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“No. I’ve never been spanked.”
Jade was young. She was short on experience and that apparently had a lot to do with her lack of exposure.
Kellan kissed her. “I like the sound of never.”
“I’ve never been in a relationship.”
“Why is that?” Reason asked, leaving the sitting area and eyeing the bed. He could already imagine Jade lying there, stretched out before them, willing and ready.
She bowed her head even lower. “I’m ex-Amish.”
“What?” Now it was Reason’s turn to acknowledge a little angst. “Since when?”
“You did not just ask her that,” Kellan said, shaking his head.
Yeah, he’d had a slip of tongue there but she’d caught him off guard. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Kellan backed away from her as if he were afraid to touch her. Apparently, he had a delayed reaction to what this all meant. Depending on how long she’d lived in the “English” world, there was a very strong possibility that she would return to her roots.
As if his desertion offended her, Jade said, “I hate to tell you this, Kellan, but considering what we’ve already done, it’s a little too late to worry about sinning with me.”
“She’s right,” Reason said, resisting a laugh.
Kellan narrowed his eyes. “You should’ve said something.”
While Kellan and Jade stared at one another, speechless, Reason sent a text to Madden: Check Jade’s background again. She may very well be the mole. She’s claiming she’s ex-Amish.
Madden fired one right back: She’s shooting straight with you. She IS ex-Amish. We’ll talk later. Don’t let her out of your sight.
“Don’t have anything to say?” Kellan pressed. “You don’t feel like you owe me an explanation?”
“Why would I?” Her expression changed and a new side of Jade emerged. She flashed signs of a controlled temper as her cheeks turned pink. “Would you have slept next to me if you’d known I’d never been touched? Would you have asked me to take off my clothes? Would you have gone down on me?” She shook her head rapidly. “No. You would’ve handled me with kid gloves and even then you would’ve shunned me. I walked away from a way of life, not my beliefs. It wasn’t a choice I debated in the heat of anger. I’ve known since I was a little girl that one day I’d walk into the English world and leave the Amish behind.
“Now you can take me as I am, or you can turn on me. I’m proud of my heritage but more importantly, I’m excited about where I’m headed.”
“You ain’t the only one,” Reason muttered.
Kellan frowned. “You don’t work for Baldini?”
“She’s been cleared,” Reason said. “I double-checked with Madden.”
“What? Are you out of your mind?” She stomped to the door, apparently hell bent on leaving.
Before she gripped the handle, Kellan was there. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home.” She glared at him then as if she were ready to strike. “You think I work for Nory’s father?”
“Um, as soon as she said, ‘ex-Amish’, Kellan, you should’ve put that other idea to rest.”
“And you thought so, too?” She turned on Reason. “I’m Nory’s friend. I enjoy being around her. We have a lot in common.”
“I can see that,” Reason admitted, wishing he would’ve asked questions long before now.
“What have I done to make you feel this way?”
“Someone gave up intelligence on Nory,” Kellan explained. “Madden thinks it was a local cop and I’m just making sure he’s right.”
“It wasn’t me,” she said, her expression telling. “I love Nory. We’re both running from something and while it’s different, it’s also the same. We can’t escape our pasts.”
