Cyber Seduction: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 3) (12 page)

Jason shook his head at Kate, looking incredulous. “I didn’t beat him with the bat?”

“No, and you didn’t let me either. After I knocked him off you with it, you took it away from me.” Kate’s admission had Jason feeling stunned, relieved he wasn’t the dark violent monster he thought he could be, yet still confused with his anger.

Harry didn’t say anything Emily noticed until he uttered, “He beat me the most, up until that night, that night he had attempted the unspeakable.” Harry stopped talking.

Listening to their confessions was unbearably painful, for Emily and for them. She could tell by their body language.

Peter stood up, facing them all, admitting, “I hid in the bed, and I wouldn’t come out from under the covers until Cade made us leave. What kind of coward am I?” He rubbed at the tears streaming down his handsome young face.

Jason smiled at his foster brother. “Today, you helped Emily get me out of the farm house. How could you question your courage after something like that?”

He reached over and tousled Peter’s blond hair. “Believe me,” Jason laughed. “I could barely contain myself when I saw you coming through the window. I wanted to scream out, ‘my hero’ like some southern belle in a bad movie.” Jason imitated a young girl’s voice to break the tension that was mounting. “You looked like the cavalry coming over the hill in an old western.”

As each admitted to the guilt stored in the deepest recesses of their hearts, Emily finally comprehended the real damage the senator had done. “Stop this, all of you, there isn’t a single one of you who should feel guilty about anything. You were helpless children. Only that monster is responsible for the events that happened that night and since.”

She looked at Jason and poked him in the chest as she spoke. “Including my father’s death. Apparently, greed, jealousy all played a big part. Since Franklin was involved, evidently the outcome would have been the same.”

Jason actually looked at Emily for the first time since he walked in. She was remarkable. Could she really believe what she said? He hoped she was right.

Andrea had tried to tell them this same thing over the years—that Kincaid had been the problem. Although Jason believed Avery endangered himself by saving them, the fact that Emily didn’t blame him was a greater shock than he expected. Ever since he discovered Kincaid’s involvement, he was determined to finally even the score. Now, here was Emily claiming it was Kincaid and Franklin, not him, who were responsible. Well, of course they were directly responsible, but she didn’t blame him at all.

Emily hugged Kate to her and reached out for the others as she stared Jason down. “You are not considering what happened objectively, any of you. All of you are still damaged children when it comes to that man. If you let him scare you, let him make you doubt yourselves, then he’s won. Bury him. Turn the lights on and the monster under the bed disappears, so to speak. Let’s put it behind us?” They all gathered round with Harrison and Andrea looking on.

After kissing each of them, Emily went over and took Jason by the hand. He still couldn’t move. “Come with me.”

With a little tugging, she coerced him onto his feet and drew him out the door with a glance to the rest. “We’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Jason stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. Then something happened that none of them ever expected to see. He blushed.

They could hear Harrison guffawing, and the rest joined in the raucous laughter as she led Jason out the door. At least they could provide the entertainment. The sound of their laughter lightened their hearts almost as much as being in each other’s arms. Emily said with an arm around his waist, “You look like you need some extra TLC, and I’m just the one to give it to you.”

She walked him to her place, slowly allowing the anticipation to build. The room smelled of roses from the rosebushes off the kitchen. The evening breeze blew the scent through the open windows. It was clouding over out on the bay,

“Storm’s brewing out there,” she said as she turned her attention back to him. Her emotions felt like scrambled eggs. She hoped he could accept how she felt, could deal with his own screwed up emotions.

She walked up to him, just out of reach, and examined his expression, looking for a break. Then she stepped forward and took his face in her hands and stared deep into his eyes. “I’m not afraid of you.” She rubbed her thumb across his lips with one hand and cupped his hard jaw with her other, refusing to allow him to draw away. She leaned in, stretched to touch his lips to hers, softly mingling their breath. She ran her tongue inside, testing. He let her take him, deepening the kiss. Her hands held his head to hers. She was determined to hold him to her. His hands moved from where they rested lightly at her waist to a slow ascent up her sides. His thumbs drew lazy circles on the underside of each breast. Every movement between them was loving. This was a blending, a mating of like hearts, a merging of souls.

Emily sensed when Jason recognized the difference in their lovemaking, the exact moment when he accepted himself and their feelings for each other. She felt the shift in him and the earth moved beneath her and something inside her stirred. He nibbled her neck and held her closely against his body, inhaling her scent, murmuring against her skin. Touching, stirring her, giving himself to her completely, yielding to his feelings. It was a slow surrender, but not a retreat. Instead, he turned the tables on her, taking his slow, deliberate attack into a full-blown steady assault on her emotions as well as her senses. The offense she initiated, pouring herself into him, turned back on her. She never felt so wonderful, so enriched or complete.

Jason kissed her like a man possessed. Maybe he was. She seeped into him and healed him. With one arm around her back and the other under her knees, he swooped her up, heading to the back sunroom. Tonight he’d make honest love to her as the storm raged around them with only candles to light the room between lightning strikes over the water. Tonight, when he took her, there would be no doubt that it meant forever.

Chapter Twelve

The morning air cleared, like crystal, the way spring rains have a way of doing. Everything sparkled. Inhaling the fresh air filled her lungs as her heart filled with Jason last night. She rested her head against the headboard and studied him. That stray lock persistently dropped over his forehead. He seemed relaxed, young as she’d never seen him appear before.

