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looked into Maria s face. The proper way to treat a woman? It was the only way she
could word it, and it was how Jake had worded it to her. The word rape just made her
want to gag.
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Rough Edges
Maria had a hand over her mouth and those tears were now streaming down her
face. Yes. I can t believe he told you. I only knew through his nightmares and he
refused to say a word about it when I asked him.
I-I didn t really believe him at the time. Or maybe I did, but we were only chatting
online then. He was just a kid, Becca said as the knowledge really sunk in and
tightened like a lump in her chest. You probably saved his life.
Maria s smile was faint. Yes. But he was worth saving. And I hope I m not being
presumptuous, but you can give him a reason to live.
Realizing what she was asking of her, it seemed the weight of the world just landed
square on her shoulders. The only time Jake opened up was when they had sex. And
although she would be the first to admit their sex was toe-curling, it took more than a
great fuck to make a relationship. She might desperately want to give him that reason,
but she had a feeling Jake didn t want any emotional knots.
And that s just how he would look at commitment& as knots.
Maria wrapped her in a hug. I know you are that reason. I can tell by the way he
looks at you. Maria pulled back and cocked her head. Those boys are done playing, I
better get some drinks and some food.
But they just ate, Becca pointed out.
Maria laughed. Darling, boys are never full. Especially boys that play. Then she
got up and went into the kitchen.
Becca stepped outside onto the back porch and the heat slammed into her face. She
didn t know how they could ride out here in this weather. Sweat trickled down her
spine as she glanced around for Jake but found Tony.
He s on the other side of the barn, he said, a goofy grin on his face, water
dripping from his hair. And if you re wondering, he lost.
He lost? she asked. His only answer was a laugh as he walked by her and into the
house. She followed his direction and passed the opening of a large building. Barn is
what they called it, but it was more like an oversized garage because the only thing it
housed was horses of the mechanical variety tractors, four-wheelers and motorcycles.
She stepped around the corner and found the side of the building to be shaded,
facing the wooded part of the forty acres. A slab of concrete, big enough for a car, was
set against the edge of the barn. Jake was standing there holding a running water hose
over his head, his eyes closed. Water streamed down his bare chest and into the
waistband of his riding pants, which sat snug on his hips. She followed the rivulets with
her gaze and couldn t hold back a sigh of appreciation.
Hot? she asked, just barely making it a question.
He opened his eyes and smirked. Yeah. I wasn t in a cool house. Couldn t stay out
here with us, huh?
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Ashlynn Pearce
Are you kidding? I watched from the window. The weather here is horrible. I
thought it got hot in Richmond. She tugged at her tank, the fabric already sticking to
her skin. And what did Tony mean, you lost?
Did that asshole say that? He s a liar, don t believe him. I beat him, he scoffed.
Beat him at what?
Racing. We always race on the track. And I always win, because he s old.
She laughed. But he s only two years older than you.
Still old though. I m not.
He seemed more relaxed than he had since she got here. His shoulders were at ease,
his teasing more natural. When he glanced back and forth between the hose in his hand
and her, a mischievous twinkle shone in his eyes. She took a step back.
No. Stop. Don t you even
She gasped as the cold water rained down on her. Laughing, she fought with him
for control of the hose. Water sprayed everywhere and his low laughter joined hers. She
couldn t even begin to get a hold of the slippery hose, not to mention he was bigger
than her and had no problem keeping it out of her grasp. He stopped the same time she
did, their breathing heavy and that s when she realized he had a wide smile on his face.
The first she d ever really seen. The shadows that always lurked in his eyes were gone
for the moment.
She slid her arms around his waist, looked up into his face then reached up on
tiptoe to kiss his chin.
He dropped the still running water hose and framed her face with his hands.
Her breath caught at the intensity in his eyes. So much emotion right there at the
surface, yet so far out of reach. His thumbs slid over her cheeks lightly, so gentle it was
as though he was afraid he might hurt her. Leaning down, his mouth brushed the
corner of her lips with just the lightest of touches.
He picked up strands of her wet hair and put it behind her ear. You re wet, he
said with a smile.
She grinned back. Yeah. Seems this punk drowned me with a water hose.
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