Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Keeping his lips on the side of her neck, he dragged his hand down to her hip and gripped the material of her shirt, slowly dragging it up. Her hips lifted and moved against his, but as soon as his fingers touched the bare flesh of her belly her body went rigid and she backpedaled away from him.
Eyes wide with something akin to fear, she huffed in air.
“Jessa, what’s wrong? Did I scare you, sweetheart?” Sitting up, he had to shift to adjust the throb of his cock in his pants. The metallic scent of her fear had his pulse increasing. “Jessa, please, what’s wrong?”
He reached a hand out to her, but she started shaking her head and then jumped off the bed. He noticed her tugging at the edge of her shirt. Rage grew inside of him, so bright it clouded his vision, and had his whole body strung tight.
Someone had hurt her, and she was scared to death because of it.
“Jessa, sweetheart, talk to me.” Shaking her head wildly, her mouth moved, but nothing came out. Thayer sounded desperate.
“No, no, no, no. I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She rushed out of the room, and he went after her.
“Did I hurt you?” His chest constricted as he saw her hair billowing out behind her and heard the sound of her feet padding across the floor.
“No, it’s me not you. It’s always me.” Her voice sounded tight, and he smelled the clean scent of her tears that came from her. She headed toward the front door. It was obvious her thoughts weren’t clear. She wore a pair of jeans and a thin, long-sleeved shirt.
She would freeze to death.
Just as she reached the door Deacon came through it. She skidded to a stop. His somewhat relaxed face turned to stone. He flicked his eyes in Thayer’s direction, and a deep, animalistic growl came from him.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Thayer saw her body flinch and took a step toward her, but Deacon had her wrapped in his arms. Tiny hands balled into fists rested against Deacon’s chest.
His brother’s lethal stare was on him.
“Thayer, you better tell me what the fuck is going on. I can smell you all over her, and she’s crying.”
Spearing his hands in his hair, Thayer started pacing back and forth. He should have gone with his gut instincts when they screamed at him that this was a bad idea.
He stopped pacing and stared at her small, huddled form. Whoever had hurt her was going to pay.
Chapter
Eleven
“N-No, i-it wasn’t h-his fault.” Dammit, she couldn’t stop stuttering. She pressed her face in Deacon’s shirt, her tears soaking the fabric.
It had felt so good having Thayer touch and kiss her. Everything had felt incredible, that is until she had felt his fingers slide against her belly.
Her past had reared its ugly head, and she knew she couldn’t do this. If he saw what her body looked like, how the ugly purple and black bruises covered her flesh. No doubt he would have been appalled and disgusted.
She didn’t want to see that look on his face, and so she had done what she did best. She ran away.
She felt like a fool, but for the life of her she couldn’t pull away from Deacon’s body. His hands ran up and down her back, soothing her and making her tears lessen.
At first she had tried to push away, but Deacon was a strong man and refused to let her go. Right now she didn’t want him to anyway. She felt Thayer move behind her and relaxed further.
What was it about these men that had her on edge, but also had her feeling more comfortable then she had felt around anyone else?
“What happened? Who hurt you?” Deacon said at the crown of her hair. Her head rested against his heart, and the sound of it beating could have lulled her to sleep … could have if she wasn’t about to jump out of her skin.
Thayer’s hand landed on the small of her back, and she felt the weight and heat of it seep into her.
“Tell us, Jessa.” The rumble of Deacon’s voice let her know he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Admitting her private life to these two men didn’t sound like a good time, but she had already acted like a fool in front of Thayer and knew they deserved to know why she acted like a freak.
Pushing away from them, she moved over to the couch and sat down. They followed right behind her, situating themselves on the leather chairs in front of the couch.
Their gazes were penetrating, and she felt like a specimen under a microscope.
“Tell us, Jessa.” Deacon said as he placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. Thayer was in much of the same position. His tone was hard, yet coaxing.