Read Online Freedom in the Smokies by Becca Jameson - Free Book Online Page A

Who the fuck is George and why is he calling my mate at ten at night? He scowled and brought his face in front of Kaitlyn’s. She narrowed her gaze at him and swatted his arm out of her way.
    Whoever George was, she wasn’t about to take any shit from Micah concerning her right to speak with the man.
    Get a grip, dude. She said she hasn’t dated any men, so that would include this one.
    Still, the thought of her being so animated with the guy made his skin crawl. He wanted that reaction reserved for himself. When had he gotten all possessive?
    He decided to pay attention to the conversation and deal with twenty questions later.
    “…I needed to get away from there, George.” She worried her lip while she spoke. “What? She what?” Kaitlyn bolted to a sitting position, her demeanor changing in an instant. “Are you sure? Oh God…”
    Micah set a hand on her back. The sheet had fallen to her lap, leaving her breasts exposed, but he didn’t have a good view with her back to his face. He shut his eyes. Now is hardly the time to ogle her .
    “Here? You’re coming here? …Um, okay…yes…no… I’m in the Smokies… Right, I’m sure you guessed that. I can’t…”
    The disjointed conversation had him on edge. He struggled to remain calm. What he really wanted to do was yank the phone from her and demand answers.
    “I just started a job…” she glanced at Micah, “…sort of… At a farm that raises thoroughbreds… Okay… The Durhams. I’ll text you the address… Right… See you then. Bye, George.” She set the phone in her lap.
    “Kait?”
    “Wow.” She didn’t move. He could practically hear her still processing the information. Nope. That wasn’t entirely true. He actually could hear her mulling over what she’d learned. He was suddenly in her head. They’d mated. They’d been asleep since the moment after they’d had sex. Hadn’t been able to test their ability.
    Her thoughts were a jumbled mess anyway. He needed her to speak. Everything from sorrow to anger to relief warred in her mind.
    “What happened? Kait?” He prodded her, his tone as soothing as he could muster, considering how much he wanted to grasp her arms, turn her toward him and stare into her eyes.
    Instead, he stayed still where he lay, running his palm up and down her back.
    Finally, she lay back down and relaxed into his side. He pulled the sheet up over her as she shivered.
    “That was George.”
    I got that part, baby.
    She jerked and turned her gaze to him. “You’re in my head.”
    “Oops. Sorry. Yes.” He gave her a half smile in chagrin. “We should be able to communicate in our minds now. Although, I must say, I have no idea what just happened. Your emotions are all over the place. Share?”
    “My grandmother died.”
    “Oh God. I’m so sorry.” He kissed her cheek and met her gaze again. She didn’t look right.
    “I hated her.”
    “Oh.” Wow. That was unexpected.
    “I tried. Really, I did. I know she saved me from… Well, she kept me from going into foster care at least. But even after all these years, she never softened. Never warmed up to me. She had a stroke today and I never got a kind word out of her in twelve years.” Her body shook.
    “Where are your parents?”
    “It was just me and my mom. She died in a car accident when I was ten and I was sent to live with my grandma. She was my only living relative and I had never even met her.”
    “Wait. I’m so confused—”
    She continued after a deep breath, rapidly recounting her life story. “My mother hated her too, so she took off when she was eighteen, left her family ranch in California and came here to the Appalachians. She was pregnant with me. After years of living under the oppression of her mom, she couldn’t take it any longer. She didn’t want me to be raised that way, and she never even told her mother she was pregnant.
    “Unfortunately, things didn’t work out so well. When my mom died, I had no choice but to go to