Taking Chase by Lauren Dane Page B

gorge himself on every drop of her he could get as long as he could get it. He wanted to see what kind of tomorrow he could build with this woman. Cassie Gambol wasn’t a casual indulgence at all, she was big league addiction and instead of fear, there was only joy that he’d found it at last.
    It took every bit of his self control to keep his hands resting at her waist instead of sliding down to cup her ass. She was so soft against him, so warm and pliant—everything sexy and earthy, he wanted to take her in the grass under the moon, the dew on his naked skin as he watched her in the silvery light. She was a goddess come alive in his arms.
    Her head tipped back as he kissed down her neck. To keep her balance, one of his hands, splayed open on her back, moved up to her neck. He gripped her, sure but not hard. Still, she stiffened and pushed away.
    “Whoa! What’s going on?” he asked as she scrambled off his lap and put some distance between them.
    “I’m sorry. I…you touched a nerve. He did that to me when he…damn, what you must think. I don’t know why you even came over here after Maggie told you.”
    “Told me?” “About all the abuse, the…” her voice lowered, “…rape. I don’t know if I can be normal.”
    “Rape?” Cassie paled. “Maggie didn’t tell you?”
    “She told me you had problems with your ex-husband. She said she couldn’t tell me any specifics because she didn’t want you to not be able to trust her.”
    “Shit. Never mind. It was bad. It’s over. But there are things that happen and I don’t even see them coming and I don’t know if I can be a normal person again. I seem to have a minefield of emotional shit because of him.”
    “Sit down.” He pointed to the couch and went to retrieve a glass of iced tea. Coming back into the room, he pressed it into her hands and sat next to her. “Now I want you to tell me. Damn it, Cassie, trust me. Please. I can’t help you if I don’t know. We can work through the minefield together but I can’t if I’m blind.”
    Closing her eyes a moment, she began to relate all that she’d told her friends the night before. She kept looking blankly out the windows as she did and Shane didn’t interrupt her.
    By the time she’d finished, the sun was down and her tea was empty.
    “I don’t even know what to say. Cassie, you’re so strong. Why didn’t you tell me before? Why hide this? Of course it freaked you out when I grabbed your neck like that. He must have when he hurt you, didn’t he?”
    She jumped up. “Yes! Yes, okay? I don’t want to do this. I didn’t tell you because I hate it. I hate that it happened to me and that I let it happen. I hate the person I was and I hate that anyone would know I allowed someone to do those sorts of things to me.”
    Gracefully, he stood and went to her. “You didn’t allow it. It happened to you and you got out. And damn if you did all the right things but were failed. I’m sorry.” A gentle hand moved to her cheek and his fingertips traced the line of her jaw.
    “You’re not disgusted? Freaked out?”
    “Of course I’m disgusted. But not by you, Cassie. How can any man do that to the woman he’s supposed to love and cherish? How can a man turn that love into something sick and twisted? Look at you. How can any man have had you at his side and perverted it instead of rejoiced in it? Fuck, I want to kill him for harming you!” Dropping his hand, he began to pace.
    “Okay so here’s what we’ll do, you’ll be sure to get me the order of no contact from LA. My father can help you and get you in to see a judge to get it extended to here. Does the bastard know where you are now? We should assume he’s looking for you and take precautions. We’ll get you some better locks, a security system too. One of the guys I work with does installation of security systems on the…”
    “Whoa!” She yelled, making the time out motion with her hands. “I’m fine. I’m dealing. I’m moving