Read Online Truth or Dare by Janis Reams Hudson - Free Book Online
Authors: Janis Reams Hudson
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the balcony door.
Rachel cried out again as her head struck the glass door. Blood rushed in her ears until all she could hear was a loud roar. Panting, her one thought was of escape.
CHAPTER FOUR
She had to escape the huge, menacing body bending toward her. Escape the large hand reached for her. "No!" She pushed back against the wall and held her hands out to ward him off. "No!"
He backed off. Thank God, he backed off. His lips moved, but she heard nothing over the roar of her own blood, the rasp of her own breath.
It seemed as though she huddled there against the wall forever, shaking, shaking so hard. Freezing. She was so cold.
"Rachel?"
The voice penetrated this time. She blinked to clear her vision, shocked to feel moisture trickling down her cheeks. "Jared?"
"It's me. You're safe. Do you hear me?" His voice lured her out of the darkness and terror. "You're safe, Rachel."
Slowly, slowly, Jared saw sanity creep back into her eyes. Nothing in his life had shaken him the way her terror just had. His heart pounded. He ached with the need to comfort her, yet he didn't dare touch her.
"Rachel? Are you all right?" Stupid question, Morgan.
But she gave him a shaky nod. "I — " She paused to suck in a deep lungful of air. "I'm . . . sorry." Then her knees buckled.
Reflex had him reaching to catch her before he could stop himself. He held his breath, praying his sudden touch wouldn't set her off again.
She fell against him, then tried to straighten. "I'm okay."
The hell you are. "I know. It's all right. Here." He led her toward the armchair in the corner. "Sit down a minute and catch your breath."
He eased her onto the chair and reluctantly let her slip from his arms. Kneeling before her, he pushed her hair back from her face. "Better?"
Nodding, Rachel sniffed and closed her eyes. Oh, God, how would she ever face him again? She couldn't believe what had just happened.
She felt Jared move away, but refused to open her eyes. A moment later he was back.
"Here, have a sip."
She opened her eyes and stared at the glass of water he held out. When she reached for it, her hand shook so violently he had to help her get the glass to her lips. After she took a sip, he set the glass on the floor beside her chair.
"Thank you," she managed.
"You're welcome."
She wanted to cry at the way he carefully moderated his voice, as if afraid one wrong word, even a wrong tone, would send her into another fit of panic.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.
Talk about it? She couldn't even bear to think about it. "I'm sorry."
"Would you quit saying that? It's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed you. I should have — "
"No," she cried. "It's not your fault. I just panicked, all right? I'm sorry. I . . . I had a bad experience once. It was a long time ago. I . . . I thought I was over it."
She hadn't meant to say so much. As she watched a taut stillness come over him, she wanted to call back the words.
Jared felt ice creep through his veins. "Were you raped?"
She shook her head and swallowed. "No, but it was a near thing."
He forced himself to relax his hands. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" Another stupid question, Morgan. It's none of your business.
"God, I hope not."
"Did I do something that scared you? Tell me, Rachel. Was it something I did?"
She gave him a sad smile. "You kissed me."
Jared felt the blood drain from his face.
"No," Rachel cried, reaching for him. "I didn't mean it like that. I wanted you to kiss me. You didn't do anything wrong, Jared. I didn't know this would happen. You're the first . . . I mean, I haven't . . . I . . . I didn't know this would happen."
He took her trembling hand in his and studied it intently. What she'd just told him, without actually saying it, was that
Rachel cried out again as her head struck the glass door. Blood rushed in her ears until all she could hear was a loud roar. Panting, her one thought was of escape.
CHAPTER FOUR
She had to escape the huge, menacing body bending toward her. Escape the large hand reached for her. "No!" She pushed back against the wall and held her hands out to ward him off. "No!"
He backed off. Thank God, he backed off. His lips moved, but she heard nothing over the roar of her own blood, the rasp of her own breath.
It seemed as though she huddled there against the wall forever, shaking, shaking so hard. Freezing. She was so cold.
"Rachel?"
The voice penetrated this time. She blinked to clear her vision, shocked to feel moisture trickling down her cheeks. "Jared?"
"It's me. You're safe. Do you hear me?" His voice lured her out of the darkness and terror. "You're safe, Rachel."
Slowly, slowly, Jared saw sanity creep back into her eyes. Nothing in his life had shaken him the way her terror just had. His heart pounded. He ached with the need to comfort her, yet he didn't dare touch her.
"Rachel? Are you all right?" Stupid question, Morgan.
But she gave him a shaky nod. "I — " She paused to suck in a deep lungful of air. "I'm . . . sorry." Then her knees buckled.
Reflex had him reaching to catch her before he could stop himself. He held his breath, praying his sudden touch wouldn't set her off again.
She fell against him, then tried to straighten. "I'm okay."
The hell you are. "I know. It's all right. Here." He led her toward the armchair in the corner. "Sit down a minute and catch your breath."
He eased her onto the chair and reluctantly let her slip from his arms. Kneeling before her, he pushed her hair back from her face. "Better?"
Nodding, Rachel sniffed and closed her eyes. Oh, God, how would she ever face him again? She couldn't believe what had just happened.
She felt Jared move away, but refused to open her eyes. A moment later he was back.
"Here, have a sip."
She opened her eyes and stared at the glass of water he held out. When she reached for it, her hand shook so violently he had to help her get the glass to her lips. After she took a sip, he set the glass on the floor beside her chair.
"Thank you," she managed.
"You're welcome."
She wanted to cry at the way he carefully moderated his voice, as if afraid one wrong word, even a wrong tone, would send her into another fit of panic.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.
Talk about it? She couldn't even bear to think about it. "I'm sorry."
"Would you quit saying that? It's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed you. I should have — "
"No," she cried. "It's not your fault. I just panicked, all right? I'm sorry. I . . . I had a bad experience once. It was a long time ago. I . . . I thought I was over it."
She hadn't meant to say so much. As she watched a taut stillness come over him, she wanted to call back the words.
Jared felt ice creep through his veins. "Were you raped?"
She shook her head and swallowed. "No, but it was a near thing."
He forced himself to relax his hands. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" Another stupid question, Morgan. It's none of your business.
"God, I hope not."
"Did I do something that scared you? Tell me, Rachel. Was it something I did?"
She gave him a sad smile. "You kissed me."
Jared felt the blood drain from his face.
"No," Rachel cried, reaching for him. "I didn't mean it like that. I wanted you to kiss me. You didn't do anything wrong, Jared. I didn't know this would happen. You're the first . . . I mean, I haven't . . . I . . . I didn't know this would happen."
He took her trembling hand in his and studied it intently. What she'd just told him, without actually saying it, was that
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