by Jenna Jacob
Sky Of Dreams
Passionate Hearts, Book 1
Jenna Jacob
Sky Of Dreams
Passionate Hearts, Book 1
Jenna Jacob
Published by Jenna Jacob
Copyright 2015 Dream Words, LLC
Edited by: Blue Otter Editing, LLC
Cover Art by: Dee Allen
ePub ISBN 978-0-9864306-1-9
Print ISBN 978-0-9864306-8-8
If you have purchased a copy of this eBook, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book. This purchase allows you one legal copy for your own personal reading enjoyment on your personal computer or device. You do not have the rights to resell, distribute, print, or transfer this book, in whole or in part, to anyone, in any format, via methods either currently known or yet to be invented, or upload to a file sharing peer-to-peer program. It may not be resold or given away to other people. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. If you no longer want this book, you may not give your copy to someone else. Delete it from your computer. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
Sky Of Dreams
Kaitlin Grant lost her spine. She isn’t a slug—but her abusive ex-lover and business partner is. Broken and bruised, she escapes to the safe haven of Connor, Iowa, to resurrect her self-confidence. But Kaitlin doesn’t anticipate the potent electricity still sizzling between her and Sky Whitefeather—the swarthy Native American man she left years ago.
Returning home from Iraq with a daughter and an unforgivable secret, Sky tries to bury the past, until Katie—the girl who annihilated his heart—returns to town. The irresistible woman stirs up emotions he longs to forget and rekindles desires that might burn him alive.
Can new love grow from the ashes of their past, or will a trail of death and betrayal destroy their dreams?
Dedicated to my great-grandparents
Jacob Bartlett “Bart” & Elizabeth Ione St. Clair
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COMING SOON
OTHER TITLES AVAILABLE
CHAPTER ONE
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
-Anais Nin
Kaitlin Grant’s hands trembled as she shoved more clothes into the overflowing suitcases strewn across her bed. The same bed she’d shared with Doug McCarthy for the past twelve years—until six months ago. That was when she’d installed a steel bar to barricade herself inside her room at night to keep the abusive asshole out. With an inward curse, she wished she had remembered to close the door and draw the metal guard before she packed her things. But Kaitlin hadn’t expected Doug to follow her home. The bastard should have stayed at Grant-McCarthy Advertising—the company they owned—to put out the fire of gossip he’d started an hour ago. Unfortunately, the son of a bitch stood at the foot of her bed, clenching and unclenching his fists as he silently watched her.
Well aware of the palpable fury sizzling off her ex-lover’s body, Kaitlin eyed him warily and mentally counted down the seconds until Doug lost the tenuous grip on his self-control and snapped. Her heart pounded in a steady staccato. The window of opportunity was closing fast. After zipping the suitcases closed, she glanced at her purse on the bed. A glimmer of hope fluttered through her. If Kaitlin could make it out the front door alive, she might find a way to mend the shattered pieces inside her.
“Packed and ready to leave, huh? And just where the hell do you think you’re going?” Doug snarled, inching in close behind her.
Kaitlin closed her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. Rage and fear, like living things, pulsed in the air between them. His vile breath puffed over the back of her neck in short, uneven bursts. Kaitlin’s mind filled with repulsive and terrifying memories of six months earlier and that fateful New Year’s Eve when she’d endured Doug’s abuse.
She could still feel his powerful fingers as he squeezed her throat. Remembered how she’d struggled to draw in the tiny bit of air that seeped into her lungs. Remembered the blood leaking from the wound on her scalp—the aftermath of Doug slamming her head against the bedframe—and how the sticky redness blurred her vision. The pain from the bite marks he’d scored into her breasts had burned like fire as blood trickled down her sides and onto the soft sheets beneath her. It had taken days for the copper taste to wane from her tongue after he had punched her in the mouth several times. But none of her injuries had compared to the brutal damage done to her anus and vagina from his relentless sexual assault. It’d taken weeks for her to heal.
Bile rose in the back of her throat, and Kaitlin forced it down between clenched teeth as she zeroed in on her purse. The gun concealed inside brought a great deal of comfort to her. Doug had no idea she was armed or that she’d taken lessons both on shooting the weapon and in self-defense. Kaitlin vowed to never become a victim again. She had the ultimate power now and had no reason to hold her tongue.
“As far away from you as possible,” she hissed.
Doug gripped her elbow, pinching the muscles and tendons with a painful squeeze. Kaitlin gasped as the pain sliced up her arm while he spun her to face him. He was physically stronger, and with little effort, he pinned her to the wall. His face was distorted in rage, but all she could focus on were the dull, lifeless clouds of madness that swam in his eyes.
With the gun out of reach, Kaitlin tried to tame the fear coursing through her veins. She’d known one day he’d try to hurt her again. She’d played this exact scenario over in her head a million times. As long as she kept her panic under control, she would win Doug’s demented game because this time she had a plan.
