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She sounded so sure of herself that Jason felt one corner of his mouth twitch in amusement. “Oh yeah? And why do you think that?”
“Because you always do the right thing, no matter the cost to yourself.”
He stared at her. He’d done the right thing when he’d turned her away, and she would never know how much it had cost him.
“Unlike me,” she continued. “I was the one who left. I’m the only family he has, and I left him. What’s worse is that I did it for my own selfish reasons.”
Two days ago, Jason would have agreed with her. But seeing her misery, and the genuine regret in her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to criticize her. Instead, he tipped her chin up so that she was forced to look at him.
“None of this is your fault,” he assured her. “Chances are that even if you’d stayed in the area, you’d have had your own place, and your father still would have been alone that night. Or worse, you could have been living with your dad, and it might have been you who answered the door.” He stroked his thumb along the curve of her cheek. “The only blame is on the bastard who pulled the trigger. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this, Caroline, and your father wouldn’t want you blaming yourself.”
They gazed at each other, and Jason was aware of his own heartbeat, throbbing hard and heavy through his veins. She was looking at him as if he was her own personal hero, and he knew that if he didn’t release her, he was going to end up doing something he’d later regret.
“Jason,” she murmured and curled her fingers around his wrist. He still had her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and now she closed her eyes and pushed her cheek into his palm. “Even after all these years, I wonder...”
“What?” His voice sounded a little hoarse. “What do you wonder?”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him through her lashes, and the expression in those luminous blue depths sent a tidal wave of desire crashing over him.
“What it would be like to be with you...to hold you inside me,” she whispered.
He was way out of his depth, with no lifeline in sight, but he suddenly didn’t care. If this was what drowning was like, he’d die a happy man.
6
CAROLINE WANTED TO weep with relief when Jason gave a small groan of defeat and bent his head to cover her mouth with his own. Like the day before, the kiss was deep and carnal, and it sent a dark thrill of longing through her. He tasted like bourbon, and Caroline found herself leaning into him, inviting him to explore her more fully. He angled her face for better access, sliding his tongue past her teeth to lick the damp recesses of her mouth and feast on her lips.
Caroline moaned, and then he was scooping her onto his lap, so that her legs dangled over his thighs and his arms cradled her against his chest.
Pulling slightly away, Jason gazed down at her. “This is crazy.”
Winding her arms around his neck, Caroline pushed her fingers through his hair and drew his head back down until their lips were only fractionally apart. “Completely,” she agreed.
“You should probably go to bed,” Jason breathed.
“Yes, most definitely.”
She kissed him, a fusing of lips and tongues, and Jason groaned again, feeling his body tighten in response. She shifted on his lap, her supple bottom pressing into his arousal. Turning, Jason lay her down on the cushions of the sofa and eased himself down beside her without ever breaking the kiss. She murmured her approval and urged him closer.
She felt so good in his arms, and although there was a part of him that knew what he was doing was a bad idea, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. She arched against him, and he felt her tug the hem of his shirt up. When she smoothed her palms over his back and explored his skin, he pulled back enough to search her eyes.
“Are you sure about this?” His voice was a husky rasp.
She wet her lips, and her fingertips pressed into his spine, as if she was afraid he might try to leave. She kept her voice light, but Jason could hear an underlying tremor, as if she couldn’t quite conquer her own nerves.
“I’ve been trying to get you into bed for twelve years,” she said. “So, yes, I’m sure.”
