Call Sign Karma. Jamie Rae

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СКАЧАТЬ not sure if it was the tone of his voice or the genuine expression of care on his face, but it made me feel protected from my demons. I wanted to talk to him.

      I opened my mouth to tell him about Colin, about the jet, about everything, but stopped myself. This was ridiculous. I barely knew him. I pressed my lips together with a silent reprimand and reached for another beer in the cooler. I wasn’t sure how many I’d drank, but there were a lot of empty bottles on the ground and my cheeks were beginning to numb.

      “Besides being a great punching bag, I’m a decent listener.”

      “I lost someone very close to me and very suddenly,” I confessed. My voice cracked as I admitted the truth out loud to someone other than my own reflection in the mirror. “It’s been rough.”

      Shit. I definitely had too many beers.

      “A breakup?”

      I shook my head. I wish. A break up would’ve been easier.

      “A death?”

      I nearly choked on the lump that immediately formed in my throat. I dropped my head down and nodded once. A few seconds of silence passed. He slid down the chaise toward me.

      “I’m sorry.”

      I was, too. I stared at my bottle, ready to crumble. Damn it, I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t open this wound I struggled to keep sealed up. It was too much of a risk. I needed my head in place for tomorrow.

      “Thanks, but I can’t talk about it.”

      He took the beer from my hand and placed it on the table next to us.

      “I’m a firm believer that life will never give you more than you can handle,” he said and leaned toward me. I glanced up into his eyes. “You seem like a survivor.”

      The words stung like someone had poured a carton of salt into a large gaping wound. In a sense, he had. He’d called me a survivor. I was a survivor, but Colin wasn’t.

      “Well, looks are deceiving,” I muttered and looked to the side.

      His hand touched my cheek and directed my face to look at him. I forced myself to meet his eyes. He held my stare, imploring me to hear him. It was ironic that a total stranger believed in me more than I believed in myself.

      The back of my eyes burnt, I needed to change the subject before my heart dove into a tailspin. I shifted my leg and a pain jolted through foot. I hissed.

      “Here let me take a look,” he said as he scooted forward. I bent my knees closer to my chest. My foot was red and it hurt, but medicating with alcohol dulled most of the pain.

      “It looks wicked.”

      He lifted my foot into his hand as if caring for a wounded bird. Delicate. Gentle. His touch spun my world into another universe. He looked at me with a mixed expression of shock and desire. His grip—the strong, lithe fingers and muscular forearm—tightened its hold.

      For a moment, I sat frozen in silence, not breathing, only hearing the pounding of my heart. I wanted to pull away. No one had touched me like this since college, before Colin’s accident. And even then, no one had touched me, especially my foot, like that before. Apparently, I’d been missing out.

      His palm glided upward toward my ankle, and my skin blazed along its path.

      His hand wove a path up my leg until it reached my hip. His fingers grabbed the belt loop of my shorts, pulling me closer. I gasped and he smiled. The sexy half-lip smile and my whole body shuddered with excitement. His gaze never faltered and I didn’t dare blink, afraid he would disappear if I closed my eyes even for a second. He was too good to be true.

      Locke leaned in and the smell of honey lager and the warmth of his breath invited me closer. I licked my lips lightly and parted them. His kiss was soft and playful and I felt as if I had been kissing him my entire life.

      I never believed in fairytales, but this had to be how ‘Once upon a time’ felt. I shifted my body without breaking our embrace, straddling my legs around him and sitting on his lap.

      Locke’s hands rested gently on my hips. His fingertips pressed into my lower back and sent heat spiraling through my body. He sighed softly.

      Nervous chills traveled down my spine. I was kissing a stranger. A charming, sexy stranger. My mind raged in a tug of war against my heart. Just a few hours earlier I’d been ready to call the police and now I was considering inviting him into my bed. I’d never done anything like this before, but it felt too good to quit.

      I opened my mouth slightly and his tongue entered, swiping against mine. His soft moan gently vibrated against my lips.

      “What’s your favorite color?” a breathy voice asked. I sucked in a gulp of air. Was that my voice?

      “What?” he murmured and pressed his lips back against mine.

      I pulled my face inches from his. “What’s your favorite color?”

      “Blue.”

      “What’s your favorite football team?”

      “Manchester United.”

      “That’s soccer.”

      “No, darling, it’s real football.” A wicked smirk crossed his lips.

      Holy hell, if he called me darling like that, he could tell me the sky was green and I’d agree.

      He pressed his lips against mine as his hands tangled in my hair. I didn’t want to stop, but I barely knew anything about him. My heart raced. I pulled away. Again.

      “When’s your birthday?”

      He leaned back and raised an eyebrow.

      “July 31st. My favorite movie is James Bond, Goldfinger.” His smile spread as if he realized what I was doing. “I love dogs, but don’t have one, and I hate orange juice.”

      I like James Bond. Good enough.

      My fingers ran through his hair and I pressed my lips harder against his. He chuckled then nibbled my bottom lip. A flurry of anticipation erupted as I wondered where he would nip next. His lips traveled slowly below my ear and I tipped my head back slightly and lightly purred. His breath warmed against my skin, as his hands explored under my tank and up my back. An electric pulse ignited as his fingers traced along my spine. I slid my fingernails gently down his arms. Bumps rose upon his skin and I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him.

      He stopped kissing me, and my body fell into instant withdrawal. I wasn’t ready for it to end. I leaned into him. His tongue traced along the pulsing vein in my neck and I resisted the urge to cheer out. And when his lips brushed against my cheek and his breath tickled my ear, I shuddered.

      “Bloody hell. You take danger to a whole new level,” he whispered and nuzzled into my neck.

      Amused, I stifled a laugh.

      “You have no idea how happy I am that I hit you in the head with that bottle,” I said softly into his ear. СКАЧАТЬ