“In your dreams, bitch,” he barked. “You take one step out that door and I’ll make it my life’s mission to hunt you down and gut you…bleed you out like a fucking animal. Do you hear me?”
Hate danced in his muddy brown eyes as he reached up and wrapped a hand around her throat. Terror blossomed in every cell of Kaitlin’s body as memories of the night he raped her flashed through her brain. She forced herself to rise above the dread by slowly and methodically walking herself through each strategic step in her mind.
Doug leaned in close, pressing his body against hers. He reeked of a mixture of bitter scotch and the signature cologne of Madeline Christopher, the lead client of Grant-McCarthy Advertising. Kaitlin wanted to gag and nearly did when Doug slammed his lips over hers in a forceful, callous kiss. There wasn’t a hint of tenderness or love—if what they’d shared had ever been love—as his teeth smashed against her lips. Kaitlin tasted blood…her own.
He pushed his tongue into her mouth and slithered it back and forth like a slippery eel while he ground his half-limp cock against her.
Kaitlin repressed the urge to vomit, and with a powerful sh
ove, she tried to pitch him off her, but Doug held her even more firmly against the wall. Her rage won over fear, and Kaitlin twisted her mouth from his with a jerk of her head.
“Get the fuck off of me,” she cried.
“Yeah. That’s better. It makes me hard when you fight. I like that.” His menacing growl vibrated through her body. “Come on. Struggle some more. It’ll make fucking your miserable cunt more fun.”
Kaitlin issued an internal scream. Doug wanted her to fight him, to cower in fear and let him overpower her. The hell I will. She wasn’t about to give in to his sick, perverted fantasies or allow him the power over her. Instead, she forced her body to fall lax.
Doug bent and latched on to her neck before nursing on her like a hideous suckerfish. Kaitlin cried out in humiliation and dread, then quickly pinched her lips together. It would only get worse if she showed him her fear.
“That’s it,” Doug moaned. “I’m going to fuck that superior attitude you constantly flaunt in my face out of you. You’re not leaving me, because I won’t let you.”
As he drove a knee between her legs, Kaitlin’s skirt rode up high, exposing the bare flesh of her thighs. With a grunt, Doug forced her feet apart, spreading her even wider.
“I said get off of me,” she growled between clenched teeth.
“Oh, I’m going to get off, all right…get off in every hole you’ve got. You used to be a decent fuck, but then you turned into a pretentious snatch. You’re not so high and mighty like this, are you? Who’s the superior one now, Kaitlin?” Doug chided. “You’re nothing. Nothing but a lousy come whore. Looks like I need to put you in your place again. But this time, I’m going to be a lot rougher on you. Are you ready for me, slut?”
Doug yanked open the front of her blouse, sending tiny pearl buttons to ping across the hardwood floor. With a snarl, he sank his teeth into the plump flesh spilling from the top of her bra. Pain burst through her like a fiery ribbon, and a scream tore from the back of her throat.
Kaitlin raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped Doug across the face. A red imprint of her fingers instantly materialized over his cheek and filled her with satisfaction.
“You fucking cunt. That’ll cost you big,” he roared.
Gathering both her wrists with one hand, Doug jerked her arms high above her head, pinning them to the wall. With his other hand, he ripped her bra down and exposed both her breasts. Kaitlin’s nipples drew tight and hard, not in arousal but in fear. As if fascinated at the angry welt he’d left on her white flesh, Doug stared at the spot and licked his lips. She balled her hands into fists, ready to break free and punch him in the jaw. Before she could execute her plan, Doug leaned down and gnashed a nipple between his teeth. She swallowed down the scream that yearned to break free. He turned his head and spat out the blood he’d drawn while Kaitlin stared at the pearl of crimson that swelled and dripped onto the carpet.
Her nostrils flared as she panted through the pain while Doug reached beneath her skirt and ripped the lace thong from between her legs. He held the scrap of black fabric to her face as a demented jeer twisted his lips.
“Who are you wearing these for?” His eyes were glazed, wild with jealousy.
“Not you,” she replied with a defiant raise of her chin.
“They’re for me now, cunt.”
With a smarmy grin, Doug rubbed the thong over his crotch, then dropped her undergarment to unzip his trousers. The snick of metal against metal was music to Kaitlin’s ears. This was what she’d been waiting for. The moment when Doug was certain he had her helpless and at his mercy.
Gathering all the strength she could muster, Kaitlin ripped free of his grasp. She reached out and gripped Doug by the ears before shoving his head down while she launched her knee upward, driving the bony joint into his forehead. His squeal of anguish mixed with surprise filled the room. Kaitlin quickly released his head only to slam her knee mercilessly into his crotch. The air exploded from his lungs, and Doug doubled over before dropping to the floor with a mighty thud.
While he writhed and cursed, Kaitlin jumped over his body and snatched the gun from her purse. She curled her slender hand around the grip as she slid her finger over the trigger before raising the muzzle and aiming it at Doug’s head.
