Close to Heart by T. J. Kline

Author:T. J. Kline [Kline, T. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780062396563
Google: icLiBAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 23434072
Publisher: Avon Books
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“DON’T, LYSSA.”

The husky rasp of his voice at her neck sent shivers down her spine, making her body melt against his again. What had they just done? The worst part was that she didn’t want it to stop. She wanted to touch him, to feel his body against hers, pressing into hers, and to ride with him to the bliss that still had her body humming.

But she feared what Elijah would do when he found out.

And fear was the only thing that had sustained her for the past few years of her marriage, when Elijah grew more vicious with his words, more demeaning with his accusations, more detrimental with his lies. She’d retreated behind the wall of her fear, pretending that life would go on, and happiness was a fantasy.

“Don’t hide from me, Lyssa.” Justin’s words were like a sledgehammer to the wall she was trying to quickly rebuild between them. “I feel you doing it.”

Her chin fell forward against her chest as she tried to find the strength in herself to fight her heart that so desperately wanted this moment with him, to stop the fear rising to the surface. Justin ran his hands over her body—gentle, teasing, coaxing, yet without demanding anything, only offering himself. His lips against her skin ignited a spreading wildfire over her flesh, growing more urgent by the second.

“But—”

“It’s just you and me right now,” he finished, as if reading her thoughts. Justin shifted so that she sat sideways in his lap, able to see his face as he cupped her jaw. “The past is gone, Lyssa. You have the opportunity now to be the woman who’s been hiding for years. I can see her.”

His words released a sudden flood of tears. In spite of every effort to keep him at a distance, he’d still seen past the facade she’d portrayed so convincingly. Alyssa stood and held her hand out to him, not even bothering to wipe away her tears. They were washing away the past, the fear and lies that covered the true woman she’d buried inside.

Without a word, she walked to his bedroom, turning toward him as she reached the foot of his bed. “I don’t know what my ex-husband is capable of.”

He took a step toward her, his hand curling around the back of her neck, and she could feel his breath on her skin, could see the fierce protective instinct rise up in him. “He can’t do anything to me. I wouldn’t care if he could. All I care about is how you feel, Lyssa, what you want.”

“I want . . . ” She shook her head, knowing what she wanted to say but unsure how much she should. She wanted someone to see her for who she was, flaws and all, and love her. She wanted someone honest and good, who made her heart race with just a look. “I want you.”

With three simple words, she felt the last remnants of fear slip away. The truth was that Justin would protect her, had even before he realized what he was doing.

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