on me.â
âThe bastard!â 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. âYouâre better off without him, honey.â
âYes, I know.â She wished J.T. hadnât touched her. Wished that his touch wasnât so firm and yet so gentle. Wished that his touch didnât make her want to lean back against his chest and have him surround her with his strong arms. âBut Toddâs desertion only made things worse for me. If I couldnât trust the man who had professed to love me, who had asked me to be his wife, who could I ever trust?â
âYou can trust me, Jo.â J.T. ran his big hands from her shoulders to her elbows and back up again, soothing her, his touch strong, gentle and nonthreatening. âTrust me with your life.â
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 wasnât sure she could.
âI donât want you to have another bodyguard sent from Atlanta.â She leaned backward, allowing her body to just barely touch his. âI want you to stay in Trinidad andâ¦I want you to protect me, J.T.â She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. âI promise that Iâll try to trust you.â
J.T. lowered his head, bringing his lips close to her ear. âAnd I promise Iâll do everything possible to earn your trust.â
Closing her eyes, Joanna pressed her shoulders into his chest, tilting her head back to rest against him. âIâm scared. Iâm very scared.â
âIâll keep you safe,â he vowed. âWeâll stay here on the ranch and Iâll make certain someone is with you at all times, until Plott is captured and sent back to prison.â
âBut what ifââ
âIf by some chance he finds out where you are and comes after you before heâs caught, then Iâll stay at your side night and day. And if he comes near you, Iâll kill him.â
âOh, J.T., you canât imagine what it was like for me that night.â Opening her eyes, she glanced over at his big hand caressing her arm. âAnd afterwardâ¦at the trial, whenâ¦when I had to tell all about what heâd done to me.â
âHush, honey. Donât talk about it. Donât remember.â Dear God in heaven, he didnât 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.
âIt wasnât my fault. It wasnât! Maybe I should have fought harder. Maybe I should have just let him slit my throat with his knife.â Tremors racked Joannaâs body.âTodd blamed me. Heâhe thought I could have prevented it, somehow. He couldnât even bear to look at meâafterward. That made me feel as dirty as I had right after the rape.â
âAny man who truly loved a woman would never blame her,â J.T. said. âWhat happened to you was Lenny Plottâs fault. His and no one elseâs. I promise you that if itâs necessary, Iâll move heaven and earth to make sure he never hurts you again.â
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 didnât resist. They stood there on her porch for a long time, J.T.âs arms draped around her, cocooning her from the world. Protectively. Caringly. Possessively.
CHAPTER FIVE
J OANNA WASNâT SURE what had been the most difficult adjustment in the five days since her motherâs phone call. Having to deal with painful
Tim Curran, Cody Goodfellow, Gary McMahon, C.J. Henderson, William Meikle, T.E. Grau, Laurel Halbany, Christine Morgan, Edward Morris