“You crazy fucking bitch,” he choked as he lifted his chin to look at her. Hatred blazed in his eyes, until he spied the gun. His expression quickly morphed into absolute shock. “What the fuck? Where did you get that?”
“Get out.”
A lecherous smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. “Go ahead. Shoot me. After what happened today, everyone will think you did it for revenge.”
Anger pressed in all around her. Kaitlin clenched her jaw. The prick was right. She couldn’t kill him. Not now. There’d been too many witnesses at the office. If she pulled the trigger, no jury in the world would believe a plea of self-defense, but oh, how she wanted to squeeze the flange of metal beneath her finger.
“I’m leaving and you’re not going to stop me,” she hissed.
“Ms. Grant?”
From the corner of her eye, Kaitlin spied the large shadow of Robert, her butler, hovering in the doorway. She recognized his voice but kept the gun pointed at Doug—steady and calm. With her free hand, she covered her exposed breast. The material rubbed against her damaged flesh, and she bit back a curse.
“Don’t kill him, Ms. Grant. He’s not worth you spending the rest of your life in jail over.”
“He’s not worth much of anything, Robert. I’m leaving, but if he tries to stop me, I’ll take my chances in jail.”
“You’re the worthless one, you stupid whore,” Doug snarled, pinning her with a hateful glare.
The fury rolling off him left no doubt he longed to beat her to death.
“Shall I call the police?” Fear, thick and heavy, coated Robert’s words.
“Not unless he tries to hurt me again. Then you can call to report a murder,” Kaitlin replied in a voice as cold as ice.
Doug’s eyes grew even wider as he rose from the floor. Staggering toward the door, he stopped and turned. A vicious smirk curled his lips.
“Go ahead. Leave,” he scoffed. “I’ll find you. It won’t be hard. And when I do—”
“And when you do, I’ll kill you. It won’t be hard,” Kaitlin replied in a dispassionate promise.
Pushing past Robert, she heard Doug head down the hall. With a heavy sigh, Kaitlin flopped on the edge of the bed and laid the gun in her lap. She swallowed the lump of fear lodged in her throat as Robert rounded the frame.
As he knelt front of her, fear reflected in his eyes. “Are you all right?” Like a protective father, he gently pulled the edges of her blouse together before darting a nervous glance toward the door. “Should I call the police, now?”
“No. No police.” The quiver in her voice revealed the depth of terror she’d managed to hide from Doug. Shivers racked her body, and Kaitlin wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to stop them. “I need your help to get out of here.”
“Of course. Do you want me to drive you someplace safe?” Robert gallantly offered.
“Thank you, but no. I know where I’m going, but I have to leave now.”
“I’ll have your car brought around while you change.”
Robert turned to give her privacy but didn’t leave the room. Instead, he pulled out his cell phone as Kaitlin grabbed some clean clothes from her suitcase and stepped into the bathroom. After bandaging her throbbing nipple, she dressed before returning to the bedroom. Robert waited, holding her luggage.
She followed him as he turned toward the staircase, catching a glimpse of Doug’s angry face as he paced at the end of the hall. Robert shielded her with his ample body, trailing behind her as she hurried down the stairs. Kaitlin couldn’t stop herself from glancing over her shoulder making sure Doug didn’t decide to follow. Thankfully, he remained at the top of the stairs. She was still safe, though the venomous expression covering his face promised r
etribution. An icy foreboding sluiced through her veins, but she focused on the front door and the freedom offered on the other side.
“What about the agency, Kaitlin?” Doug taunted in a caustic tone. “We’re partners or have you forgotten? Are you planning on running out on the clients as well?”
Walking away from Grant-McCarthy—the Fortune 500 company she and Doug had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into for the past nine years—felt as if she were severing an artery. Quitting…giving up on anything felt foreign, but Doug had left her no choice. She couldn’t stay with the monster a minute longer. Kaitlin knew she would mourn her decision to desert her clients. The agency meant as much to her as a child—a child she and Doug had never conceived—thank god. It was bad enough she’d had to watch his slow slide to insanity. She couldn’t imagine subjecting a child to his increasing violent and irrational behavior. Still, she would miss what they’d built…miss the days when success had mattered.
Images of those early years flashed through her brain. Working into the night, eating greasy fast-food burgers and cold fries. How they’d laughed, loved, and shared mutual respect for one another. Her reminiscence left a sour taste on her tongue and a queasy churning in the pit of her stomach.
Pining over blissful memories served no purpose. Neither did anger, fear, nor regret. Yet they’d been her emotional sustenance for months. And now the fact that Kaitlin planned to tuck her tail between her legs and run back home left her drowning in a sea of failure. But there wasn’t anyplace else the frightened child inside her longed to go. She ached to be nestled in the safe, loving arms of the woman who’d raised her…understood her: Gran.
“You can buy me out,” Kaitlin called over her shoulder. Without a backward glance, she stomped across the Italian marble floor. “I’ll have my lawyer contact you.”
She wrapped her hand around the cold brass knob of the door. “I demand to know where you’re going,” Doug thundered.
