Cam said loudly, backing away. “What do you take me for?! Some creep?! I did not buy you groceries so you would sleep with me.”
A confused look crossed Jolene’s face. “Then why did you?” she asked quietly. “I just assumed…”
“You assumed I’m that big of an asshole that I’d expect you to sleep with me if I bought you food?” Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair, softening his tone. “I may have been a prick this morning, but I assure you… I’m one of the good guys. I would never, ever take advantage of a woman like that,” he declared passionately, his eyes burning with sincerity.
Jolene lowered her head, embarrassed.
“Hey, Tomorrow. Look at me,” Cam said, his voice comforting. “Please,” he begged when she remained unmoving. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Let me look at them.”
She looked up, their eyes meeting and, for the first time in years, a unique sensation seemed to overtake her entire being…a feeling she had never encountered before in the presence of a man. She almost felt free. The one thing that she didn’t feel, the one thing she thought she would always feel in the company of a man, was fear. She actually felt alarmingly safe, even though she had yet to spend five minutes with him.
A small laugh escaped and a smile spread across her face. “You really think so?” she asked, wiping her tears, hating that she had let him see her vulnerable side.
“Yes. I really think so,” he said, reaching out to wipe the other tears that had fallen.
Jolene immediately tensed up, taking a step back.
Cam noticed her reaction and lowered his hand. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, trying to figure out what her story was, why she cringed before backing away in fear when he attempted to touch her. “I won’t touch you.”
Jolene let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. She turned around, hiding the terror on her face at the thought of someone touching her uninvited. Every touch reminded her of him , and all the other men she had been forced to “entertain”. She could no longer differentiate between a loving, caring touch and an ominous, perverse touch. They felt the same to her.
“You should go,” she said, snapping out of her memories.
Cam nodded his head in defeat. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to do something nice for you,” he explained as he made his way to the front door. Stopping, he turned to stare at her once more, her back still facing him. “To apologize. To prove that I am a good person.” He opened the screen door to leave just as he heard a sweet voice.
“Jolene,” she said faintly. She faced him, meeting his eyes once more, the depth there stirring a sense of calm in the storm of her life. “My name’s Jolene.”
Cam’s entire face lit up. “Jolene. Thank you for telling me your name.”
“But, please…” Her demeanor turned from one of calmness to one of desperation. “You can’t tell anyone that you know my name, or that I’m here. No one can know.”
Cam closed the screen door, walking back toward Jolene, respecting her boundaries. “Who’s after you? Is it an ex-boyfriend or husband?” he asked urgently. “We can protect you. Me, and Benny, and the rest of the guys…”
“No,” Jolene said, her voice firm. “You have no idea, and I’d rather keep it that way. Thank you for buying me some groceries. I’d just rather be alone, if you don’t mind. It’s better that way.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and turned away from him, walking up the stairs to the second floor. “And you should stay far away from me,” she murmured, thinking Cam didn’t hear.
But he did.
Shaking his head, he left the beach house. “Easier said than done, Jolene.”
~~~~~~~~~~
C AM COULD NOT GET Jolene out of his head the remainder of the afternoon. He tried to focus on a bit of research as he worked from his home office, but it was completely useless. His mind wandered,
A confused look crossed Jolene’s face. “Then why did you?” she asked quietly. “I just assumed…”
“You assumed I’m that big of an asshole that I’d expect you to sleep with me if I bought you food?” Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair, softening his tone. “I may have been a prick this morning, but I assure you… I’m one of the good guys. I would never, ever take advantage of a woman like that,” he declared passionately, his eyes burning with sincerity.
Jolene lowered her head, embarrassed.
“Hey, Tomorrow. Look at me,” Cam said, his voice comforting. “Please,” he begged when she remained unmoving. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Let me look at them.”
She looked up, their eyes meeting and, for the first time in years, a unique sensation seemed to overtake her entire being…a feeling she had never encountered before in the presence of a man. She almost felt free. The one thing that she didn’t feel, the one thing she thought she would always feel in the company of a man, was fear. She actually felt alarmingly safe, even though she had yet to spend five minutes with him.
A small laugh escaped and a smile spread across her face. “You really think so?” she asked, wiping her tears, hating that she had let him see her vulnerable side.
“Yes. I really think so,” he said, reaching out to wipe the other tears that had fallen.
Jolene immediately tensed up, taking a step back.
Cam noticed her reaction and lowered his hand. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, trying to figure out what her story was, why she cringed before backing away in fear when he attempted to touch her. “I won’t touch you.”
Jolene let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. She turned around, hiding the terror on her face at the thought of someone touching her uninvited. Every touch reminded her of him , and all the other men she had been forced to “entertain”. She could no longer differentiate between a loving, caring touch and an ominous, perverse touch. They felt the same to her.
“You should go,” she said, snapping out of her memories.
Cam nodded his head in defeat. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to do something nice for you,” he explained as he made his way to the front door. Stopping, he turned to stare at her once more, her back still facing him. “To apologize. To prove that I am a good person.” He opened the screen door to leave just as he heard a sweet voice.
“Jolene,” she said faintly. She faced him, meeting his eyes once more, the depth there stirring a sense of calm in the storm of her life. “My name’s Jolene.”
Cam’s entire face lit up. “Jolene. Thank you for telling me your name.”
“But, please…” Her demeanor turned from one of calmness to one of desperation. “You can’t tell anyone that you know my name, or that I’m here. No one can know.”
Cam closed the screen door, walking back toward Jolene, respecting her boundaries. “Who’s after you? Is it an ex-boyfriend or husband?” he asked urgently. “We can protect you. Me, and Benny, and the rest of the guys…”
“No,” Jolene said, her voice firm. “You have no idea, and I’d rather keep it that way. Thank you for buying me some groceries. I’d just rather be alone, if you don’t mind. It’s better that way.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and turned away from him, walking up the stairs to the second floor. “And you should stay far away from me,” she murmured, thinking Cam didn’t hear.
But he did.
Shaking his head, he left the beach house. “Easier said than done, Jolene.”
~~~~~~~~~~
C AM COULD NOT GET Jolene out of his head the remainder of the afternoon. He tried to focus on a bit of research as he worked from his home office, but it was completely useless. His mind wandered,
Similar Books
