Page 45 of Pretty Stolen Dolls

Warm, soft lips press against mine. So gentle. Such a stark contrast from the hard, brooding partner I’ve dealt with from nine to five each day. When a strong hand grips my hip, I let out a sigh. His mouth coaxes mine open and his tongue seeks mine out. He tastes sweet, like the sugar he so heavily consumes.

His kiss is dizzying, but I don’t want it to end. After the fallout with Bo, it’s nice to still feel wanted—despite my raging flaws. Tentatively, I run my palms up his hardened chest to his shoulders. He takes it as an invitation to kiss me deeper, a low groan escaping him. With each delve of his tongue into my mouth, I grow lightheaded. The prickles of his five o’clock shadow scratch at my flesh in a way Bo’s baby face never did. It feels different, and I like it—a lot. His kiss intoxicates me more so than Jack Daniels ever has.

He finally pulls away, eliciting a whine from me. A deep chuckle rumbles from his chest and he presses his forehead to mine, dark eyes locking in on me.

“What is this?” I ask heavily.

“This is real. This is how it should feel, Jade. This is perfect.” And with that, he backs away and orders, “Put on some shoes. I’m taking you somewhere. I want to show you something.”

I’m still heady and weak from our kiss. “Does this trip involve pancakes?” I question with a grin.

He winks at me. “I promised I’d fatten your skinny ass up. Now move, Phillips, before I carry you back there. And if I carry you to your bedroom,” he says with a wolfish grin, “we’re most definitely going to miss breakfast.”

He turns into the gravelly drive of a dilapidated cemetery and the giant breakfast we consumed roils in my belly. When I risk a glance at him, his knuckles are white on the steering wheel and his jaw clenches. He drives toward the back of the small burial ground and shuts off the car once he’s parked underneath a large oak. Thunder grumbles somewhere miles off, which means our little cemetery visit will be short lived.

“Why are we here?”

He gives me a grim smile and climbs out of the vehicle. His muscled back tightens as he takes long strides toward a headstone near the tree. It’s the newest looking piece of granite in the entire fenced in area and fresh flowers poke out of the vase on top. I follow him over to it and read the name.

Delaney Scott

November 14th, 1981 - May 3rd, 2010

Beloved daughter and sister

Frowning, I place my hand on his hard shoulder. “Is that—”

“My little sister,” he confirms. “She would have turned thirty-five this year.”

I slide my hand down until I grip his with mine. After our kiss and the playful flirting at breakfast, it feels right to comfort him this way.

“I’m sorry.”

He turns to look at me, pain flashing in his molten chocolate orbs. “Me too.”

“What happened?”

Anger ripples through him. I start to pull my hand from his grip at the sudden change of his mood, but he tightens it and turns his hardened gaze to mine. “Some asshole she dated. Chip was his name. I fucking hated that guy. Always knew my sister was better than his sorry ass.”

I frown at his words. “Did he hurt her?”

He scoffs. “Hurt? He did more than hurt her. Jade, he fucking destroyed her. The guy was a lowlife. Drugs, alcohol, petty crime. He was a loser and she was consumed by him. He made her promises and she believed every one of them. It wasn’t long before we didn’t even recognize her anymore. He got her hooked on heroin and knocked her up.”

A gasp leaves me as the first drop of rain splashes on to my cheek.

“She managed to get clean and I warned that fucker to stay away and he did, or so I thought.” He shakes his head, looking to the ground. “I had no fucking idea he liked to beat up on women.”

Shuddering, I think of all the times Benny struck me. A thunderclap in the distance makes me jump in surprise.

Dillon runs his free hand through his dark hair and lets out a hiss of air as if it pains him to tell me this. “On Jasmine’s first birthday…”

I raise a brow.Jasmine?

“My niece.”

A genuine smile reaches all the way to his eyes, but it’s fleeting.

“He showed up and fed Laney a load of bullshit about being clean and changing his ways.”

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