Page 85 of Everlasting Love

Her arm stretches out to wrap around her mom and she pulls her in. Vi’s front presses to my back and her heat scalds me as her perfection touches my ugliness. We stand quietly in Jas’s bedroom, the three of us huddled together as the little girl in my arms slowly calms after her fright. Her breathing slows, and her body relaxes against mine. Her head drops to my shoulder and her body grows lax.

“She’s asleep,” Vi whispers, her breath hot against my shoulder.

I don’t want to break this moment but I reluctantly lay Jasmine back in her bed and pull the covers over her tiny body. Violet tucks them in, smooths her hair away from her face, and kisses her forehead. Once I’m happy she’s settled, I head back into the bathroom and close the door, taking my time to finish dressing, then close myself in my bedroom. Leaning against the door, I bang my head against the timber.

I wasn’t fucking ready for her to see the monster I hide.

30

SHANE

After a long while,a soft knock sounds through the door. “Shane?”She’s so damn brave. Here I am hiding and she’s confronting the issue head-on. Blowing out a long breath, I step away from the door and open it, then move closer to the bed. Her worried gaze flits over me, and then she steps inside, closing the door quietly. When she turns around her eyes are filled with mischief. “I was waiting for you as requested.” She takes a step closer and unties the silk ribbon holding her robe together exposing the space between her breasts and a smooth area of her soft stomach. She can’t possibly still want me after seeing the damage that covers the entirety of the back of my body. “I grew tired of waiting, so I thought I’d come to you.” She takes another step forward and I take one back. Her eyes narrow and she closes the distance. As I retreat, my legs collide with the bed and I drop to my ass. She wastes no time, climbing over my lap, her legs straddling me. The heat of her pussy scorching my thighs through my sweats.

Like this, our lips are level and it would be so easy to kiss her, to ignore the discussion we need to have. “About what you saw?—”

She places her finger over my lips just like she did earlier and shakes her head. “You’re supposed to be defiling my body right about now, we don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready.”

“That’s the thing, I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready but you’ve seen it now and … to be honest, I don’t know how to talk about it but I feel we probably should.”

She nods as compassion fills her eyes. “I’m guessing that’s the reason you don’t like me touching you.”

“Well, yeah. It’s not that I don’twantyou to touch me, I’ve been desperate to have your hands on me. I’d love nothing more than to have your hands exploring my body, but who wants to touch a monster?” I tear my eyes away from hers because I can’t bear to see her look at me any differently than before—like I’m less of a man. “The scars you saw barely scratch the surface of the scars I hide inside, Violet. I’ll never be the man you deserve. I’ll never be whole. My only saving grace is thatIdon’t have to look at the scars marring my skin.”

She moves so she captures my eyes in her stunning gaze, only this time, what I see is fire, honesty, and respect. “Youdon’t have to like what you see, but I need you to know thatIlove everything about you.” Her voice is full of steel. “Those scars on your body don’t repulse me or make you any less of a man in my eyes. In fact, they make my feelings for you stronger because these scars show a strength that muscles don’t have. They show you’re a survivor. That you’ve been through something utterly horrendous and you’ve fought to come out the other side. That’s incredibly attractive, Shane.” She leans forward and presses a tender kiss to my lips. “I’m not sure why you felt the need to keep them hidden but you don’t have to hide anything from me. I love you for exactly the man you are today. And so does Jasmine.”

See,fucking brave.

My heart grows to triple its size knowing this remarkable woman loves me, and she didn’t hesitate to tell me. I wrap my arms around her and drag her into my body. “I love you, Blue. And Jasmine, too. I’d closed myself off to the possibility of love because I don’t think I deserve it, but I’m too weak to fight what we have between us.”

She moves in and as she kisses me, her fingers slide beneath my T-shirt … and it’s incredible to finally have her hands on my flesh. A groan resonates through my body at the feel of her hands on my skin as a shiver makes its way through my body like a wave. Teasing her tongue inside my mouth, she slides her hands up my body, over the ridges of my abs, tracing each indentation on the way and lifting the fabric as she moves higher. Pulling away slightly, her eyes scan my face, then stop on my eyes. “Can I take this off?”

I draw in a breath for fortitude and nod sharply, then smooth my hands down the front of the silky robe and over her perfect breasts. “Only if you take this off.”

She grins. “No problem.” She slides my T-shirt over my head, and my first instinct is to pull it back down to cover the ugliness of my back but I draw on Vi’s bravery and raise my arms so she can remove it completely. Goosebumps rise over my flesh and my nipples bead as she tosses the material to the side. She doesn’t say anything as her eyes drink in every inch of my torso. My heart grows to the point I fear it’s going to escape my chest with her eyes on me. From the front I appear untouched—my skin is smooth, my muscles defined and I don’t mind her perusal … but my back … that’s another story.

She raises her hand toward the tattoo over my heart, her gaze laser-focused on it but pulls back at the last second before touching my skin. I wrap my fingers around her wrist and place her palm over the tattoo. Closing my eyes temporarily, I absorbher warmth, drawing on her strength. “You can touch me,” I whisper harshly around the lump in my throat as I fight the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable.

I didn’t want to feel this way.

I wasn’t ready.

It’s the very thing I’ve been trying to avoid all these years. My breaths are heavy and uneven as I fight my instincts, but I remind myself that I’m safe with and accepted unconditionally by this woman.

She nods and swallows, removing her palm and using the tips of her fingers to trace the lines of my Army Ranger tattoo. Concentrating as she follows each line meticulously, her eyes flick up to mine. She licks her lips, and I can read the reluctance in her eyes, so I nod slightly. “What does this represent?”

I look down at the tattoo and remember the day Wyatt and I decided to get them. Even though I was reluctant, his eagerness made me want to do my part. “I was in the Third Battalion of the Army Rangers. This is the symbol.”

She points to each letter R L T W in turn. “What do these letters stand for?”

“Rangers lead the way. We’re always the ones who go into situations first.”

Her eyes snap up to mine. “That sounds dangerous.”

“It can be.” I cup her magnificent bare breasts, weighing them in my hands—they really are a work of art. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore tonight.” I don’t want to slip into a dark place while I have this beautiful woman sitting in my lap.

I lean forward and suck one peak into my mouth, but Vi pulls away. “Don’t distract me, Shane. I’m on a mission.” She pushes me back slightly, then stands and slides the robe from her shoulders, allowing it to slide down her arms and then dropping it to the floor, leaving her in matching panties.

“Jesus, fuck, Violet. You’re so damn perfect,” I groan as my cock hardens further in my sweats.

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