A Summer in Paradise by Tianna Xander

Nonsense, Pearl. Look at
you.” Duncan waved his hand in the direction of Paradise. “You had
the good sense to leave Paradise when you did. You left before
anyone had a chance to use you the way they used women
then.”
    “ No!” She shook her head and
covered her ears as though she couldn’t bear to hear what more
Duncan had to say. “You’re wrong. I didn’t leave in time. Not for
me. I left in time for Crystal and I thank God every day for that,
but I didn’t leave in time for me.”
    She wrapped her arms around her middle
and hunched over as though the pain of remembrance was just too
great to bear.
    “ I didn’t make Gemma come
with me.” Her words became little more than hiccups as she
continued to try to explain. “I tried to get her to come with me,
but she wouldn’t leave and I was too much of a coward to
stay.”
    Jarrod felt his beast surging forward,
trying to break free as she bared her soul to them. How could this
brave woman sit here and blame herself for the things that happened
to her as a child? How could she accept the responsibility for not
forcing her older sister to leave with her?
    He growled with the voice of his jaguar
while Duncan did the same. “Who touched you, Pearl?” Fur sprouted
along his arms as he stood in the shadow of the building. People
came and went from the building, none of them noticing him as he
stood there almost more animal than man.
    “ It—it doesn’t matter now.”
She shook her head without meeting his gaze. “All that matters is
that you two know that I’m defective. I don’t have the least bit of
survival instinct.” She laughed, mirthlessly. “If I did, I would
never have even said hello, to that jerk, Glenn.”
    She didn’t add that she wouldn’t have
spied on two shifters sunbathing at the lake when she knew what
other shifters would do to her. She didn’t have to. Her shame and
sorrow were written on her face.
    “ I’m so ashamed. I should
have—”
    “ You should have what,
Pearl?” Jarrod moved quickly, gathering her into his arms. “You
should have known they were out of their minds? You should have
left your loved ones sooner?” He shook his head. “What should you
have done, Pearl?” His eyes burned and a lump formed in his
throat.
    He couldn’t bear to think of what she’d
gone through. What she endured during those dark times. He held her
to him, wishing he had been there for her—wishing they both had
been there for her.
    Instead, they had been off fighting the
war that would one day free her and everyone else in Paradise.
Jarrod held her close, her face pressed against his chest. He
inhaled deeply, taking in her sweet scent.
    This is what he and Duncan fought for.
This is what they were willing to die for. They still were willing
to die for Pearl. Closing his eyes, he held her tight and willed
her to see reason.
     

Chapter Twenty
     
     
    Pearl leaned into Jarrod. God knew she
wanted to stay with them, but could she trust that feeling? For
years she’d made the wrong decisions about where to live, whom to
trust.
    Even now she second guessed herself.
She wasn’t certain that her move to Scotland was the right thing to
do. Hell, she could get over there, be thousands of miles from home
and find out her boss was more of an animal than the people of
Paradise ever thought of being.
    What decision was the right one? She
closed her eyes and searched her heart. Maybe that was what was
wrong with her choices. She always tried to use her head. She chose
to date Glenn because her head told her it was the sensible thing
to do when all along, her heart had wanted Duncan and
Jarrod.
    Could she do it? Could she take the
leap and tell them okay? Could she trust them to not hurt her even
though they spoke of spanking her? Would she ever have the strength
to leave them if they ever hit her in anger?
    Just the thought of leaving made her
feel bad. How could she leave them again, especially after last
night?
    “ Don’t leave us, Pearl.