through him. He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, not so much to reassure her but because he’d needed reassurancehimself. He drove aimlessly, having no clue where to go or what to do. But when he let go of her hand to shift gears, she folded her hands in her lap, a not-so-subtle message that she didn’t welcome his touch. He couldn’t blame her. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Want to tell me what happened?”
She stayed quiet for several long moments. When she finally spoke, he had to strainto hear her. “He said I talk about you too much.”
His nostrils flared as disgust ripped through him. How dare that pathetic little criminal use him as an excuse?
“He said he needed to remind me who loves me most, and that you would never give me the time of day because you only go out with…”
He waited, trying and utterly failing to control his seething breath. “I only go out with what?”
Hervoice was so hushed he almost didn’t hear her. “With sweet, innocent girls. Not dirty girls like me.”
He steered to the side of the road and flipped his hazard lights on. Squeezing his eyes closed, he tried to wait until the murderous rage ebbed from his body—but then he realized it never would. Not until he’d strung the kid up and hurt him badly. “You are not dirty.”
Her hands twisted in herlap, and she stared out her window at the trees so he couldn’t read her face.
“Listen to me, Nancylynn. He’s the dirty one, not you.”
“You don’t know everything.”
“I know enough.”
“I’m not a virgin, Wyatt.”
He’d strongly suspected that when she’d told him how Brady had demeaned her, but hearing the words out loud still filled him with sadness. He knew all too well the consequences girls sometimessuffered when they got involved with the wrong kind of guy. His half sister, Camila, had been just a little older than Nancylynn when she’d gone to Barcelona and come home pregnant. Her life had derailed, and Wyatt would have been thrilled with twenty minutes alone in a room with the British rugby player who’d left her to face a horrible decision on her own.
“Your sex life is your choice to make,sweetheart. Yours and yours alone.” He didn’t want to have a stake in it. Didn’t even want to think about it. But right now, she needed a friend—and he was the closest thing she had. “Has he…been rough with you before?”
She shook her head. “No. It was always…okay. Painful the first time but…kinda good after that.”
“Not exactly a ringing endorsement.”
“I don’t think women are actually supposedto like it.”
His brows shot up, and he stared at her. “No?”
“No. If we were, it wouldn’t be so messy.”
He squeezed the steering wheel, and all he could think was You’re too damn young.
They were still parked on the side of the road, and he tipped his head back as silence filled the truck.
“Can you take me to the big house?”
Surprised, he finally looked at her. “You want to go home?”
“Toyour home, not mine. My lip hurts and I can taste the blood. I think I need to clean myself up before my parents see me. I don’t want to worry them too much.”
Jesus, she’d just had to fight her boyfriend off, and she was worried about her parents? Part of him wanted to reach across the cab, pull her into his arms and hug her. Fortunately, the rational side of him shot that idea down fast. Heput the truck in gear and released the brake. “Yeah, I’ll take you home.”
He’d driven her to his grandparents’ house and got her ice for her lip. When she’d been ready to face her parents, he’d walked her home. She hadn’t wanted him to stay, so he’d stood outside the trailer with his hands in his pockets as she’d talked to her parents. For the last two weeks of her school year, he’d not onlypicked her up but gone into the school and waited near her locker as she’d collected her books and said goodbye to her friends. She stopped giving
She stayed quiet for several long moments. When she finally spoke, he had to strainto hear her. “He said I talk about you too much.”
His nostrils flared as disgust ripped through him. How dare that pathetic little criminal use him as an excuse?
“He said he needed to remind me who loves me most, and that you would never give me the time of day because you only go out with…”
He waited, trying and utterly failing to control his seething breath. “I only go out with what?”
Hervoice was so hushed he almost didn’t hear her. “With sweet, innocent girls. Not dirty girls like me.”
He steered to the side of the road and flipped his hazard lights on. Squeezing his eyes closed, he tried to wait until the murderous rage ebbed from his body—but then he realized it never would. Not until he’d strung the kid up and hurt him badly. “You are not dirty.”
Her hands twisted in herlap, and she stared out her window at the trees so he couldn’t read her face.
“Listen to me, Nancylynn. He’s the dirty one, not you.”
“You don’t know everything.”
“I know enough.”
“I’m not a virgin, Wyatt.”
He’d strongly suspected that when she’d told him how Brady had demeaned her, but hearing the words out loud still filled him with sadness. He knew all too well the consequences girls sometimessuffered when they got involved with the wrong kind of guy. His half sister, Camila, had been just a little older than Nancylynn when she’d gone to Barcelona and come home pregnant. Her life had derailed, and Wyatt would have been thrilled with twenty minutes alone in a room with the British rugby player who’d left her to face a horrible decision on her own.
“Your sex life is your choice to make,sweetheart. Yours and yours alone.” He didn’t want to have a stake in it. Didn’t even want to think about it. But right now, she needed a friend—and he was the closest thing she had. “Has he…been rough with you before?”
She shook her head. “No. It was always…okay. Painful the first time but…kinda good after that.”
“Not exactly a ringing endorsement.”
“I don’t think women are actually supposedto like it.”
His brows shot up, and he stared at her. “No?”
“No. If we were, it wouldn’t be so messy.”
He squeezed the steering wheel, and all he could think was You’re too damn young.
They were still parked on the side of the road, and he tipped his head back as silence filled the truck.
“Can you take me to the big house?”
Surprised, he finally looked at her. “You want to go home?”
“Toyour home, not mine. My lip hurts and I can taste the blood. I think I need to clean myself up before my parents see me. I don’t want to worry them too much.”
Jesus, she’d just had to fight her boyfriend off, and she was worried about her parents? Part of him wanted to reach across the cab, pull her into his arms and hug her. Fortunately, the rational side of him shot that idea down fast. Heput the truck in gear and released the brake. “Yeah, I’ll take you home.”
He’d driven her to his grandparents’ house and got her ice for her lip. When she’d been ready to face her parents, he’d walked her home. She hadn’t wanted him to stay, so he’d stood outside the trailer with his hands in his pockets as she’d talked to her parents. For the last two weeks of her school year, he’d not onlypicked her up but gone into the school and waited near her locker as she’d collected her books and said goodbye to her friends. She stopped giving
Similar Books
