“I don’t know what
will come of all this,” Keesha said softly, “but I do know that I
want to take that chance.” Her
body began to shake as the realization of her decision began to sink in.
For better or worse, she had cast her lot with a man who had the power to
demolish her world. Keesha prayed that of all the possible endings to what might
come of their attempt at love, the most painful one would not be realized.
“Jason,” she
whispered, her voice barely audible, “I’m so afraid.”
“Don’t be.”
He swept Keesha up into his arms and held her trembling body tightly
against him.
Keesha shut her eyes and
just drank in the smell and feel of him. For
the first time in the years they’d been apart, she felt like she was home.
It was all so familiar. But
it was all so different.
Jason strode confidently
toward the house. Although his
heart was pounding madly, he felt a calmness engulf him. Holding Keesha Ward in his arms felt right.
It felt more right than anything he had known in his life as Jason
Morgan.
The jarring of Jason’s
steps as he carried Keesha into the shelter of her home distracted her from her
thoughts. From the shelter of his
arms she watched him negotiate the terrain of her home without pause.
Unerringly he took each turn that would lead them to the stairs, and
Keesha’s bedroom on the second floor. At
last he gently lowered Keesha to her feet.
“Jason,” Keesha asked
in shock, “how do you know-?”
Jason silenced the
question with a passionate kiss. His
mouth pressed against hers, demanding her response. The tip of his tongue outlined her full lips, teasing and
enticing her.
Entwined, the couple
stood inside Keesha’s bedroom, beside the king-sized bed. Through the partially drawn curtains, the setting sun bathed
the room with subdued light.
“Jason…”
His brilliant blue eyes
bored into her. “You talk too
much.”
The unexpected rebuke
stung. But Keesha had no time to
dwell on it. Without ceremony Jason
pulled Keesha’s shirt over her head and reached around her to unclasp the lacy
black bra she wore. Dazed at his
seemingly impersonal approach to their coming together, she allowed him to
undress her completely.
Mutely Keesha watched
Jason undress. He did not posture
or delay. As quickly as he had
divested her of her clothing, so did he stand nude before her.
Keesha could not stop the
gasp that issued from her mouth. She
had not ever seen the angry scars from the gunshot wound that had nearly taken
Jason’s life. It was another
vivid reminder that the man before her was not Jason Quartermaine.
This man lived a violent life outside the boundaries of the law.
And he lived it willingly.
Jason firmly grabbed the
hand that reached out to touch his scars. He
watched as Keesha tore her gaze away from the sight and looked up to meet his
eyes. “Does that matter
enough to change your mind?”
“No,” Keesha replied
quickly, before her courage fled.
“Okay.”
Jason pushed Keesha back
onto the bed. The movement was so
unexpected that the young woman’s eyes widened in surprise.
Keesha felt the weight of Jason’s muscled form press full-body against
her, and she realized that she would have to put aside any preconceived notions
of what making love to Jason Morgan would be like.
As her body thrilled to the feel of Jason’s initial thrust, it was the last coherent thought Keesha Ward had for quite awhile.
