Page 96 of The Making of Marnie Jones

With great care, he put her sunglasses back on her head and snagged her left hand in his right, silently urging her to continue their walk.

The lack of need for words reassured her. She’d given up hope of ever having a first kiss. She flashed to the first time Lester placed his lips on hers, and her gut clenched. Rough and disgusting, the thrust of his tongue made her gag, and the taste of beer turned her stomach.

“Don't think about it.”

Her chest constricted, and she drew a sharp breath. “How did you know?”

“Aside from the stiffening of your arm?” He slowed his pace, forcing her to follow suit. “Because I know you. I understand how your mind works. Plus, it's reasonable for you to have flashbacks. I’d be surprised if you didn't. Here's the great thing about life—” He squeezed her hand. “—we can create new memories. You won't ever completely forget, but I can help you find physical pleasure without pain.”

She swallowed convulsively. Dare she believe? Might she allow him to introduce her to intimacies between consenting adults? He made it sound simple, and maybe it was. Maybe he was capable of taking her trust and turning it into something beautiful.

All too soon, they were back at the mansion.

Could he feel her racing heart? What if her palms started sweating? Most importantly, what if she and Olivia couldn’t convince him of the viability of their plan? Well, mostly her plan. She hadn't shared her thoughts with Olivia in case Jake vetoed the idea straightaway. His willingness to listen was reasonable. He was reasonable.

He held the door for her.

She removed her sunglasses and met his gaze. “Will you go to the library? I’ll find Olivia and we’ll join you.”

“Sounds good.” He grasped her hand, bringing it to his lips.

Her eyes widened as he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

“Thank you.” A whisper.

“For?”

“Trusting me.” He released her hand and headed for the library.

Trusting me.The words resonated in her mind as she searched for Olivia. Her trust in Jake was building despite her previous wariness about his profession. He was working hard to prove her faith was not misplaced.

She found Olivia sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper. “Anything of interest?”

The younger woman held out a folded section of the paper. “They did a story about us.”

Marnie's heart sank. So much for letting things go. “What did it say?”

Olivia radiated contentment. “The story was...thoughtful. It talked about how well you handled yourself in the interview, and how I seem to be doing okay.” She handed over the page.

Although Marnie desperately wanted to read the article, Jake waited. She had to prepare Olivia for the forthcoming meeting. “Olivia?”

“Yes.”

“Your uncle Jake is here.”

Olivia rose to her feet. “Where?”

“He's in the library.” Marnie grabbed the girl’s hand. “I talked to him about you moving west with me.”

“Thank you, Marnie.”

She held up her hand. “Don't thank me yet. He has a lot of questions and valid concerns. You need to listen to him.”

The younger woman’s enthusiasm waned visibly. “Can we convince him? I mean, is this what you want?”

Unhesitatingly, Marnie squeezed Olivia's hand. “I want you to move in with me. Let's go talk to Jake.”

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