Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Sitting in the middle of my bed with my legs drawn up under me, I let it out. I’m crying so hard I don’t even hear Grant come into the room until I feel the bed shift under his weight.
“I’m so sorry, Jane.”
I gasp and raise my head to look at him. “You’re sorry? I’m the one that’s sorry.”
He’s shaking his head and looking at me with a tormented look on his face. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He takes a deep breath. “Let me look at you.”
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
“Please,” he says.
I lift my chin up and move my head side to side. “I’m fine.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders and surveys my neck. His voice is deep and thick with emotion. “I hurt you.”
I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let go. “You didn’t hurt me.”
His thumb trails over my skin, and I can feel goosebumps forming on my arms. When he leans in, I suck in a breath as his lips touch my neck. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, Jane. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything.”
“I know that.”
He leans back and searches my eyes. “I should have talked to you about this. I’ve been having nightmares.”
I put my hand on his knee between us. “Oh Grant, I’m—”
He interrupts me. “I’ve talked to a therapist, and I’m working on it, but I need you to do something for me.”
I nod my head. “Anything.”
His hands go to the sides of my neck, and he’s looking at me intensely. “When I’m having a nightmare, don’t wake me up. Just leave me alone.”
I shake my head. “No, I can’t do that. Grant, you were screaming like someone was torturing you. I can’t just stand by while—”
He interrupts me. “You have to. I don’t want to hurt you, and when I’m like that, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
I let my hands slide up his chest, and the muscles under my palms contract. “I’m sorry. You can ask me anything, but I won’t just leave you to suffer. I can’t.”
He leans his forehead against mine. “Baby…”
I can tell by his tone he’s going to try and talk me into it, and I do the only thing I know to shut him up. I press my lips to his, and he seems stunned for just a second, and then he goes into action. He leans toward me, and I unfold my legs to lie on my back, pulling him with me. Our kiss is everything, but feeling his body pressed against mine makes everything even more intense. I feel like I’ve held this in forever, and I take this opportunity to show him how I feel about him.
He pulls away, searches my eyes, and then leans in, wrapping his arms around me.
He holds me close, and I match my breath to his. When he pulls back, we’re looking at each other. He starts to talk, but I put a finger over his lips. “You can ask anything of me, but I won’t just let you suffer. I’ll be smarter about it from now on and make sure I’m safe, but I won’t just let you suffer in a nightmare.”
He shakes his head. “Jane—”
I stroke my fingers along the hair on his chest. “I’m not giving in on this, Grant.”
He blows out a breath, and I know he wants to argue with me, but at least he’s not going to try to do it now. “I should probably go to bed.”
I hold on to him. “Stay with me.”
He wants to say yes, that much is obvious, but he shakes his head. “I don’t trust myself to sleep near you—”
I cut him off, feeling the heat rise on my face. “I’m not talking about sleeping.”
His mouth drops. “Jane, baby…”
I shake my head to stop him. “No. For seven years, I’ve thought about this, and I know we’re doing everything backwards, but I want you…” I suck in a breath. “And I thought you wanted me too.”
He’s struggling with all of this. He is a good man, I’ve known that all along, but even now after all this time, he still feels like he’s pushing this on me. The only thing I know to do is to prove to him that I can handle it and he is what I want.
I run my hands across his muscled chest. “Do you want me or not, Grant?”
He smirks in the darkness. “You know I do.”
Taking a deep breath, I reach for the hem of the tank top I’m sleeping in. Without any hesitation, I raise up to pull it over my head. He tries not to look, I’ll give him that. But when he finally lowers his eyes to my bare breasts, he grunts as if he’s struggling for breath.
I barely recognize my voice. “Touch me,” I plead with him.