by Jessica Gray
Chapter 15
Pearl was terrified. She’d tried to keep the scar hidden by the blanket, hoping he’d look at her knee and then leave. But then he’d spied the end of the scar and pushed the blanket away. She felt like she’d been stripped raw and grabbed onto anger to try and deflect the hurt she knew was coming.
She didn’t want his pity, or feel like a victim. Or be reminded. That wasn’t who she was.
But instead of being horrified and leaving like she’d requested, he leaned forward and tugged softly at the blanket until she let if fall down with a sigh.
Oh my god. What will happen now?
She didn’t have to wait long for an answer, because Chase placed a tender kiss on the end of the scar, and slowly worked his way up to the top of her hip where it began.
His touch was so gentle. She closed her eyes both to hide from him, and to better savor the sensations he was creating in her body. The tingling of her skin. The brush of his hair against her leg…
She tensed, unpleasant memories trying to destroy the moment. Unpleasant ugly memories that had frightened her enough to last a lifetime. She didn’t want to let them control this situation. Not now.
Pearl reached down and pulled Chase up to fuse their lips together. She kissed him with all the pent up emotion from the last several days. He returned her kiss with the same passion and soon she wasn’t thinking anymore.
Her hands rubbed across his shoulders and down his back. She’d admired his muscles before, but getting her hands on him was pure heaven.
He slipped his hands beneath her hoodie and pulled it off her, built-in bra and all.
“Pearl. You’re so goddamn beautiful.” She could feel flushes of heat move over her skin at his rough voice filled with desire.
And he took full advantage of her bare state. His big calloused hands weighed her breasts, squeezing them and finding her nipples, which had already gone tight in anticipation of his touch.
His lips traced a path down her neck, feasting on her breasts while his hands journeyed south. When she tired of touching on top of his running shirt, she pulled at it until he backed off and pulled it over his head.
“Better?” he asked her with a warm and seductive voice.
Her answer came in the scratch of her nails down his back. His response was to pull her off the couch so that she straddled his legs. The position left her spread open for him, and her skimpy underwear were little protection from his searching fingertips.
He played her like an expert, taking her passion and arousal to a level she didn’t even know she was capable of. His hands ignited her body, and his finger left trails of burning flesh behind their path. A thousand ants crawled across her skin and heightened every one of her senses. Until he touched her left leg, and reminded her of…she tensed up and moved his hand away. This was too good to be spoiled by horrific memories.
Thankfully, Chase was a very thoughtful lover and after the second time she removed his hand from her leg, he carefully avoided touching that section altogether.
She reached between them and undid the tie holding his jogging pants up. Chase stopped kissing her breasts for a moment and stood up to shuck his shoes and his pants.
When he stood naked in front of her, she inhaled sharply, marveling at the expanse of tanned flesh she had at her disposal. She couldn’t wait to feel skin on skin, to press her body against his and feel him inside her.
He lifted her up, carrying her to the bedroom and laid her down gently on the comforter. His eyes darkened with desire and she could see his huge erection waiting for her.
But he wouldn’t hurry things. Instead, he pulled her ankles apart until she was spread-eagle in front of him and then lowered his body until he buried his head between her thighs.
His tongue reached her most sensitive spot and she thought she’d explode. She sucked in a breath when he licked and sucked her down there, while his hands wandered up to her breasts again.
“God, you taste fantastic.”
She was beyond words as he ramped up her desire once again. Touches here. Kisses there. Everywhere he ventured started a new blaze of need in her body.
When she was frantically holding on the edge, he paused for a slight moment and she moaned in dire need to have his lips on her core again. Her legs were shaking when he rubbed a finger over her folds. She gasped out his name as electrifying jolts burst through her.
His finger pressed hard circles until he thrust it deep inside her and took her sensitive spot between his lips again. She whimpered her pleasure and he whispered in an insanely seductive voice, “Come for me. Come for me now.”
His words, coupled with his mouth and tongue sent her over the edge. Her muscles clenched around his finger, her muscles convulsing under the force of her orgasm.
When she regained her breath, he kissed her one last time.
***
Chase was far from finished with her. He’d experienced the incredible pleasure of having the most beautiful woman in the world come apart in his arms. And now he wanted to feel her muscles tighten around him when she came again.
She clasped her hand around him, and he felt himself thicken even more. The pleasure of her caress was so intense, he had to grit his teeth in a feeble attempt to restrain himself.
“Pearl,” he barely could whisper her name. “Protection?”
“Top drawer of the nightstand.”
He reached over her and found what he was looking for. She took the condom out of his hand and sheathed him, stroking and rubbing his entire length.
Holy mother of all sexyness. If she continued like that, he’d explode before he could count to three. He took her hands into his, and then settled back over her body. He met eyes with her as he slowly made them one. When she closed her eyes, he nipped her chin, “Watch me, baby.”
