The woman ran a successful business with her sisters, for fuck’s sake. Sisters’ Jewels was one of the top boutiques in New York, Sapphire’s jewelry extremely popular, and that didn’t happen if you weren’t a sharp