Corrupted (Corrupted and Cherished Book 1) by Marie Johnston

Author:Marie Johnston [Johnston, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LE Publishing
Published: 2023-03-06T18:30:00+00:00

Holland

Kase is quiet the rest of the way back to the rental. I think about what he said. His ex sounds a lot like my mom. She used to do outrageous things to get my father’s attention. The older I got, the more embarrassed I was for her. Lucia’s stunt tonight brings those emotions back.

I am determined not to end up like Gloria, married to a man who has a limited capacity for caring for others. I don’t want that life, and I’ve been working so hard to pedal away from it. Unfortunately, that mountain has proved steep, and I’m slowly rolling backward.

Kase parks in the carport and ushers me into the house. I should go straight to the bedroom, but I’m wired from a night stuffed full of adrenaline with no outlet. My hands need to be busy. “How much will my sewing bother you?”

He flops on the couch. “It’s not like I’ll be able to sleep for a while. Go for it.”

“Are you going to watch TV?”

His head rests on the back of the couch, his sooty eyelashes softening his edges. “You mind?”

I shake my head. “I like having the background noise when I work.” But I’m not used to a person being in that background noise.

“I’m going to change,” he says and disappears into the bedroom.

I stand for several minutes. I don’t need to get out of my clothes. I wasn’t in the same room as a naked ex, and it’s not like I can crowd into the bedroom while he’s getting dressed. He needs a moment. He’s unbalanced. I don’t like an unbalanced Kase, but this is a subject he needs to work through, something that involves more than him. I wish I could help, offer some advice.

Odd how my experience encompasses his, or rather Lucia’s. She’s a lot like Gloria. My mother got pregnant with me to finally land Father, only to realize a life with Connor Gray is cold and empty. Is that what life with Kase would be like?

He’s not cold, and he brims with emotions at times. I hold my breath waiting for them to spill out. But they don’t. He’s controlled, but not like my father. A trait that makes him infinitely more attractive.

As for the other side of his problem, I can certainly empathize with being pushed toward an unwanted marriage. It’s not a fate I’d wish on anyone.

I finally shrug out of my sweater, dropping it on the couch where Kase had been sitting. My gaze touches the bedroom door.

Our clothes are mingled in that bedroom. And he’s changing.

This whole situation feels . . . cozy. Kase is upset, and I want to help him feel better. I want to curl up on the couch with him and talk. Then I want to scoot closer until I’m on his lap. Because after the car wash, I’m not flinching at his touch—I’m craving it.

I fan myself with a hand and turn to my sewing machine and the pinned top I left half-finished to leave with Kase.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.