Read Online Submission: Guilty Pleasures #3 (BBW Erotic Romance) by Adriana Hunter - Free Book Online

the portico, watching us.
    “She said it...Jane said something
to me the first time I met her...that some things just can’t be fixed with love.
That’s us, Jake...this. Nothing can fix us, not all the love in the world. It’s
over. It’s ended. You ended it, Jake, when you brought her back here. If you
can’t see that...”
    The rain was coming down harder
now, sharp drops stinging my face. I reached for the car door, had it open,
when Jake reached past me, slamming it shut.
    “No! This isn’t how it ends. Not
like this.” The rain was running down his face, flattening his hair. He pulled
me against him, hard. He forced his mouth against mine in a brutal kiss. I
pulled away in revulsion. I wanted to gag.
    “I’ll make her leave. I’ll send
Jane away.” His breath was harsh against my face.
    “Jake, stop!” I took a deep
breath, to bring myself under control. The fear was back, a panicky feeling
bubbling up inside. Everything was spinning out of control.
    I twisted out of his grip,
wrenching the car door open. I scrambled inside, slamming the door, hitting the
locks, fumbling with the key in the ignition.
    The shower of broken glass,
followed by a gust of cold wind-blown rain made me scream. Jake’s hand jutting
through the broken driver’s side window, blood dripping from cut knuckles. He
made a grab for me, my hair or arm, I wasn’t sure. The car roared to life and I
threw it into gear, jamming my foot on the gas, careening down the circular
driveway.
    I glanced in the rearview mirror. Jake
was still standing in the rain, silhouetted against the light from the portico.
    ––––––––
    I rang the bell, and then knocked
on Chase’s door. He opened it, took one look at me and folded me into his arms.
My knees gave out, the last of my energy draining away, and I crumpled against
him.
    He scooped me up, taking me down
the hall to his bedroom. With infinite care, he set me on the bed, fingers
swiftly working to pull off my sodden clothes.
    “Just a minute.” He went to the
bathroom, quickly back with a towel. He wiped my face, pushed the dripping hair
off my forehead.
    “Can you tell me what happened?”
The calm sound of his voice, his sure and gentle touch brought me back from
where ever I’d been during the drive over.
    “It was Jake...” That was all I
managed to get out. All the fear and anger washed away, leaving me shaking uncontrollably.
    Chase had my blouse and skirt off
in seconds, pulling back the covers, helping me lie down, the blankets tucked
around me. He lay down next to me, fully clothed. Even though I was cold and
shaking, I pushed the blankets aside, reaching for Chase, wanting his warmth,
not the warmth of the blankets.
    “Hold me, Chase, please.” He
pulled me against him, his fingers smoothing the damp tangles of my hair away
from my face.
    He held me for a long time, saying
nothing, just cradling me against his body. Slowly the shaking stopped. I
struggled to sit up and he shifted next to me, pushing himself up against the
head of the bed.
    He sat up suddenly, leaning over
the side of the bed. He turned back to me, just as suddenly, pulling the
blankets away from my body.
    “There’s blood on your clothes, Abby.
Did he hurt you?” His voice was low, but urgent. He held me away from him,
searching my face, my body, and a look of alarm on his face.
    I shook my head, stilling his
hands. “No, Chase. It’s Jake’s. He broke the window on my car, cut his hand I
guess. He grabbed at me, but I drove away.”
    Anger flashed in Chase’s eyes,
deep and intense. I remembered the anger I’d seen in Jake’s eyes earlier
tonight, anger directed at me, and I tensed in Chase’s arms. But when he spoke
his voice was still calm.
    “I’m not angry with you, Abby.”
His arms tightened around me, pulling me back against him. I rested my head on
his shoulder, taking a deep ragged breath.
    “Can you tell me what happened?”
He repeated the question he’d asked before.
    “I