Shelley.
She nodded and silently headed toward the exit.
Shelley wasn’t quite sure what to think. She’d been happily trying on clothing when James had suddenly appeared. The way he’d looked at her had made her heart skip a beat. When it resumed beating, it was pounding so hard and fast her chest had hurt.
Her breasts had tingled and her nipples puckered. Not to mention the soft, liquid feeling between her thighs. She still couldn’t quite believe she’d become aroused in the middle of a store.
It was astounding for her to become aroused at all. It had never happened to her before. Never.
Okay, that was a lie. It had never spontaneously happened before. But she had been completely aroused once before. And that time still shamed her. She’d been in her early twenties and she still wasn’t quite certain what had happened to her. She’d had sex with a complete stranger, a man she’d only seen that one night. It was all a blur and not something she liked to remember.
Since then, about once a year she’d go through a period of feeling hot and needy. She hated it. It was a part of her animalistic nature that Tom had always berated her for. During that time, her body had craved sex even though emotionally and mentally she’d wanted nothing to do with a man. Not that she’d had much choice in the matter.
Whenever Tom wanted her, he took her. He owned her. Body and soul. He’d told her that enough times over the years. Then he’d laugh and tell her she didn’t really have a soul. Animals didn’t.
She paled and swayed, hating that she’d even thought about that time. It was behind her now.
“Shelley? You okay?” The bag crinkled as James shifted it and wrapped his free arm around her.
No, she wasn’t okay, but she was working on it. And that brought her back to the here and now. “You can’t buy me clothing. I’m going to pay you back.” It would eat into her small reserve of money, but she didn’t have any choice. In her experience, you didn’t get something for nothing. And she wasn’t going to owe a man anything.
James didn’t say anything as he unlocked the passenger door of the truck and opened it for her. She climbed in and he stood there watching her for several long seconds before shutting the door.
She let out a shaky breath as he went around to the driver’s side and let himself in, stowing the bag from the shop behind his seat. He shoved the keys in the ignition and started the truck, but he made no move to pull out into traffic. Instead, he peered out the window.
Shelley dug into the pocket of her jeans where she’d stuffed her money. Dragging out a handful of bills, she counted out enough to pay for her clothing and repay the twenty James had given her to buy something to eat. She didn’t want to owe him anything.
“Here.” She thrust the crumpled bills at him.
Slowly, he turned to face her. His expression was blank as he glanced from her face to the money and back again. “No. I won’t take your money, Shelley.”
She ignored the little shiver of pleasure that rocketed through her when he said her name and placed the money on the seat beside him. “I can’t let you buy me clothes.”
“Why?” His voice was even and unthreatening, but she sensed the underlying anger in him and put one hand on the door handle just in case.
She wasn’t sure why he was angry with her. “Because it’s not right.”
He laughed, but it was a bitter sound with no pleasure. “What’s not right is you having nothing but a few ragged dresses to wear.”
Her face heated and she knew her cheeks were red with shame. “It’s all I had.” She squared her shoulders, refusing to be embarrassed by her clothing.
“I know.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Maybe I should leave.” Her hand pulled the handle and the door popped open.
James leaned across her and yanked it closed again. His large body was pressed against hers. He was too big. Too close. Her chest tightened
She nodded and silently headed toward the exit.
Shelley wasn’t quite sure what to think. She’d been happily trying on clothing when James had suddenly appeared. The way he’d looked at her had made her heart skip a beat. When it resumed beating, it was pounding so hard and fast her chest had hurt.
Her breasts had tingled and her nipples puckered. Not to mention the soft, liquid feeling between her thighs. She still couldn’t quite believe she’d become aroused in the middle of a store.
It was astounding for her to become aroused at all. It had never happened to her before. Never.
Okay, that was a lie. It had never spontaneously happened before. But she had been completely aroused once before. And that time still shamed her. She’d been in her early twenties and she still wasn’t quite certain what had happened to her. She’d had sex with a complete stranger, a man she’d only seen that one night. It was all a blur and not something she liked to remember.
Since then, about once a year she’d go through a period of feeling hot and needy. She hated it. It was a part of her animalistic nature that Tom had always berated her for. During that time, her body had craved sex even though emotionally and mentally she’d wanted nothing to do with a man. Not that she’d had much choice in the matter.
Whenever Tom wanted her, he took her. He owned her. Body and soul. He’d told her that enough times over the years. Then he’d laugh and tell her she didn’t really have a soul. Animals didn’t.
She paled and swayed, hating that she’d even thought about that time. It was behind her now.
“Shelley? You okay?” The bag crinkled as James shifted it and wrapped his free arm around her.
No, she wasn’t okay, but she was working on it. And that brought her back to the here and now. “You can’t buy me clothing. I’m going to pay you back.” It would eat into her small reserve of money, but she didn’t have any choice. In her experience, you didn’t get something for nothing. And she wasn’t going to owe a man anything.
James didn’t say anything as he unlocked the passenger door of the truck and opened it for her. She climbed in and he stood there watching her for several long seconds before shutting the door.
She let out a shaky breath as he went around to the driver’s side and let himself in, stowing the bag from the shop behind his seat. He shoved the keys in the ignition and started the truck, but he made no move to pull out into traffic. Instead, he peered out the window.
Shelley dug into the pocket of her jeans where she’d stuffed her money. Dragging out a handful of bills, she counted out enough to pay for her clothing and repay the twenty James had given her to buy something to eat. She didn’t want to owe him anything.
“Here.” She thrust the crumpled bills at him.
Slowly, he turned to face her. His expression was blank as he glanced from her face to the money and back again. “No. I won’t take your money, Shelley.”
She ignored the little shiver of pleasure that rocketed through her when he said her name and placed the money on the seat beside him. “I can’t let you buy me clothes.”
“Why?” His voice was even and unthreatening, but she sensed the underlying anger in him and put one hand on the door handle just in case.
She wasn’t sure why he was angry with her. “Because it’s not right.”
He laughed, but it was a bitter sound with no pleasure. “What’s not right is you having nothing but a few ragged dresses to wear.”
Her face heated and she knew her cheeks were red with shame. “It’s all I had.” She squared her shoulders, refusing to be embarrassed by her clothing.
“I know.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Maybe I should leave.” Her hand pulled the handle and the door popped open.
James leaned across her and yanked it closed again. His large body was pressed against hers. He was too big. Too close. Her chest tightened
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