The white feather down comforter contrasted against his tanned skin. It barely covered him as he sprawled, taking up the entire center of the bed, pillows strewn about. The sun streamed through the uncovered windows and glistened off the water, reflecting dancing rainbows on the walls and ceiling. If she could hold this moment in time as she held it in her heart, she would share it with the world. She was so happy.

Her stomach grumbled.

The realization of all they had gone through brought an ache in the pit of her soul.

“What’s that face for?” she heard him ask. She didn’t realize Jason was awake and staring at her. He ran a hand over her cheek, thumbing her lips, coaxing a smile. “Your stomach’s growling, too.”

She bent over, kissed him senseless. He saw too much. “Mosel sacrificed himself for us. I’m glad I wasn’t wrong about him. My instincts were good. I feel good about that, but I’m indebted to him for his sacrifice.”

Jason flipped her under him, surrounding her with his body heat. “This is too beautiful a day for worries or regrets. Mosel wouldn’t have wanted me to waste it with morbid thoughts.” Jason irreverently teased her. “He would want me to touch you, let’s see...here?” He cupped her cheek, pressing his lips lightly on hers. “No, here.” He ran his hand down her neck, her shoulder, her breast, and held. She gasped as heat flooded her.

He moved his hands with a pace she couldn’t keep up with. She giggled as Jason playfully tickled her until his erection at the juncture to her opening demanded her full attention. He slid into her waiting warmth as she accepted him with a sigh, holding him desperately against her body. And still a sadness enveloped her. Jason could feel it. He looked into her sad expression, unable to stand her sorrow. He winked at her then whispered in her ear, “Mosel would need a new identity if he survived.”

Kissing her lips, he stroked her from inside, coaxing her, drawing her to him. She felt her insides grip with the oncoming orgasm. How could she feel like this knowing Mosel had died for them? Her eyes flew open. “What? Wait a minute. What are you saying?” She stopped his pumping movement, holding him back with all her strength, freezing time.

He smiled down at her. “If I tell you, I’d have to kill you.” He nipped her neck.

“Oh, Jason, how? Never mind, come here.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the forehead, then his nose, and then she smacked him a big one on the lips and screamed a rebel yell.

Mosel is alive!
She thought how wonderful life could be.

She settled her hips under Jason. Tingling sensations sparked through her, and she arched seductively into him, lifted up, and gripped him with her internal muscles. That elicited a gratifying groan.

She whispered, “We wouldn’t want to disappoint Mosel, now would we?”

Chapter Thirteen

The autumn colors were even brighter this year than most, or maybe it was his mood. The sun reflected the ambers, bronzes, and golds off the still water, creating a blaze of fire on the river. Jason watched as fish broke ripples in the silent surface, finally at peace with his life. He expected the peace to be short-lived, though, here at the farm in Maryland.

Cade bought Mosel’s estate. It actually had been a government property that was used for espionage years ago. Jason and Emily decided to stay on at her farm after the wedding, at least until after the babies were born. The twin girls they were expecting in December would be a handful if he knew anything about women.

Her uncontrollable auburn hair still tickled his nose and managed to find him whenever he was within reaching distance. As she pulled the crab trap out of the water, she hopelessly tried to brush the hair out of the way. Unsuccessful with her hair, she gave up trying.

He loved it and her, and he finally wasn’t afraid to admit it. She let out a wild whoop as she pulled the trap onto the dock. He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face as he enjoyed the enthusiasm Emily evoked for their simple life.

“Look,” she said excitedly. “There are six. Mmm, good eating tonight.”

She didn’t expect it when he came up behind her. He reached around her round form to caress his babies growing large inside her.

“Mmmm,” he kissed her neck and nipped her ear lobe, “good eating tonight.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an old crabbing boat anchored off the bend. Years of practice taught him to never let down his guard. But now, he suspected someone was watching his back for him. For a while, anyway. Maybe, it was the way the old man on the crabber’s deck kept watch. It could be something about the way he moved that reminded him of someone else, someone younger.

Jason held the woman he loved from the first as she blossomed, growing big with his children. He watched the old crab boat out of the corner of his eye, feeling a little sorry for the man he’d worked with for so many years.

* * * *

Mosel watched them together. He always knew she belonged to Jason. The sparks between them were evident to any good observer. Knowing they were a match eased the ache he felt in his heart. Unfortunately, their happiness reminded him what he was missing in his own life. He and Jason had both cared for Emily. And although he envied Jason’s new future, he never figured himself for a home and hearth kind of guy.

Still, it gave Mosel hope. Anyone could change for the right woman. If Jason could change his life, maybe there was still a chance for him. The thought made him smile behind the scraggly beard he wore as part of his disguise.

While he sat throwing crab traps into the river, he had plenty of time to reflect while he recuperated, letting his emotional wounds heal as well. The boat was a good way to watch out for his friends and keep them safe until Kincaid was confirmed dead. Anyway, it would be a while before he fully healed from the near death experience, longer still before his heart recovered.

He should have been more careful. Emily never made him any promises. In many ways, she tried to warn him. He knew what he was getting into and couldn’t help himself. Maybe he was getting soft, thinking about really falling for a woman.

No, he realized. He was just testing the waters. He chuckled, reassured himself he would be fine. He stretched his stiff muscles. Someday he’d find the woman who was suited to him. He figured when the right time came, the woman wouldn’t have to put a gun to his head. He hoped he didn’t have to put a gun to hers.

THE END

http://ElizaMarch.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eliza March lives in Florida with her husband and writes full-time. She’s active in her local RWA Chapter, TARA, and meets monthly with her plotting group, to share ideas and marketing tips. She loves hearing from her readers and interacting with them on her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.