Chapter Twenty Four
Caroline entered the farmhouse and gazed around the spacious area. She smiled when she walked into the living room to see a huge TV and a couch.
“I see you’ve upgraded a bit since the last time I visited,” she said, making him grin.
Jameson nervously rubbed his stubble and grinned. “I haven’t spent much time here. You can have the bedroom, and I’ll sleep out here.”
She nodded, taking her suitcase into the room he pointed to.
“What time do we return to Julio and Rebecca’s house?” she asked, trying to ease the tension between them.
“We have a couple of hours. Do you want to watch TV or something?” He asked, scanning the room. “I can make you a snack. Shit, I can’t. I haven’t gone to the grocery store in weeks.”
Caroline giggled. “What’s the matter? You seem a little jittery.” She picked up his hand and examined his nails. “You didn’t bite them, did you?”
He pulled her close and tickled her with his scruff.
“You’ve given me a hard time all day today,” he said, lightheartedly. “What’s got into you?”
Caroline’s smile faded as she drew the courage to tell him her feelings.
“I don’t know how to overcome the situation with your father. But you’ve shown me you’re nothing like him. After all you did to find me, it’s not fair to judge you by his actions,” she faltered, hoping he understood her.
“What are you saying, Caroline?” he asked softly, caressing her cheek.
“I…I have feelings for you. Years of abuse have taught me to read a man’s actions and his words. I think you care for me, too, but I’m afraid. If you do, I’d like to see where this might lead.”
Jameson let out a relieved sigh.
“I care a lot about you, too,” he told her. “We can move slowly and agree to talk about things when they feel uncomfortable.”
“I’d like that,” she murmured. “I have scars.”
Jameson stepped back and yanked up his shirt. “So do I.”
Her hand touched the healed, pink puckered wound on his abdomen, wondering how she didn’t notice it when they went swimming.
“Does it hurt?”
“Only the memory of it and how it affected me for over a year,” he confessed. “It put me in the hospital and rehab for a long time, giving me time to think about my choices in life.”
“Did this happen when you saved Kassie and the others?” she asked, still tracing the scar.
“Yes,” he replied, watching her.
Caroline tugged on the belt of her wrap dress, letting it fall open in the front. “Cain did this to me,” she said, pointing to her stomach. “Because I burned his toast.”
He pulled aside the delicate fabric, his thumb gliding over the old wound. “He’ll never lay a hand on you again,” he promised.
She let the material fall from her shoulders. “One of the men bit me when Cain left me alone. He shot him when he saw it, then beat me for allowing the man to touch me, like I possessed a choice.”
Jameson leaned over and placed a kiss on the injury.
“I’m glad he’s dead. I don’t have the time to hunt him down.”
She lowered it a little more.
“Cain stabbed me when I kept him from taking a teen to his bed. I hid her inside the cabinets until the clients left. He wanted to give her a lesson about hiding from his guests.”
Jameson’s jaw ticked, and his expression grew hard as he saw the jagged scar. “He’ll be lucky if he sees daylight in a prison cell,” he growled.
“This happened two days before you found me. They tied a young woman to the wall and wanted to whip her. I stabbed him. I know you’ve seen this, but does it sicken you?” she asked, showing him the jagged scars down her back.
“Only because the bastards did this, and you didn’t deserve it,” he assured her.
Jameson knelt, picked up the delicate material, and put it over her shoulders.
“Caroline, you don’t have to do this. Not to prove anything to me or because I saved you,” he said close to her ear. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I owe you my life, but I’m not doing this for you,” she said shyly, turning to face him. Her gaze searched his.
“You’re recovering from a ton of trauma. You don’t need to have sex with me to prove anything. We’ll do this on our own time,” he assured her softly, drawing the dress together.
“Do I disgust you?” she asked quietly.
“No, Honeybee. You’ll never disgust me. Every single scar has a story of how you survived. Wear it like a fucking badge of honor,” he replied, fumbling with the belt
Her hand covered his. “Maybe you should heed your own advice.” She cupped his face with both hands and gazed at him. “I don’t want to have sex with you, Jameson. I want to make love with you. I don’t know of any triggers, but if it gets too much, I’ll tell you to stop.”
“Caroline,” he whispered as she leaned in, capturing his mouth. Her tongue glided against his as he pulled her body close, touching his. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he rubbed her back.
“I don’t want to scare you,” he admitted. “I’m afraid it might set you back.”
