Turbulent Kisses by Jessica Gray Page A

her attempt and slowed her pace.
    After some stretching exercises, she walked up to a huge rock on the beach and sat down there to stare at the water. Grey like her eyes. Like her heart.
    Normally, the water was her friend. Not today. It reminded her of Chase. The memory of the night before haunted her. She’d destroyed whatever feelings he might have had for her. She’d lost him forever. She saw it in his eyes as he left. And there was nothing she could do to fix it.
    Things had ended on such a bad note last night, she could never expect him to forgive her. She couldn’t forgive herself.
    In hindsight, it was crystal clear she had completely overreacted. Like a frantic maniac. Which she probably was. Why did he have to push for answers to questions she’d never dealt with? Questions she was too scared to face. It was better to pretend “the incident” had never happened. Once the scar was gone, there would be nothing left to remind her of the most terrorizing moments in her life.
    She’d be free again. Free from the memories. And that freedom was worth more than being with a man. Even if the man was Chase Paxton. She’d forget him.
    Still, her body longed with every cell for Chase’s touch. It was the first time her body wouldn’t obey the commands of her brain. And it worried her to death.
    What would happen if she stood up there on the platform and her body decided to ignore the commands of her brain?
    No, this had to end. And soon.

Chapter 17
     
    Chase woke up with a tight knot in his stomach. She threw me out again. How dare she!
    The sex with Pearl had been off the charts great, despite her tension, and how she’d not allowed him to touch her left thigh. It was one thing being self-conscious about a scar, but a totally different story to react the way she had. There must be much more to her scar than she was willing to share.
    What had gotten to him wasn’t the lovemaking, but the deep connection he’d felt to her. This was highly unusual for him. Since when did he connect with a woman on more than a physical basis?
    When they’d talked about her motivation and her diving, she’d opened up to him in a way that had twisted his insides. Both of them were kneaded from the same dough.
    Her motivation to be a high diver reflected his very motivation to be a kitesurfer. His admiration for her had grown as she discussed her training and the absolute control a diver needed to have. She was so tough, and so strong-willed.
    Pearl had the rare mind-set of a champion, and he had no doubts about her competing this season – and winning.
    His heart ached at the memory of her. In her eyes, he’d seen a dark secret looming. Something that terrified her up to the point to totally freak out. Like she did when she’d thrown him out. Again.
    Chase wanted to help her, take her fear away, but he had no idea how. By now, he knew her well enough to acknowledge that she was too stubborn to listen to him.
    If they got back together, it had to happen on her terms. She’d have to come to him, not the other way around.
    And that was the crux of the problem. She’d made it very clear she wanted him out of her life. Forever. He wouldn’t force himself back into her life. That just wasn’t his style.
    Hell, none of this was his style.
    He shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could scrub the memory of her off as easily.
    With a heavy feeling, he rolled out of bed, and trotted downstairs into the kitchen. While shoving some leftover food into the microwave, he eyed the phone, and decided on a whim to call the airline and move up his trip back home to the Outer Banks.
    Initially, he’d planned to stay another week, but with Pearl torn from his life, there was nothing keeping him in Sandy Beach, and the sooner he got out of here, the better. He could forget about her and start training for the summer season. It was a few weeks early, but extra training never hurt anyone.
    When he hung up the phone, he had