Read Online Redemption (Book Two of the Shipwrecked Series) by Jenna Stone - Free Book Online Page A

going
to explain himself to her.  He only hoped that he had not ruined what was growing
between them before he was given a chance to explore how wonderful it might be.
    “I’m sorry for
leaving,” he said softly as he closed the door behind him and sat down on the
bed.  He lowered his head and held it in his hands as his elbows rested on his
knees.  “I didna ken how else tae deal with the feelings that I have for ye,”
he confessed, still not looking up at Sarah, who stood frozen in front of him.
    “You hurt me,
Quinn,” Sarah confessed, unexpected anger boiling up inside of her.  She had no
claim on this man, but she had felt so abandoned, so lost without him.  His
kiss had caught her off guard, but it had felt so incredibly right.  Quinn’s
sudden desertion of her had left her hurt and confused.
    “That wasna my
intention.  I’m sorry,” he added sincerely, now looking up and meeting Sarah’s
eyes.  When he saw the tears that she held back, his heart tore.  He had done
this to her.  He hated himself for making her feel abandoned.  “C’mere, lass. 
If ye’ll forgive me, if ye’ll let me explain… c’mere,” he beckoned as he
reached out his arms and pulled Sarah onto his lap.
    Sarah fitted her
head into the crook of Quinn’s neck and she rejoiced in his calming, masculine
scent.  He smelled of sunshine, pine needles and the forest.  She loved his
smell and she let his touch calm her, console her.
    Quinn buried his
nose in Sarah’s hair and wrapped her up in his strong arms.  It felt so right
to hold her like this.  He wanted to protect her, to beg for her forgiveness,
but for the moment, holding her like this was enough.
    Sarah’s fingers
slid between the buttons of Quinn’s shirt and she gently stroked the warm skin
over his collarbone.  She nuzzled against his neck, relishing the feelings of
acceptance and safety that Quinn enveloped her with.
    “I left because I
was scared,” Quinn admitted, stroking Sarah’s hair and continuing to hold her
close against his chest.  “I never thought…never expected that I could feel
this way about someone again.  I’ve been trying sae hard to fight the feelings
that I have for ye, but I must admit that I’ve failed terribly.”
    Sarah lifted her
head and looked Quinn squarely in the eyes.
    “What was I
supposed to think, Quinn? You kissed me and it was the most wonderful…it was
more that I had ever imagined and then you left me!  You left me for three
days!” Sarah said, her voice heated now.
    “I doona ken what
ye were supposed tae think!” Quinn said, shaking his head as he looked at the
beautiful woman on his lap.  Hell, he didn’t know what to think about what was
happening between them either!
     “I loved someone
very much, Sarah.  She was taken from me.  The English raped her and then
killed her.  I thought that my heart was dead after what they did to her.” 
Quinn swallowed hard, struggling to remain composed as he revealed the horrors
of his past to Sarah.
    “I’m so sorry,”
Sarah whispered, the initial shock of Quinn’s words bore heavily on her face.  Her
expression softened at Quinn’s unexpected revelation.  Despite wanting to
strangle him for leaving her so abruptly with so many words unspoken between
them, she wanted to hug him now, to console him and let him know that he would
be alright. 
    Poor, sweet
Quinn.
    Sarah’s heart
ached to tell him that she had fallen in love with him and that she would work
tirelessly to piece back together the pieces of his shattered heart.
    “After Mairi was
taken from me, I had such a hole torn inside of me that I thought I’d be better
off dead. I tried, but I couldna save her,” he said painfully.   “I’ve felt
nothing for so long.  No pain, no happiness.  Nothing.  The fight went out of
me after I lost her.”
    Quinn rested his
chin atop Sarah’s head and looked up at the soot stained ceiling of the small
cabin.  He blinked harshly and fought to hold