uncomfortably in his chair. “Emma,” he warned.
“It’s all right,” Jill said, flushing. She knew she was no great beauty. Xander shouldn’t have to lie to make her feel better, but he surprised her by continuing to speak.
“I say she’s beautiful: Rowan gets pissed. I say she’s not: I lie. It’s a no win, Em.”
Emma grinned triumphantly and Jill felt her cheeks heat. It had been so long since she’d worn makeup or put any effort into her appearance, she hadn’t expected a miracle, but Emma had handed her one.
“Thank you,” she said. “I feel…” She stopped, unable to put her feelings into words. “I can’t believe it.” Her hand trembled as she ran it through her hair, loving its silky feel under her fingertips. The split ends and damaged strands were gone, thanks to a conditioning treatment and haircut. Jack had never wanted her to spend money on haircuts, especially when he liked her hair long. Now she understood it was about control. He probably hadn’t cared what her hair looked like, but dictating her style meant he controlled yet another piece of her soul.
She grinned around the room. “This is amazing. Next time, I’ll let you go even shorter.”
Emma gave her a spontaneous hug. “Brilliant.”
“Now to get you some clothes,” Loren said. “And some makeup and hair product of your own. What does Rowan have in his room? An electric razor and some generic brand shampoo?”
“I’m okay as far as shampoo and stuff go. Rowan’s last girlfriend left a lot of her stuff here. Can’t say I like using another woman’s stuff, but…” She shrugged.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. “What?” She tried to catch anyone’s attention, but no one would meet her eyes. “Emma, what aren’t you telling me? He still has a girlfriend, doesn’t he?” The joy of her makeover leaked out of her as fast as taking scissors to a balloon.
Xander spoke up. “No girlfriend.”
She relaxed a tad. “Oh good, they broke up. I won’t be the other woman.”
“There is no other woman,” Xander said. “Never has been.”
“And even if he had a girlfriend,” Loren continued, “she wouldn’t have been allowed on campus. Only authorized matches.”
She bit her lip and tried to understand what they were telling her. “So he lied to me about his girlfriend?”
Emma and Loren nodded.
“Why?” She answered her own question before they could. “So I’d accept his gifts.” She explained to the small group who looked at her with blank faces. “He had shampoo, razors, lotion, deodorant and lots of stuff I didn’t own or have room to pack. He must have raced to buy it all while you were giving me the tour,” she said to Loren.
She nodded. “That’s why he asked me to give as long a tour as possible. That is so Rowan. He’s so generous.”
The others murmured their agreement. It made Jill both happy and uncomfortable to think of Rowan that way. It did funny things to her heart. She couldn’t reconcile the strong, tough–looking man with the kind sensitive acts he seemed to do without any ulterior motive. Take her for example. He’d known her all of ten minutes when he’d championed her and fought for her to find safety on campus. It was hard to believe a complete stranger would protect her and care for her when no one else had lifted a finger.
“Can I ask you all a question?” No one responded so she took it to mean yes. “How did Rowan lose his arm? Was it on a mission?”
Silence.
“Is this classified information?”
Loren finally answered. “Yes. And no.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Rowan’s arm is a birth defect. He was born like that.”
“Really?” She took a minute to process. “But he’s a genetically enhanced soldier. How can he be flawed?”
“Do you see him as flawed?” Scary Xander asked from his corner.
She tried and failed to meet his steady gaze. “No. I think he’s strong and fine. But missing a limb is a flaw by definition,
“It’s all right,” Jill said, flushing. She knew she was no great beauty. Xander shouldn’t have to lie to make her feel better, but he surprised her by continuing to speak.
“I say she’s beautiful: Rowan gets pissed. I say she’s not: I lie. It’s a no win, Em.”
Emma grinned triumphantly and Jill felt her cheeks heat. It had been so long since she’d worn makeup or put any effort into her appearance, she hadn’t expected a miracle, but Emma had handed her one.
“Thank you,” she said. “I feel…” She stopped, unable to put her feelings into words. “I can’t believe it.” Her hand trembled as she ran it through her hair, loving its silky feel under her fingertips. The split ends and damaged strands were gone, thanks to a conditioning treatment and haircut. Jack had never wanted her to spend money on haircuts, especially when he liked her hair long. Now she understood it was about control. He probably hadn’t cared what her hair looked like, but dictating her style meant he controlled yet another piece of her soul.
She grinned around the room. “This is amazing. Next time, I’ll let you go even shorter.”
Emma gave her a spontaneous hug. “Brilliant.”
“Now to get you some clothes,” Loren said. “And some makeup and hair product of your own. What does Rowan have in his room? An electric razor and some generic brand shampoo?”
“I’m okay as far as shampoo and stuff go. Rowan’s last girlfriend left a lot of her stuff here. Can’t say I like using another woman’s stuff, but…” She shrugged.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. “What?” She tried to catch anyone’s attention, but no one would meet her eyes. “Emma, what aren’t you telling me? He still has a girlfriend, doesn’t he?” The joy of her makeover leaked out of her as fast as taking scissors to a balloon.
Xander spoke up. “No girlfriend.”
She relaxed a tad. “Oh good, they broke up. I won’t be the other woman.”
“There is no other woman,” Xander said. “Never has been.”
“And even if he had a girlfriend,” Loren continued, “she wouldn’t have been allowed on campus. Only authorized matches.”
She bit her lip and tried to understand what they were telling her. “So he lied to me about his girlfriend?”
Emma and Loren nodded.
“Why?” She answered her own question before they could. “So I’d accept his gifts.” She explained to the small group who looked at her with blank faces. “He had shampoo, razors, lotion, deodorant and lots of stuff I didn’t own or have room to pack. He must have raced to buy it all while you were giving me the tour,” she said to Loren.
She nodded. “That’s why he asked me to give as long a tour as possible. That is so Rowan. He’s so generous.”
The others murmured their agreement. It made Jill both happy and uncomfortable to think of Rowan that way. It did funny things to her heart. She couldn’t reconcile the strong, tough–looking man with the kind sensitive acts he seemed to do without any ulterior motive. Take her for example. He’d known her all of ten minutes when he’d championed her and fought for her to find safety on campus. It was hard to believe a complete stranger would protect her and care for her when no one else had lifted a finger.
“Can I ask you all a question?” No one responded so she took it to mean yes. “How did Rowan lose his arm? Was it on a mission?”
Silence.
“Is this classified information?”
Loren finally answered. “Yes. And no.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Rowan’s arm is a birth defect. He was born like that.”
“Really?” She took a minute to process. “But he’s a genetically enhanced soldier. How can he be flawed?”
“Do you see him as flawed?” Scary Xander asked from his corner.
She tried and failed to meet his steady gaze. “No. I think he’s strong and fine. But missing a limb is a flaw by definition,
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