My heart was racing as I felt his warm breath on my face. I wanted to sink into Jett and stay there, absorbing his strength.
One of his motives in depositing money in my account had been just for me. So I’d realize that even if something happened, and he wanted to get rid of me, I’d always have funds.
Yes, getting dumped back on the streets was a really big fear for me, but I was getting more and more comfortable with the fact that Jett was never going to do that. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said in a whisper, my voice failing me as I looked into the eyes of the kindest man I’d ever known.
“I wanted to,” he corrected hoarsely.
His whiskey-smooth baritone skittered down my spine and landed directly between my thighs. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to have Jett kiss me.
His lips were inches from mine, and I was mesmerized by being so close to him. We stood like that for a moment. When I realized he wasn’t going to make a move, I made one of my own.
I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down to meet me as I rose up on my toes.
Our lips met awkwardly, but Jett immediately took control. Pulling our fingers apart, he wrapped both arms around my waist, bringing me closer while he ravaged my mouth.
I moaned against his lips as I put my arms around his neck, needing to press my body against his to become submerged in his heat.
I was disappointed when he finally pulled his mouth from mine, but when he started to explore the sensitive skin of my neck, I let out an animalistic sound of need that I’d never heard come from my lips before.
“God, Ruby, I want you so damn much,” he said huskily, his breath wafting over my ear, and making me ache for so much more.
“I need to touch you,” I pleaded, tugging at the hem of his T-shirt.
All I wanted was to explore his bare flesh, and I yanked until he finally pulled the T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor.
My hands were all over him, running over every gorgeous muscle of his torso, getting drunk off the feel of his hard body before he pulled me against him again.
His hands stroked down my back until they landed on my jean-clad rear and squeezed.
I froze, my mind suddenly flooded with memories I’d just wanted to forget.
“Don’t,” I said in panic. “I can’t do this. I can’t look at the scars—” I broke off to twist my body away from his, desperate to get out of his hold.
He let me go the moment he realized that something was wrong.
We were both panting as we stared at each other.
“I’m sorry,” I said breathlessly right before I sprinted toward my bedroom so I could be alone to try to clear my head.
But I was afraid that I couldn’t outrun my thoughts, and no amount of time alone would ever get them out of my mind.
Ruby
“We can leave for Seattle tomorrow,” Jett informed me in a polite but distant tone a few days after my meltdown.
After what happened, I had managed to get my head together, but my relationship with Jett had irrevocably changed, and I was still mourning the gruff but sweet Jett who had been present before I’d flipped out on him.
We’d just finished dinner, and I set a dessert plate in front of him that contained a pretty simple pastry I’d made earlier in the afternoon.
“I thought we were waiting to make sure we didn’t need to give more statements.”
He shook his head, but he didn’t look at me. “Your kidnappers took a deal. They agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges. They’re testifying against one of the bigger fish above them in the food chain.”
I sat down across from him since my rubbery legs didn’t seem to want to hold me up. “Then it’s…over?”
“It’s over,” he verified. “The two of them aren’t getting out of jail time, but with lesser charges they might eventually see the light of day before they die.”
“Thank God,” I said in a shaky voice as I pushed my dark hair away from my face. “I didn’t want to have to testify. Honestly, I didn’t even want to give another statement.”
“You got your wish,” he said flatly. “Can you be ready to leave tomorrow morning?”
“Yes,” I answered, grateful that I’d be able to start my life somewhere else.