up on it." He started to feel itchy under her direct gaze. "But the offer stands."
"Thank you, Carter. I appreciate it, I really do."
"Okay, then." He got to his feet and reached for his jacket. "There's just one thing left to clear up," he stated as he pushed his arms through the sleeves, adjusted the collar.
"What's that?"
"Whether or not you accept my apology." He stopped in front of her and pinned her in her spot with his gaze.
"Of course, apology accepted. As long as you take mine as well."
"What do you have to apologize for?"
"That I put off telling you all this, when I should have told you sooner."
"Lynn." He spoke softly, reaching out to squeeze her upper arms with a gentle grip. "You have nothing to apologize for, but if it means that much to you, I think you know that I accept your apology too." He pulled her to him, enveloped her in a hug. He pulled back long enough to take her chin between his finger and thumb, tilted her head back, and gave her a whisper of a kiss.
"I have to go home, before I do something I shouldn't." His voice had lowered to a whisper as he looked into her eyes again.
"I know." She nodded in understanding. "I don't want you to go either, but you'd better." She moved to open the door for him.
"Drive safe," she said as he made his way down the walk. He looked over his shoulder, gave her a charming grin, and got in his truck. Lynn stood at the front door and watched until his tail lights faded into the darkness, then closed the door and went to bed.
* * *
That night, dreams brought the attack back to her in vivid and excruciating detail. No matter how much her subconscious tried to fight it, the memories haunted her sleep. She could see, smell, feel everything. Including opening the door to her attacker, and inviting him into her home.
Lynn had just sat down to her dinner, with her iPad playing a movie for company, when she heard the knock at the door. Her brow creased, she set her fork down next the plate of spaghetti and made her way to answer the increasingly loud knocks. She wondered who it could be, as it was unusual for her to have visitors stop by on a weeknight. Like her, most everyone else she knew wanted to go home and unwind after long, sometimes stressful, days. She peered through the peephole, closed her eyes, and bit back a frustrated sigh when she saw Jason standing on the other side of her door. Lynn did not want to deal with him, and his not-so-subtle hints, this evening. And it was coming to the point where she didn’t want to deal with him, period. Maybe it was time to end things with him. Tonight.
She opened the door, and through the gap, Lynn saw Jason’s head come up, saw the grin that spread across his face at the sight of her. In her opinion, part of her issues with him lie in the fact that he knew he was handsome and charming. And used both of those characteristics to his advantage as much as possible.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hi, Jason.” Lynn stood on the threshold, leaned a shoulder against the frame and held onto the door handle. “What are you doing here?”
“Just thought I’d drop by, since I was in the area.” He searched her face, his eyes narrowing a fraction when he realized that she wasn’t thrilled to see him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.” Her grip on the handle tightened. “I wish you had called first. I’m in the middle of eating dinner, and I’m not really up for company tonight.”
“You work too hard, babe.”
Lynn ground her teeth at the endearment, and the sentiment. What Jason meant was he thought he should take care of her, pamper her, make her his pet.
“Listen.” He took a step towards her that had her take an involuntary step back through the doorway. “Why don’t I come in, keep you company? Then, I can give you a foot rub, maybe work my way up?” Another step forward, then the tip of his index finger caressing
"Thank you, Carter. I appreciate it, I really do."
"Okay, then." He got to his feet and reached for his jacket. "There's just one thing left to clear up," he stated as he pushed his arms through the sleeves, adjusted the collar.
"What's that?"
"Whether or not you accept my apology." He stopped in front of her and pinned her in her spot with his gaze.
"Of course, apology accepted. As long as you take mine as well."
"What do you have to apologize for?"
"That I put off telling you all this, when I should have told you sooner."
"Lynn." He spoke softly, reaching out to squeeze her upper arms with a gentle grip. "You have nothing to apologize for, but if it means that much to you, I think you know that I accept your apology too." He pulled her to him, enveloped her in a hug. He pulled back long enough to take her chin between his finger and thumb, tilted her head back, and gave her a whisper of a kiss.
"I have to go home, before I do something I shouldn't." His voice had lowered to a whisper as he looked into her eyes again.
"I know." She nodded in understanding. "I don't want you to go either, but you'd better." She moved to open the door for him.
"Drive safe," she said as he made his way down the walk. He looked over his shoulder, gave her a charming grin, and got in his truck. Lynn stood at the front door and watched until his tail lights faded into the darkness, then closed the door and went to bed.
* * *
That night, dreams brought the attack back to her in vivid and excruciating detail. No matter how much her subconscious tried to fight it, the memories haunted her sleep. She could see, smell, feel everything. Including opening the door to her attacker, and inviting him into her home.
Lynn had just sat down to her dinner, with her iPad playing a movie for company, when she heard the knock at the door. Her brow creased, she set her fork down next the plate of spaghetti and made her way to answer the increasingly loud knocks. She wondered who it could be, as it was unusual for her to have visitors stop by on a weeknight. Like her, most everyone else she knew wanted to go home and unwind after long, sometimes stressful, days. She peered through the peephole, closed her eyes, and bit back a frustrated sigh when she saw Jason standing on the other side of her door. Lynn did not want to deal with him, and his not-so-subtle hints, this evening. And it was coming to the point where she didn’t want to deal with him, period. Maybe it was time to end things with him. Tonight.
She opened the door, and through the gap, Lynn saw Jason’s head come up, saw the grin that spread across his face at the sight of her. In her opinion, part of her issues with him lie in the fact that he knew he was handsome and charming. And used both of those characteristics to his advantage as much as possible.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hi, Jason.” Lynn stood on the threshold, leaned a shoulder against the frame and held onto the door handle. “What are you doing here?”
“Just thought I’d drop by, since I was in the area.” He searched her face, his eyes narrowing a fraction when he realized that she wasn’t thrilled to see him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.” Her grip on the handle tightened. “I wish you had called first. I’m in the middle of eating dinner, and I’m not really up for company tonight.”
“You work too hard, babe.”
Lynn ground her teeth at the endearment, and the sentiment. What Jason meant was he thought he should take care of her, pamper her, make her his pet.
“Listen.” He took a step towards her that had her take an involuntary step back through the doorway. “Why don’t I come in, keep you company? Then, I can give you a foot rub, maybe work my way up?” Another step forward, then the tip of his index finger caressing
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