heart beat fast for an entirely different reason. She’d come to Pleasure Ridge to enjoy a lover in the dark, one who would never know who she was or what she looked like. But now, the morning after he’d told her about his mother and his desire to quit working at the ranch, she found she wanted to share something with him. This man she barely knew had changed her. He’d pushed her to frenzied, sexual ecstasy, and then made such tender love to her that it had nearly brought tears to her eyes.
Lily shifted her head just a little, enough to see his hand. It looked exactly how she thought it would — long fingers, strong, a couple of small scars. The hand of a cowboy, even if it had been awhile since he’d ridden.
Connor shifted behind her, and she knew he was awake the moment he froze.
"Lily, you awake?"
"Yeah."
"I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep this late." He started to pull his hand back over her, but she captured it in her own and guided it close to her chest.
"It’s okay."
"It is?" He sounded genuinely surprised.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Yes. I don’t want to hide in the dark anymore, even though the idea of you seeing me scares me."
He settled his hand on her hip. "Why?"
"Because the man who attacked me...he left an ugly reminder behind."
Connor applied gentle pressure where he touched her, a gesture of support. "What happened?"
She closed her eyes and forced herself to remember the details of that day. "I was having a show at a gallery in St. Louis. I was on my way inside, going up the front steps in broad daylight, when this guy grabbed my arm. I didn’t recognize him at first. He’d grown a beard, and his hair was all a mess, but he was someone I’d seen at a couple of art shows. He’d asked me out, and I said no because there was just something about him that felt a little off. He didn’t take rejection well, and...he pulled a knife and started slashing at me." A shiver went through her at the clarity of the memory of that knife — huge, shiny, and heading straight for her.
"A guy nearby saw what was happening and tackled my attacker, but it was too late to keep him from making contact with the knife. I know I’m lucky to be alive, but it didn’t feel that way for awhile because he cut my face, bad, and I saw it every time I looked in the mirror. Still do."
She paused, giving him an opportunity to say something.
Connor dropped his head to her shoulder and planted a kiss there. "I’m sorry you had to go through that, but I’m thankful that bystander was there."
"Me, too." She waited for him to say that he knew who she was, but he didn’t. "The attack was bad enough, but..." Did she really want to go into this, on the off chance that he might have no idea who she was? "What followed was almost worse. The media seized on the story, making me the poster child for stalker victims when I just wanted to be left alone."
"Sometimes good people get thrust into shitty situations. It’s not fair, but it doesn’t keep it from happening." He paused long enough to place another kiss on her shoulder. "It’s up to you if you want to show me, but don’t worry about what I’ll think. I already know you’re beautiful."
She shook her head. "Maybe once I was."
"No, you are."
Unable to take the tension of not knowing anymore, she took a deep breath and rolled over onto her back, allowing him to see her and her damaged face for the first time. For a moment, however, she forgot she was waiting for a shocked reaction because she was the one who was shocked. He was so handsome with dark hair and eyes, strong lines on his face. He took her breath away. It took her several seconds to realize he hadn’t jerked back, hadn’t gasped, hadn’t reacted in any visible way to her scar.
"Like I said, beautiful," he said, and then he surprised her again by lowering his lips to her marred left cheek and kissing his way up the length of her scar.
In that moment, she fell in love
Lily shifted her head just a little, enough to see his hand. It looked exactly how she thought it would — long fingers, strong, a couple of small scars. The hand of a cowboy, even if it had been awhile since he’d ridden.
Connor shifted behind her, and she knew he was awake the moment he froze.
"Lily, you awake?"
"Yeah."
"I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep this late." He started to pull his hand back over her, but she captured it in her own and guided it close to her chest.
"It’s okay."
"It is?" He sounded genuinely surprised.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Yes. I don’t want to hide in the dark anymore, even though the idea of you seeing me scares me."
He settled his hand on her hip. "Why?"
"Because the man who attacked me...he left an ugly reminder behind."
Connor applied gentle pressure where he touched her, a gesture of support. "What happened?"
She closed her eyes and forced herself to remember the details of that day. "I was having a show at a gallery in St. Louis. I was on my way inside, going up the front steps in broad daylight, when this guy grabbed my arm. I didn’t recognize him at first. He’d grown a beard, and his hair was all a mess, but he was someone I’d seen at a couple of art shows. He’d asked me out, and I said no because there was just something about him that felt a little off. He didn’t take rejection well, and...he pulled a knife and started slashing at me." A shiver went through her at the clarity of the memory of that knife — huge, shiny, and heading straight for her.
"A guy nearby saw what was happening and tackled my attacker, but it was too late to keep him from making contact with the knife. I know I’m lucky to be alive, but it didn’t feel that way for awhile because he cut my face, bad, and I saw it every time I looked in the mirror. Still do."
She paused, giving him an opportunity to say something.
Connor dropped his head to her shoulder and planted a kiss there. "I’m sorry you had to go through that, but I’m thankful that bystander was there."
"Me, too." She waited for him to say that he knew who she was, but he didn’t. "The attack was bad enough, but..." Did she really want to go into this, on the off chance that he might have no idea who she was? "What followed was almost worse. The media seized on the story, making me the poster child for stalker victims when I just wanted to be left alone."
"Sometimes good people get thrust into shitty situations. It’s not fair, but it doesn’t keep it from happening." He paused long enough to place another kiss on her shoulder. "It’s up to you if you want to show me, but don’t worry about what I’ll think. I already know you’re beautiful."
She shook her head. "Maybe once I was."
"No, you are."
Unable to take the tension of not knowing anymore, she took a deep breath and rolled over onto her back, allowing him to see her and her damaged face for the first time. For a moment, however, she forgot she was waiting for a shocked reaction because she was the one who was shocked. He was so handsome with dark hair and eyes, strong lines on his face. He took her breath away. It took her several seconds to realize he hadn’t jerked back, hadn’t gasped, hadn’t reacted in any visible way to her scar.
"Like I said, beautiful," he said, and then he surprised her again by lowering his lips to her marred left cheek and kissing his way up the length of her scar.
In that moment, she fell in love
Similar Books