She struggled to do as he requested, but finally he caught her gaze with his own and watched her eyes go dark with pleasure as he sank into her repeatedly. Her body was an open book for him to read and enjoy. He matched his rhythm to her moves and moans.
When a hundred marvelous sensations rushed through him, he could no longer hold back, and with one last deep thrust, she toppled off the precipice into bliss right alongside of him.
His breath was ragged and his body replete and for a moment, he worried that he’d gone too fast, but then she leaned up and kissed him tenderly. “That was awesome.”
She curled into his arms and sighed. Her body was no longer tense, and she was no longer fighting his touch. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift in the aftermath of pleasure. It had been a battle, but in the end, they had both won.
Chapter 16
Chase rubbed a hand up and down her back. She was soft and inviting, and all traces of the injured tiger she’d shown him before had disappeared.
“So, what do you like about high diving?”
He felt her smile against his chest. “What’s not to like? There’s adrenaline. The rush when you nail a difficult dive. The absolute control it takes to force yourself to jump off that platform.”
Her body tightened, as if she was in the midst of a dive. “You stand up there on the platform, look down and then you just let the body take over. The feeling of weightlessness. The rush. Then, when you have a great entry, the water rushes past your feet and up to your head. You can even hear the bubbles.
“It’s a crazy sensation. Just you and the water – the rest of the world ceases to exist and for a few short moments, there’s only eternal peace. Then, you swim up to the surface, hear the applause and come back to the world.”
“Sounds almost like kitesurfing.” He loved his sport and the adrenaline rush and the sense of danger lured him like a siren to keep competing. To go for bigger and better stunts. For the perfect jump. The weightlessness in the air and the perfect landing on the water. To control the power of the wind with his hands and his body.
One day he wanted to teach Pearl some basic kitesurfing. She’d love it. He pressed her
tighter against his body and felt his desire for her rising again. He couldn’t get enough of that woman.
“So how does your leg come into play with diving?”
“You mean how important is it?”
Chase nodded. “Yeah. Can you dive if it’s not one hundred percent?”
“No. Not from the 66-feet-platform.” She explained the need to have her legs perfectly straight as she entered the water and what could happen if they were bent just the slightest bit.
“Why don’t you go head first? With your arms above your head? That’s what I’ve seen on television.”
She chuckled against his chest and her breath tickled his skin. A warm and welcome tickle that spread from his chest across his body and deep into his soul.
“That’s done from the lower platforms. Hitting the water after falling sixty-six feet hurts. And shoulders can only take so much abuse and then that’s it. In competition only feet-first dives are allowed for that very reason.”
His hand trailed down her back and cupped her ass, his imagination going wild.
“Tell me about the perfect dive.”
She described the feeling that comes over her as she takes her place upon the platform. How everything fades away except the beating of her own heart. “It’s a feeling like no other. It’s freedom. And when every muscle is where I need it to be, it’s like something snaps and I’m falling and twisting, and then plunging into the cool water.”
Chase heard the enthusiasm in her voice. “You really love it, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He felt such a deep connection to her. It almost tore him apart. He didn’t have words for this feeling. It was new, strange, and wonderful. With his arms wrapped tightly around her, he kissed the top of her head.
Pearl relaxed into his arms and molded her soft curves against his hard body. It was like paradise, and she wished they could stay like this forever.
But he had to know one more thing. It bugged the hell out of him and he just had to know.
“So, your leg. What kind of training were you doing when…?”
Her body tensed for a split second before she frantically shoved herself out of his arms, reaching for a blanket and wrapping it around herself. “We’re done here. Get out!”
Chase’s jaw fell open. He had known he was venturing into dangerous territory with that question, but this had in no way prepared him for her reaction.
“Pearl. Darling. Please, calm down. Come back here and talk to me.”
“No.” She edged further away from him, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around her body and pointed towards the bedroom door with open terror in her eyes. “Leave. Now.”
After what they had just shared, she was throwing him out. Again. He couldn’t believe it. Volatile didn’t even come close to describing this woman.
“Pearl. Please, listen to me. I don’t know what your deal is with the leg and your injury, but I asked because I care.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t ask you to care. Now leave.” Her face had taken on a dark and unapproachable expression, her voice high-pitched.
Chase leaped from the bed, wanting to grab her and shake some sense into her, but that would solve nothing and probably only make matters worse.
He shook his head at her and left. He wanted her more than anything in the world, but if she changed her mind, he wouldn’t force himself upon her.
***
Pearl waited until she heard the front door close and sank down on the edge of the bed. Tears streamed down her face. She already missed Chase. But he had left, because she hadn’t given him any other choice.
Why did he have to ask about my injury? Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?
She’d never told anyone how the injury occurred. Ever. And he would be the last person she’d choose to tell. There was no way she could manage the pity she knew she would see in his eyes every time he looked at her.
Everyone believed it was a training accident. That’s what she had announced.
