Read Online Heart Ache (Bound by a Touch Novels #1) by Morgan Kearns - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Morgan Kearns
Ads: Link
men’s cologne. Really expensive stuff.”
When she breathed in, she tried not to register the scent. The last thing she needed was to sigh and go all gooey inside. She attempted an awkward shrug. “It’s my new shampoo.”
“ Oh.”
She wasn’t sure he actually bought the excuse, but he didn’t interrogate her further. She took advantage and closed her eyes. Her mind was still racing—still wrestling—with just how insane she’d become.
She loved Jayson, she did. The way his hazel eyes twinkled just before he teased her. She was proud when other women looked at him and he only had eyes for her. He worked hard, but wasn’t a workaholic. He cherished her without making her feel like she had to conform to his will.
The bottom line was: Jayson’s only flaw was that— She sighed –he wasn’t Nikolai.
All of this inner reflection wasn’t doing anything except making her feel worse and worse about her betrayal. She’d dreamed and fantasized about Nikolai for so long now she’d resorted to using the man she did have in her life as a pseudo-Niko.
Did that make her a completely heartless bitch? Yeah, pretty much.
This had to stop, which meant quitting her job and walking away. Her stomach clenched again and her eyes burned beneath her closed lids. She became physically ill and could almost feel her heart breaking at the mere thought of never seeing Nikolai again. What was going to happen when she made that thought a reality?
A chuckle erupted from behind her and a gentle shaking motion emphasized Jayson’s enjoyment of the movie. She smiled, despite the anguish eating at every cell of her body. She wanted to go home and crawl into bed and relive her delusions one more night. The thoughts rolled over and over in her mind, pummeling her like waves in a tempest ocean.
“ Hey, baby.” More rolling motion.
No, not rolling. Shaking, she realized.
Through groggy, half-lidded eyes, she noticed the end credits on the screen. Jayson kissed her cheek.
“ Come on, you can just sleep over tonight.”
“ No.” Her voice was strong despite the sleepy state of the rest of her.
His brows shot up and he looked at her with a hurt in his eyes that worsened the self-loathing she’d been inflicting on herself.
“ I just thought—”
“ I’m sorry.” She sat and moved down the couch so she could see him better. “I just really need … to get home.”
“ Okay, I’ll follow you home.”
“ No,” she nearly shouted.
“ What the hell is wrong with you?” The muscle in his jaw jumped.
“ Nothing’s wrong with me.” She attempted a smile she didn’t feel then tried to weave a lie that would sound enough like the truth to make him stay home.
“ You’ve had a long day, Jay, you should get some rest.”
“ Oh.” His face fell and he shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
He stood and offered his hand to help her to her feet. His hug was quick and she could sense that she’d hurt his feelings. His kiss was sweet, but lacked any heat. With a gentle hand, Gabby cupped Jayson’s cheek. His beard had grown and the stubble was prickly. He leaned into her touch.
“ Goodnight.”
His hazel eyes darkened to brown. “You sure you don’t wanna stay?”
“ I’m sure.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. He slowly pulled her into his body and held her tight. Wrapped in his loving embrace, she knew she should be over-the-moon in love with this man. But knowing it didn’t make her feel it. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
“ I really should go.”
He released his hold. “Call me when you get home so I don’t worry.”
She nodded.
“ I love you, Gabs.”
“ Love you, too.”
THUMP-THUMP.
Thump-thump.
The beautiful woman shifted beneath his touch, rolling from her stomach to her side. More of her skin became exposed as the sheet clung to the luscious lines and curves of her delectable body. She sighed and whispered his name again.
Niko’s breath
When she breathed in, she tried not to register the scent. The last thing she needed was to sigh and go all gooey inside. She attempted an awkward shrug. “It’s my new shampoo.”
“ Oh.”
She wasn’t sure he actually bought the excuse, but he didn’t interrogate her further. She took advantage and closed her eyes. Her mind was still racing—still wrestling—with just how insane she’d become.
She loved Jayson, she did. The way his hazel eyes twinkled just before he teased her. She was proud when other women looked at him and he only had eyes for her. He worked hard, but wasn’t a workaholic. He cherished her without making her feel like she had to conform to his will.
The bottom line was: Jayson’s only flaw was that— She sighed –he wasn’t Nikolai.
All of this inner reflection wasn’t doing anything except making her feel worse and worse about her betrayal. She’d dreamed and fantasized about Nikolai for so long now she’d resorted to using the man she did have in her life as a pseudo-Niko.
Did that make her a completely heartless bitch? Yeah, pretty much.
This had to stop, which meant quitting her job and walking away. Her stomach clenched again and her eyes burned beneath her closed lids. She became physically ill and could almost feel her heart breaking at the mere thought of never seeing Nikolai again. What was going to happen when she made that thought a reality?
A chuckle erupted from behind her and a gentle shaking motion emphasized Jayson’s enjoyment of the movie. She smiled, despite the anguish eating at every cell of her body. She wanted to go home and crawl into bed and relive her delusions one more night. The thoughts rolled over and over in her mind, pummeling her like waves in a tempest ocean.
“ Hey, baby.” More rolling motion.
No, not rolling. Shaking, she realized.
Through groggy, half-lidded eyes, she noticed the end credits on the screen. Jayson kissed her cheek.
“ Come on, you can just sleep over tonight.”
“ No.” Her voice was strong despite the sleepy state of the rest of her.
His brows shot up and he looked at her with a hurt in his eyes that worsened the self-loathing she’d been inflicting on herself.
“ I just thought—”
“ I’m sorry.” She sat and moved down the couch so she could see him better. “I just really need … to get home.”
“ Okay, I’ll follow you home.”
“ No,” she nearly shouted.
“ What the hell is wrong with you?” The muscle in his jaw jumped.
“ Nothing’s wrong with me.” She attempted a smile she didn’t feel then tried to weave a lie that would sound enough like the truth to make him stay home.
“ You’ve had a long day, Jay, you should get some rest.”
“ Oh.” His face fell and he shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
He stood and offered his hand to help her to her feet. His hug was quick and she could sense that she’d hurt his feelings. His kiss was sweet, but lacked any heat. With a gentle hand, Gabby cupped Jayson’s cheek. His beard had grown and the stubble was prickly. He leaned into her touch.
“ Goodnight.”
His hazel eyes darkened to brown. “You sure you don’t wanna stay?”
“ I’m sure.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. He slowly pulled her into his body and held her tight. Wrapped in his loving embrace, she knew she should be over-the-moon in love with this man. But knowing it didn’t make her feel it. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
“ I really should go.”
He released his hold. “Call me when you get home so I don’t worry.”
She nodded.
“ I love you, Gabs.”
“ Love you, too.”
THUMP-THUMP.
Thump-thump.
The beautiful woman shifted beneath his touch, rolling from her stomach to her side. More of her skin became exposed as the sheet clung to the luscious lines and curves of her delectable body. She sighed and whispered his name again.
Niko’s breath
Similar Books
