Read Online Independence by Shelly Crane - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shelly Crane
Tags: General Fiction
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life. I protected her, I've done everything to keep her, even argue with you over it, and she has the nerve to make out like she's the victim?"
I felt that go straight through my chest. "And you feel like the victim?"
"No," she said quickly and then looked at me. Really looked at me. "No, Caleb. I don't think there's a victim at all here. Yes, she's Marcus' victim, but not mine." She practically ran across the room to put her arms around my middle. She squeezed. "Don't be thickheaded here, Jacobson." She smiled with truth. "I always wondered why Beck and I were friends. We were absolutely nothing alike. She's crazy and rash and rude and can be downright snobbish sometimes. But she's always been there for me. If she can't be here for me now? Now wh en I've found you, my husband, t hen we're not really friends anyway, are we?" She moved closer, letting her thighs touch mine. "I'll always choose you."
I nodded. She cocked her head to the side."Why didn't you just read my mind? You would have seen the answer there."
"I'm trying to give you space. We can't be in each other's mind all day, every day for the rest of our lives. There needs to be some mystery there." She smiled at that . "Plus, I thought you might want some privacy while you talked to Beck. Especially since you were fighting about me."
"You mean if I wanted to have thoughts of regret, you were going to let me have them in private?" she said wryly and scowled up at me.
I didn't hesitate."Yes."
"My, my, how the tables have turned," she said playfully, but then frowned. "You're doubting me? Really?"
I got a full dose of the feelings of the very limited times when Maggie had felt inadequate, like she didn't deserve me, like she wasn't what I needed. It hurt like hell in my chest to be on the other end of that. To feel her ache as she sat there and thought that I thought that I was ruining her life. Beck was important to her, I kne w that, and now she had to choose between her and me. And she was going to choose me, every time.
There wasn't a doubt in my mind about that.
But I hated it to hell and back that she had to choose because Beck was human and humans freaked whe n they realized something hokey was going on. Seeing your best friend giv e you a vision was pretty hokey .
I sighed as I took her elbow in my hand and pulled her to me. My body screamed at me to take away her hurt. And when my fingers touched her skin, she jolted with the hit of calm I gave her. I pushed everything I had into it and pulled her into my arms. She didn't resist and I hoped it was because she wanted me to hold her and not just because her body wanted my comfort.
But when she settled in and started to play with the buttons of my shirt, I got my answer. I had to stop doubting this girl. This amazing girl who loved me even after she lost her friend because of me.
For the first time, I really did feel like a tyrant.
She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her face to mine. She didn't kiss me, but let our cheeks and noses touch. I smiled , realizing she was doing what I had done to her so many times when I waited for her to kiss me. She had to make the first move in the beginning, those few short weeks ago . Seemed like an eternity ago now.
And now as she turned the tables on me, I gave her a ghost of a kiss. I barely let my top lip touch her bottom one before going back for another soft touch that killed me to do. But I enjoyed her reaction as she pushed forward to take more, which I denied by leaning back a little. "We should go," I whispered. "Still a couple hours away from my place."
She groaned, "You did that on purpose."
"Uhuh," I answered and tightened my grip on her elbow. "I'd rather not have nips and pecks here when I can straddle the line with you as soon as we get home ."
She sucked in a small breath and let her feet fall flat to the floor. Her eyes were wide as she agreed with a nod and scooted quickly to get her purse from the bed. I chuckled huskily in
I felt that go straight through my chest. "And you feel like the victim?"
"No," she said quickly and then looked at me. Really looked at me. "No, Caleb. I don't think there's a victim at all here. Yes, she's Marcus' victim, but not mine." She practically ran across the room to put her arms around my middle. She squeezed. "Don't be thickheaded here, Jacobson." She smiled with truth. "I always wondered why Beck and I were friends. We were absolutely nothing alike. She's crazy and rash and rude and can be downright snobbish sometimes. But she's always been there for me. If she can't be here for me now? Now wh en I've found you, my husband, t hen we're not really friends anyway, are we?" She moved closer, letting her thighs touch mine. "I'll always choose you."
I nodded. She cocked her head to the side."Why didn't you just read my mind? You would have seen the answer there."
"I'm trying to give you space. We can't be in each other's mind all day, every day for the rest of our lives. There needs to be some mystery there." She smiled at that . "Plus, I thought you might want some privacy while you talked to Beck. Especially since you were fighting about me."
"You mean if I wanted to have thoughts of regret, you were going to let me have them in private?" she said wryly and scowled up at me.
I didn't hesitate."Yes."
"My, my, how the tables have turned," she said playfully, but then frowned. "You're doubting me? Really?"
I got a full dose of the feelings of the very limited times when Maggie had felt inadequate, like she didn't deserve me, like she wasn't what I needed. It hurt like hell in my chest to be on the other end of that. To feel her ache as she sat there and thought that I thought that I was ruining her life. Beck was important to her, I kne w that, and now she had to choose between her and me. And she was going to choose me, every time.
There wasn't a doubt in my mind about that.
But I hated it to hell and back that she had to choose because Beck was human and humans freaked whe n they realized something hokey was going on. Seeing your best friend giv e you a vision was pretty hokey .
I sighed as I took her elbow in my hand and pulled her to me. My body screamed at me to take away her hurt. And when my fingers touched her skin, she jolted with the hit of calm I gave her. I pushed everything I had into it and pulled her into my arms. She didn't resist and I hoped it was because she wanted me to hold her and not just because her body wanted my comfort.
But when she settled in and started to play with the buttons of my shirt, I got my answer. I had to stop doubting this girl. This amazing girl who loved me even after she lost her friend because of me.
For the first time, I really did feel like a tyrant.
She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her face to mine. She didn't kiss me, but let our cheeks and noses touch. I smiled , realizing she was doing what I had done to her so many times when I waited for her to kiss me. She had to make the first move in the beginning, those few short weeks ago . Seemed like an eternity ago now.
And now as she turned the tables on me, I gave her a ghost of a kiss. I barely let my top lip touch her bottom one before going back for another soft touch that killed me to do. But I enjoyed her reaction as she pushed forward to take more, which I denied by leaning back a little. "We should go," I whispered. "Still a couple hours away from my place."
She groaned, "You did that on purpose."
"Uhuh," I answered and tightened my grip on her elbow. "I'd rather not have nips and pecks here when I can straddle the line with you as soon as we get home ."
She sucked in a small breath and let her feet fall flat to the floor. Her eyes were wide as she agreed with a nod and scooted quickly to get her purse from the bed. I chuckled huskily in
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