But it wasn’t. She had been attacked. Plain and simple. Something she didn’t want anyone to know. Pearl Davids was a strong woman, not a victim.
Since the accident and her urge to hide what happened, she’d told many half-truths and she started to hate the maze of lies she had entangled herself in.
The treatment at the hospital in Milwaukee. Yes, Dr. Kane was a great knee surgeon, but she could have gotten the same care back home in North Carolina. If she had wanted to run the risk of meeting an acquaintance, who might ask questions about her injury…no, not possible.
Her public image was at stake here. Pearl had always presented herself as a strong, independent athlete. Weakness of any kind didn’t fit into that picture.
Being a victim was weakness. In some part of her subconscious, she even believed it was her fault she got attacked. She should have been stronger, fought back, or – dammit – done something. Anything.
Pearl unwrapped the blanket around her, dragged herself into the shower and then crawled onto the couch, too tired to change the sheets, and her emotions too raw to sleep on the bed where she and Chase had made love.
The next morning, she went to the hospital for her therapy session. Doctor Kane looked at her knee and while he gave her a concerned look, he told her that apart from a small cut into the wound, she hadn’t re-injured her knee.
The work with her therapist was a welcome distraction from her gyrating thoughts about Chase. It was afternoon when she arrived at the beach, ready for a workout and the inner peace that always settled her mind when she reached the runner’s high.
Not today though.
Without Chase, the beach felt empty. Her life felt empty.
Last night had been the third time she’d dumped him, and it dawned on her she might not ever see him again.
Short of sobbing, she pushed herself to run faster and faster, hoping the physical exertion would help drown out the guilt and utter loneliness.
When that didn’t work, and her lungs wouldn’t provide the oxygen to run even faster, she had to acknowledge the futility in her attempt and slowed her pace.
After some stretching exercises, she walked up to a huge rock on the beach and sat down there to stare at the water. Grey like her eyes. Like her heart.
Normally, the water was her friend. Not today. It reminded her of Chase. The memory of the night before haunted her. She’d destroyed whatever feelings he might have had for her. She’d lost him forever. She saw it in his eyes as he left. And there was nothing she could do to fix it.
Things had ended on such a bad note last night, she could never expect him to forgive her. She couldn’t forgive herself.
In hindsight, it was crystal clear she had completely overreacted. Like a frantic maniac. Which she probably was. Why did he have to push for answers to questions she’d never dealt with? Questions she was too scared to face. It was better to pretend “the incident” had never happened. Once the scar was gone, there would be nothing left to remind her of the most terrorizing moments in her life.
She’d be free again. Free from the memories. And that freedom was worth more than being with a man. Even if the man was Chase Paxton. She’d forget him.
Still, her body longed with every cell for Chase’s touch. It was the first time her body wouldn’t obey the commands of her brain. And it worried her to death.
What would happen if she stood up there on the platform and her body decided to ignore the commands of her brain?
No, this had to end. And soon.
Chapter 17
Chase woke up with a tight knot in his stomach. She threw me out again. How dare she!
The sex with Pearl had been off the charts great, despite her tension, and how she’d not allowed him to touch her left thigh. It was one thing being self-conscious about a scar, but a totally different story to react the way she had. There must be much more to her scar than she was willing to share.
What had gotten to him wasn’t the lovemaking, but the
deep connection he’d felt to her. This was highly unusual for him. Since when did he connect with a woman on more than a physical basis?
When they’d talked about her motivation and her diving, she’d opened up to him in a way that had twisted his insides. Both of them were kneaded from the same dough.
Her motivation to be a high diver reflected his very motivation to be a kitesurfer. His admiration for her had grown as she discussed her training and the absolute control a diver needed to have. She was so tough, and so strong-willed.
Pearl had the rare mind-set of a champion, and he had no doubts about her competing this season – and winning.
His heart ached at the memory of her. In her eyes, he’d seen a dark secret looming. Something that terrified her up to the point to totally freak out. Like she did when she’d thrown him out. Again.
Chase wanted to help her, take her fear away, but he had no idea how. By now, he knew her well enough to acknowledge that she was too stubborn to listen to him.
If they got back together, it had to happen on her terms. She’d have to come to him, not the other way around.
And that was the crux of the problem. She’d made it very clear she wanted him out of her life. Forever. He wouldn’t force himself back into her life. That just wasn’t his style.
Hell, none of this was his style.
He shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could scrub the memory of her off as easily.
With a heavy feeling, he rolled out of bed, and trotted downstairs into the kitchen. While shoving some leftover food into the microwave, he eyed the phone, and decided on a whim to call the airline and move up his trip back home to the Outer Banks.
Initially, he’d planned to stay another week, but with Pearl torn from his life, there was nothing keeping him in Sandy Beach, and the sooner he got out of here, the better. He could forget about her and start training for the summer season. It was a few weeks early, but extra training never hurt anyone.
When he hung up the phone, he had secured a flight home that same night.
