Page 43 of Delicate Escape

It wasn’t that I hadn’t been hugged in the past two years. Sutton and Rhodes both gave me the occasional squeeze, but it was nothing like this. Shep’s arms engulfed me as he crushed me to his broad chest. I felt all that strong muscle surrounding me, could feel the beat of his heart against my cheek, and all as the scent of sawdust and cedar swallowed me whole.

A lump formed in my throat as Shep held me, not showing any signs of letting go. Slowly, my arms went around him, and I held on. I let Shep take a little of the weight I’d been carrying around for so long.

“He gutted you,” Shep gritted out as his hands sifted through my hair. “Cut you right to the quick because that’s the kind of man he is. And it makes me want to show him true pain.”

My hands fisted in Shep’s white tee. “I yelled at him.”

Shep pulled back a fraction, one brow arching. “Letting those thorns fly?”

My lips twitched. “He said some stuff about you. Got my hackles up.”

Shep’s fingers stilled in my hair. “What’d he say?”

My mouth went suddenly dry. “It’s not important,” I mumbled. I was an idiot.

“Thorn,” he said, tugging gently on my hair to bring my focus back to him.

I sighed. “Something about you being abandoned as a baby. In a not-very-nice way.”

“Called me Box Baby?”

There was an emptiness in Shep’s voice that set me on edge. “Yes,” I whispered.

“Was a thing in elementary school. Russ just never grew out of it,” he muttered.

My gaze lifted to Shep’s. “I’m sorry. It’s cruel.”

He shrugged. “It’s life. And it’s not like it’s untrue. I ended up with an amazing family in the end.”

But something said Shep wasn’t giving me the full story. He wasn’t sharing just how much this all hurt him. But I didn’t blame him. We all had tender spots we weren’t ready to show the world.

“What else did he say?” Shep pressed.

My gaze shifted to the side.

“Thorn…”

“He said you were only helping me because you want to fuck me.”

To my surprise, Shep burst out laughing. It was a thing of beauty. Because, this close, I not only heard every note, but I also felt them. Each vibration hit me right in the chest.

Shep grinned down at me. “I’m not gonna lie and say I wouldn’t love my hands on your body, but I’m helping you because I can, and you need it. Makes me feel…worthwhile. AndIneed that.”

A riot of emotions stormed through me. Panic, desire, worry. I shoved down the first two and forced my eyes to Shep’s. I lifted a hand and pressed it to his cheek. The stubble pricked my palm, sending a pleasant shiver through me.

“You’re worthy, Shepard Colson. You don’t have to fix anything to be that. You don’t have to dig a million trenches or replace feet of corroded piping. You’re worthy just for who you are.”

Those amber eyes flashed with specks of gold as he stared down at me. “Thea,” he croaked.

I let my hand drop as I stepped out of his hold, knowing if I stood there a moment longer, I’d do something I couldn’t take back. Something I knew I wasn’t quite ready for, even if I wanted to be. But I could give him something else.

“Why don’t you come inside? I’ll reheat the takeout, and you can help me feed the kittens.”

Shep’s eyes flashed again. “You sure? I don’t have to?—”

“I trust you, Shep. Come inside.”

He didn’t move for a long moment, just stayed in place, waiting to see if I would change my mind. That patience and kindness had a little piece of me starting to fall. I shoved that knowledge down and moved back toward my bike.

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