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He pinned her body and angled her ass higher. Trapped in her heated stare he unleashed his strength onto her. Being inside her, coated in her moisture, an all-consuming passion overwhelmed him. He needed to take her in the most primal manner he could. He desired to own her, possess her soul, and make her body feel so good under his touch. His muscles burned and sweat coated his flesh as she went into a frenzy of pleasure beneath him.
A minute later, they both broke wide open.
When he came, no sound escaped through his lips and she had stayed silent, too. He stared into teary eyes that portrayed what he’d seen that first night. Her expression was longing and pained.
His heart twisted.
Remaining inside her, he flipped their positions. Once on his back, he wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed against his chest. Why won’t you share what’s wrong? Her soft sniffles and the moisture dripping onto his chest cracked something dead inside him.
You’ve held her before.
But no … never like this.
Chapter Eighteen
Wednesday came and went with Aidan dropping Cora off at home to do what she had planned on her days off—grocery-shop, clean the house, and veg on the couch. They hadn’t discussed her tears the night earlier, and Cora was glad. When they had woken in the tent, Aidan had returned to being his same old distant self.
He seemed happy and at ease, comfortable with her. Yet he looked at her as a friend, and that hadn’t been what she wanted. Not in the least. While she had told herself not to hope that he was finally facing life with eyes open, the second he smiled at her that morning all she saw was his pain.
Aidan didn’t wrap his arms around her and say, I’m never letting you go.
Nothing had changed.
By Thursday morning, Cora felt a little off-kilter. Even a telephone call from Presley asking about her camping trip hadn’t helped her recover. Something inside of Cora had changed that night with him. Though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, all she knew was that she felt … different.
A little unsteady and emotional.
On Friday afternoon and in her office, she carefully dropped down on the polka-dot pillow. Over the rim of her coffee mug, Cora studied the four sixteen-year-olds sitting in a small circle.
Amanda, the petite strawberry blonde, said, “I told my parents yesterday that I’ve had sex.”
Cora sipped her vanilla mocha. “I’m glad you did that, Amanda. How did they take it?”
Her cheeks burned bright red. “Dad was angry and started yelling, but then Mom came to my room later …” She hesitated, picking on her blue jean flint. “She told me about her first time, and that it was around my age.” Amanda lifted her head and gave a small smile. “It was nice, you know … talking to her like that.”
Cora grinned. “I’m really proud of you. Talking to your parents about stuff is tough, but it’s good you were brave and honest.” The moment the words left her mouth, a wave of sickness washed over her. She gave advice that she wasn’t doing herself.
Hypocritical much, Cora?
She turned to the brunette wearing the Lady Gaga T-shirt. Tammy had arrived at the clinic after tumbling into a life of marijuana and alcohol. “And your week, Tammy, how did it go?”
Her green eyes softened with her shrug. “Not so bad. I went to every class this week, but I’m not ready to go there.” She shook her head, scrunching up her nose. “You know, to talk to the ’rents about stuff.”
“That’s all right.” Cora looked to the other two girls in the group. “You don’t need to rush yourselves. Remember, though, your parents brought you here because they care about you and want to understand what’s going on in your lives.” She lowered her coffee cup, balancing it onto her crossed legs. “For now, you have us to talk to, right?”
Tammy peeked up at Cora through her long lashes. “Yep.”
Amanda shifted the pillows at her back, curling up like a little cat in the sun, making her appear the young teen she was. Some of the teens in her group seemed so grown-up and wise. Amanda’s eyes twinkled at Cora. “What about you? Did you have anything exciting happen this week?”
Cora wondered when this would come up. She shared as much as she could with the teens she counseled. It got them talking, broke down barriers to gain their trust. “I actually went camping with a boy.”
The girls giggled, and Katy, the sweet blonde with giant curls, asked, “Was he cute?”
Cora nodded. “Very cute.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Nicole, the most recent addition to the group, asked.
Cora’s throat thickened. As it had the night she and Aidan had been intimate, her strength crumbled. There in his arms, touched by him so sweetly, a flood of emotions had changed everything.