“You don’t terrify me,” she assured him. “I’m safe when I’m with you. I know the difference between sex and making love. I want to feel your touch and know it means more than something dirty and sick. I want to replace those memories with good ones, starting with you.”
Jameson seemed moved by her words, yet he still hesitated.
Caroline fought the tears coming at his rejection when his hand slid inside the dress and touched her waist. His head bent seeking her mouth once more.
She moaned at his gentle touch as he lightly stroked her sides while exploring her mouth.
His hands moved over her shoulder as he slipped the material over them.
Caroline shrugged, letting it slide to the floor. Her hands reached for the buttons of his shirt, unbuttoning them. Pressing her against the wall, Jameson continued nibbling her neck, sending chills down her body.
“You’re beautiful, Caroline,” he said as he cupped her cheek.
“Do you have any condoms?” she asked uneasily. “Dr. Greene started me on the pill but…just in case. I need to wait six months…”
“I have them. We’ll use them until she clears you,” he assured her, before going into the bedroom. He returned a minute later, holding a box in his hand.
Caroline plucked one out and set it on the kitchen island, feeling relieved she didn’t need to go into detail. Jameson leaned into her, planting heated kisses down her body.
Caroline fumbled with the button of his jeans, loving the trace of hair, which disappeared beyond his waistband.
Jameson’s thumbs hooked into her panties, and he slid them down her legs. He stopped and moved to her thigh, pulling the blade Victoria gave her from its sheath.
His eyes widened while she smothered her laughter.
“Did Victoria give you this?” he asked, peering at her.
“Yes, she told me to always keep it on me. We spent her last week teaching me which parts to aim for on the body,” she explained. “I’ve gotten used to wearing it and completely forgot.”
Jameson marveled at the piece of steel for a minute before setting it on the counter and removing the sheath from her thigh.
“Maybe it’s I who needs to be afraid of you,” he said, arching his brow.
Giggling, she pulled him closer and stuck out her lower lip into a pout.
“I promised Victoria not to use it in anger. She said she only did it once to Ivan, and he punished her with multiple orgasms. I’m not sure the punishment fits the crime,” she mused. “I might try it and see. First, I need to test out your SEAL abilities. They didn’t meet the standard earlier.”
“Ha,” he chuckled. “It seems I’m getting challenged.”
Caroline hesitated. “I don’t know if I can do this lying down. I’m not scared, but I don’t want to send you into hysterics.”
“Me? In hysterics,” he repeated. “It’s the only emotion I’m not feeling right now,” he said, stroking her long blonde hair.
His hands slid to the back of her bra, and he undid the clasps.
Caroline reached for the strap and slid it down her arm, while keeping her gaze on him.
His eyes smoldered with heat as she tossed it on the floor.
“Your turn,” she said, reaching for his jeans. Pulling down the zipper, she pushed them off his hips and tugged them down. Jameson stepped out of his shoes, shucked off his clothes, and sent her a crooked grin.
“Now, it’s my turn,” he murmured. Her breath quickened as he traced her golden mound. Slowly rising, he picked her up, grabbed the towel wrapped over the stove handle, and set it on the kitchen island before placing her on it. Pressing gently on her chest, he lay her on the cool counter.
“I don’t think you needed the towel,” she said, sighing from the chill as her body grew warmer.
Jameson pulled the towel, making her slide to the edge. “I beg to differ.” Pulling a chair from the table, he sat and parted her thighs, revealing her. His finger parted her and slid inside her silky heat. Caroline sucked in her breath.
“Oh, it feels good,” she moaned. “I dreamt about you touching me, but it doesn’t compare.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh. “What else did you dream about?”
“Let me show you,” she murmured, sitting up.
“No. I’m not done,” he said, pressing against her.
“You can’t do this to me,” she said. “Not yet. I won’t risk you because I’m…”
His other finger lifted her chin. “Finish that sentence, and I’ll turn you over and tan your hide,” he growled, rising above her.
Caroline kissed him. He seemed to know every thought running through her head. “Let’s make a deal. When we get the all clear, you can play to your heart’s content.”
“I’ll hold you to your promise,” he vowed.
She shot him a smirk as she kissed his chest, right above his heart.
“I wish my kiss chased away all the pain in there and somehow made you see how truly special you are,” she whispered. “You’ve changed my life.”
“You blew mine up. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as helpless when I couldn’t find you. I worried what Cain might do to you if he figured out you told me Rebecca’s possible whereabouts.”
Caroline slid from the counter. She knelt, pulling his underwear off, and stared intensely at his cock.