The Returning Hero by Soraya Lane

Author:Soraya Lane
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-03-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

CHILLS RAN UP and down Brett’s body just at the mention of his scars, of her seeing them. He hadn’t let anyone other than the medical team that had worked on him see how he looked now, to really see what had happened to him. Jamie looking at the mess that was his skin wasn’t something he ever wanted to happen, but the way she was staring at him, like he was doing something to hurt her by not just opening up, was telling him that he may not have a choice. He didn’t want to hurt her, had no intention of pushing her away, but this was something that he needed to prepare for.

“I can’t,” he muttered, rolling firmly on to his back.

Jamie tucked her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. The mood had changed, was no longer about sex and suddenly included a whole lot of stuff that Brett wasn’t ready to face. Gone was the fun, flirty vibe they’d had happening between them, replaced by a serious, we-need-to-talk session.

“You’ve never talked about…”

“And I don’t want to,” he said, voice firm as he interrupted her. There was no way he was going to start talking, not now. That he was going to ruin what had been an otherwise perfect evening by dredging up exactly how his skin had become so disfigured.

“Can we just pick up where we left off?”

“You don’t need to tell me, Brett, but let me see. Please?” she asked.

He shut his eyes, not wanting to get angry with this woman who’d been through so much, who he so genuinely cared about. Who was being so brave in another way that he knew must be beyond difficult for her. It shouldn’t be so impossibly hard, but it was. Opening up had always been difficult for him, yet he’d told her openly about the truth of his past, about his parents and how he still felt responsible for their deaths. This, though…this was different. The pain was too fresh.

“I’m embarrassed,” he admitted, opening his eyes and looking straight into hers. “I’m no longer the guy who can go to the beach and just take off his top without thinking about it. It’s not something you want to see or hear about. It’s not who I am. And it’s not how I want you to see me.”

Now it was Jamie shaking her head, telling him he was the one in the wrong. “No, Brett,” she told him, voice low and husky. “You are still that guy, because you’re still handsome and you’re still you. I don’t care what your skin looks like, but we can’t do this without you opening up to me. We can’t take this further if there’s any secrets between us.”

He knew he was being stupid, that there was no point in delaying the inevitable, but letting Jamie see what he’d been through, what he was still going through, was like giving up a piece of his soul that he’d never intended on letting anyone be witness to.

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