Page 43 of Corrupt Obsession

She jolted as Jesse’s question broke through her hazy musings. “No, it’s great. I guess I’m still tired.”

He gave her a sympathetic look as he brushed back her hair. “You want me to run you a bath?”

Even this question wasn’t out of the ordinary, since she and Lynne talked openly about their periods. Jesse didn’t mind pampering them or being sent to the store for pads or tampons, while her father flat out refused.

“No, I’m okay. I’ll just finish what I can and turn in,” she said lightly.

“Okay.” He glanced outside. “I have to watch the fire.”

“Yes, you do that.” When he turned away, she hesitated before she asked, “Did you burn anything else besides…?” Again, she blushed like a virgin. She wasn’t anymore, so she would have to get past her embarrassment.

Jesse raised a brow. “Should I have?”

“I don’t know.” She broke eye contact and wrapped her foot around the leg of her chair. “Your sheets? Were they stained?”

“No.”

She didn’t hear him move, so wasn’t prepared for the hand that grasped her chin. She felt her face turn beet red as he stared down at her.

“I got the blood out of them,” he said in a low rumble that made her nipples hard. “You don’t need to worry.”

“You dressed me,” she whispered.

“I knew Mom would want to check on you. She couldn’t find you naked.”

Very practical on his part, but, “You cleaned me.”

His gaze fixed on her mouth. “Seemed like the proper thing to do.”

His eyes rose to hers. Her heartbeat accelerated.

“Is there anything else you want to ask me before I tend to the fire?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. His finger slid along her jaw before he turned away. She turned back to her soup and ate mechanically before she put her bowl in the sink. Habit made her clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes. She glanced outside and saw Jesse staring contemplatively into the fire. What was he thinking? Did he feel like his life turned upside down, or was deflowering his stepsister something they would forget ever happened? That they would never speak of, like his late-night visits?

While she brushed her teeth, she scanned the bathroom for any sign of their hookup, but everything looked boringly mundane. She wished she had her phone to see if there was anyword from Tucker. Had word already gotten out of Jesse fighting Tucker?

It wasn’t until she swallowed her birth control pill that her eyes flew to the mirror, wide as saucers. Holy shit. She had been put on birth control a year ago to regulate her heavy, painful period. It never occurred to her that she would need it for its main purpose. She went cold with terror at the thought of getting pregnant. She was a Christian. It had been drummed into her that life was sacred and to be protected and preserved at all costs. She didn’t believe in abortion, but if she was accidentally impregnated by her stepbrother, she would have no choice but to… Bile rose. She swished mouthwash to banish the taste from her mouth before she staggered to bed.

She tunneled under the covers and clasped her stuffed longhorn to her aching chest. She made a lot of stupid decisions today. The repercussions were steep, but they could have been much worse. Unfortunately, Tucker got the worst of it. Was he pissed at her? She hoped he hadn’t been hurt too badly. And her consequence had been to lose her virginity. Not to the man she thought, but the most unlikely person imaginable. Even as pangs of anxiety washed over her, memories of Jesse in the throes distracted and made her body tingle.

She banished such sinful thoughts and thanked God that Mom and Dad were unaware of what happened this afternoon. Although she was worried about how she and Jesse would deal with each other moving forward, she was too tired to fight the tug of replenishing sleep. She gave in to oblivion with a soft sigh.

Chapter 9

JESSE

Jesse stoodbeside Violet’s bed. Thick lashes rested against her cheeks and her mouth was parted slightly, letting him know she was deeply asleep.

She was his. Finally.

He brushed her hair back as he marveled at the strange string of events that led to the consummation of their relationship. In the middle of practice, one of his teammates told him that Tucker had bragged about taking Violet’s virginity and sharing her with his bandmates. The way the rest of the team avoided his gaze told him everyone had heard the lies Tucker was spreading, but no one had the balls to tell him except Reggie.

He hadn’t thought twice about stalking off the field, changing out of his uniform, and tossing his gear in the car. It was sheer coincidence that he spotted Tucker’s Bronco and saw two people on the side of it. Even as he started toward them, they’d moved to the back of the car. The last thing he expected to find was Tucker with his hand in Violet’s pants.

He’d taken great pleasure in smashing his fist into Tucker’s pretty face. He would have killed him with his bare hands if Violet hadn’t stopped him. He knew about Tucker’s playboy reputation and had wrongly assumed Violet would break it offif Tucker pressured her sexually. It never occurred to him that Violet would welcome his advances.

As the rage flooded back, he slid his thumb into Violet’s mouth to calm him. She jerked back, but he followed, unwilling to give her space. He rubbed his thumb over her tongue, encouraging her to suck. When she reflexively obeyed, he bit back a groan and buried his face in her hair spread over the pillow.

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