Chapter 182 My uncle is a tease

Chapter 182 My uncle is a tease
Adriana
There was something different about being in town this time. I felt… different.
Containing my hair enough to wear the big auburn wig had been harder than I thought, but the reward was worth it. I almost didn’t look like myself.
“Hey!” I waved at Jared, excitement bubbling inside of me. It was good to see him.
“Eve.” Jared made his way to me, placing a soft kiss on my cheek as soon as he met me.
Maybe it was the hair, or the clothes, or even the gem that refused to leave me, but I felt different… bolder. I reached for his shirt before he could pull away and brought his lips to mine.
Shock vibrated through him. His lips were still frozen against mine, but I didn’t care as I tasted him. He tasted of scotch. Leaving the palace hadn’t gotten rid of his liking for the strong drink.
I pulled back, smiling. “You’ve had scotch,” I commented.
Jared blinked, taking me in. “You look different.”
The comment burned my stomach. He didn’t recognize Adriana posing as Eve, but he knew Eve had done something to her hair.
“I dyed my hair,” I responded in a fake, happy tone.
“Why?” he asked. I couldn’t gauge his mood; he didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t seem happy either.
“Because I wanted to.” I was getting pissed. “You don’t seem happy to see me, and really, I do not care, but I believe we have something to talk about,” I told him.
I wondered if I should play a trick on him—to place the gem in his hands and leave, knowing the gem would come back to me anyway. But what if it didn’t?
“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”
I followed him, forcing myself to keep my mood in check. I thought he’d take me to a quiet park or somewhere with less noise, so it was surprising when we arrived at an apartment and I saw him pulling out keys.
“You stay here?” I asked in surprise.
The place was not small, but it was simple. It was spacious with minimal furniture; everything in it seemed purposeful and intentional. There was even a hand-drawn portrait of Louisa—it would be hard to recognize that it was her if I didn’t know the girl well. “Who is that?” I asked, trying to sound jealous.
“My daughter.” Jared stood by the door as I looked around the place.
A half-empty bottle of scotch sat on his center table, waiting for him to come back to it.
“She’s pretty.”
Jared nodded. “She is. She takes after her mother.”
I looked away. “I see.” I shook off the cloud that came over my heart. “What did you find out about the gem?” I asked, going straight to the point. Talking about Louisa was a reminder that what I was doing was very wrong.
Jared said nothing, just stood by the door and watched me. There was something manly and dominant about how he stood—hands crossed, back against the wall, with one hip flexed to put his foot flat against the surface. He had cut his long hair; it was still longer than most men’s hair, but it was perfectly styled. His beard was no more than a stubble, like he had forgotten to shave, but I knew it was intentional.
God, he was handsome. I wanted to kiss him again.
“You’re not going to say anything?” I asked, realizing that I had been staring and that he had let me.
“Come here,” he commanded.
I wasn’t used to being commanded. I was the queen. It was so hard to separate Eve from Adriana. “No,” I rebelled.
“Eve…”
That was all it took. That slow rumble of a name that wasn’t really mine, and my legs were toppling over each other until they reached him.
Jared had always been taller than me, but it seemed like he had added a bit of weight. Life in town really suited him, so now he loomed over me until it felt like his body would totally cover mine. Strong fingers came up to my cheeks, a thumb tracing my lower lip. I couldn't have moved away from his touch to save my own life.
His movements were slow and tentative. The frustration was killing me. “Are you going to kiss me or not?” I asked angrily. I was burning with need, but he was just playing around.
Jared came close, his lips a breath away from mine. I would have closed the gap, but his strong fingers kept me in place. I waited, hoping he would close the distance in a few seconds. He didn’t.
“Jared…” I pleaded. I could literally beg him to just kiss me at this moment. Every nerve and fiber of my being was anticipating this kiss, but it seemed like it would never come.
Finally, he moved, but not to kiss me.
Strong hands gripped my legs, lifting me up. I squeaked in surprise at the unexpected handling. In seconds, my hips were against a table, my legs spread apart with Jared in between them.
Now, this I liked.
His hands stayed on my bare thighs. The touch was heavy, intimate, and made me want more. I moved in, letting him know I was still all in for that kiss.
“Do you kiss people that easily?” The words were sharp, laced with an emotion I didn’t recognize but felt like a whip against my back.
My temper flared and I pushed him away, or at least tried to. He didn’t budge. “I want to leave!” To hell with kisses or gems, I wouldn’t let him insult me.
Jared might be my uncle, but he was a fucking tease.