Page 124 of Broken Skulls

His mouth crashes against mine, and his hand grabs my chin. He does his best to steal my breath. Little does he know, I’d gladly give him my last one. I let his hands roam freely under my dress.

“I’ve got to have this off,” he says as soon as he tears his mouth from mine.

My hands reach for the stars, and my clothing is instantly pulled over my head.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Elizabeth,” he says frantically.

Once our clothes are off, he pulls me under the blankets with him and holds me.

I feel his desperation to be near me in the tension of his muscles. I thought he wanted me undressed for another reason, but now I realize he just needs to feel my skin on his. To share warmth with me.

It’s exactly what I need too.

“I was so afraid you were going to leave,” he whispers against my ear.

“Then why did you tell me to?”

“Because it’s what’s best for you.”

I run my fingers over the hairs on his arms. “Do you really believe that? Because I sure don’t.”

He’s silent for a long moment. “I was so scared that night.”

“What were you scared of?”

He presses his lips to the back of my head, hugging me tight. “I was scared he might break you. He’s broken everything I’ve ever loved.”

“He could never break me. I’m already broken, remember?”

Air rushes from his lungs, and he makes a noise that breaks my heart. “I never wanted you to see me that way,” his voice cracks.

“Remember how you felt standing by my side in front of the man who abused me? Well, that is how I felt standing beside you the night your father broke in. It felt like it was you and me against the world. I’ve never felt that way before. I’ll never walk away from that, Jacob. I’ll never leave you.”

“I’m sorry I left you alone. I’ll never be able to forgive myself,” he whispers, grabbing my cheeks and pulling me toward him.

I let him kiss me as my hand searches the bed for my dress. When I find it, I pull the blindfold from the pocket. Softly, I slip it over his eyes.

“I have something to show you.”

As I help him dress, I sense his reluctance to leave the safety of this room. Here he hasn’t had to face the destruction his father left behind. He may have had to clean up from his father’s wrath on his own in the past, but not this time. This time he had me.

His hand comes up to cover his eyes as we step outside. “Fuck. I forgot how bright the sun is even through the blindfold.”

I pull him to stand in front of the greenhouse, and then I remove the blindfold. His eyes remain closed.

“Take your time,” I tell him, content to stare at his face.

I’m still staring at him while wearing a cheesy smile when he finally squints his eyes open. He blinks at me a few times.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says, grabbing a strand of my hair to admire it in the sunlight.

That’s when he notices the building behind me. His gaze slowly rises over my head, his mouth falling open. He backs away a step, looking around us to see exactly where we are.

“Jacob, you never left me alone. You left me with your family.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Jacob

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