Til Death Do Us Part by Beverly Barton Page B

on me.”
    â€œThe bastard!” J.T. clasped her shoulders gently. Dear God, she was sprung so tight she was close to the breaking point. He was afraid that if she broke, she would fly into a million pieces. “You’re better off without him, honey.”
    â€œYes, I know.” She wished J.T. hadn’t touched her. Wished that his touch wasn’t so firm and yet so gentle. Wished that his touch didn’t make her want to lean back against his chest and have him surround her with his strong arms. “But Todd’s desertion only made things worse for me. If I couldn’t trust the man who had professed to love me, who had asked me to be his wife, who could I ever trust?”
    â€œYou can trust me, Jo.” J.T. ran his big hands from her shoulders to her elbows and back up again, soothing her, his touch strong, gentle and nonthreatening. “Trust me with your life.”
    She shivered in his arms, the involuntary movement relieving some of the tension coiled so tightly inside her.More than anything, she wanted to trust J.T., but she wasn’t sure she could.
    â€œI don’t want you to have another bodyguard sent from Atlanta.” She leaned backward, allowing her body to just barely touch his. “I want you to stay in Trinidad and…I want you to protect me, J.T.” She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I promise that I’ll try to trust you.”
    J.T. lowered his head, bringing his lips close to her ear. “And I promise I’ll do everything possible to earn your trust.”
    Closing her eyes, Joanna pressed her shoulders into his chest, tilting her head back to rest against him. “I’m scared. I’m very scared.”
    â€œI’ll keep you safe,” he vowed. “We’ll stay here on the ranch and I’ll make certain someone is with you at all times, until Plott is captured and sent back to prison.”
    â€œBut what if—”
    â€œIf by some chance he finds out where you are and comes after you before he’s caught, then I’ll stay at your side night and day. And if he comes near you, I’ll kill him.”
    â€œOh, J.T., you can’t imagine what it was like for me that night.” Opening her eyes, she glanced over at his big hand caressing her arm. “And afterward…at the trial, when…when I had to tell all about what he’d done to me.”
    â€œHush, honey. Don’t talk about it. Don’t remember.” Dear God in heaven, he didn’t think he could bear to hear any of the details. Knowing only the basic facts was enough to make him crazy. Learning that some sick pervert had forced himself on Joanna made J.T. want to hunt the bastard down and castrate him.
    â€œIt wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t! Maybe I should have fought harder. Maybe I should have just let him slit my throat with his knife.” Tremors racked Joanna’s body.“Todd blamed me. He—he thought I could have prevented it, somehow. He couldn’t even bear to look at me—afterward. That made me feel as dirty as I had right after the rape.”
    â€œAny man who truly loved a woman would never blame her,” J.T. said. “What happened to you was Lenny Plott’s fault. His and no one else’s. I promise you that if it’s necessary, I’ll move heaven and earth to make sure he never hurts you again.”
    Breathing in the sweet, clean scent of Joanna, J.T. buried his face in her hair that hung loosely about her neck. He kissed her on the temple, then wrapped his arms around her and held her close against his chest. She didn’t resist. They stood there on her porch for a long time, J.T.’s arms draped around her, cocooning her from the world. Protectively. Caringly. Possessively.

CHAPTER FIVE
    J OANNA WASN’T SURE what had been the most difficult adjustment in the five days since her mother’s phone call. Having to deal with painful