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Chapter 18
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Man of My Heart Chapter 19
"Fuck." His voice was still slurred but now it was edged with anger. "You bitch. Okay, I wanted to make it nice for you but that's out the window. I'm gonna take what I want and fuck you blind."Jasmine could hardly breathe with his weight on top of her, and fear had nearly paralyzed her vocal chords. His fingers closed around her wrists in a painful grasp and he held her in place while he kneed her legs apart. When he grabbed the top of her sleep pants and yanked, tearing the fabric, she found her voice and screamed and kept on screaming.Suddenly the pressure of his body was gone. Voices surrounded her and she tried to focus on what was happening. There were people in the room, a lot of people, Gary and Hondo and some others she didn't even recognize. She curled onto her side, trying to hide herself. Oh god, oh god, oh god.Her breasts still hurt where Cobra had squeezed it so hard and she felt sick to her stomach. Then Gary was there."Ssh, ssh," he soothed. "It's okay. We've
Man of My Heart Chapter 20
"Libby, I'm fine, really."Jasmine leaned back in her chair and lifted her glass of sweet tea. She took a long drink of it, pleased to see that her hands weren't shaking. Her cousin, Liberty McCoy, was sitting across from her giving her the fisheye."You sure don't look fine to me.""But I am. Look." She held out her hand, forcing it to remain steady. "Not even a tremor.""You can't fool me, Jasmine Grey. I've known you too long. You always put on a good front."Jasmine leaned forward. "I'm doing as good as I can, Libby, and that's the truth. I get better every day."The women were sitting out on Jasmine's back patio, one of the few places in her new home that had any furniture. A soft breeze was blowing, tickling the leaves in the big oak tree whose branches hung over the patio. Two jackrabbits raced through the tall grass and in a grove of trees white tailed deer munched on the wild shrubs growing there. The scene was so peaceful she wondered if she'd ever want to leave it agai
Man of My Heart Chapter 21
Caleb Branam sat in the booth in the coffee shop and tried to smile at his friend."You trying to be a do-gooder, Aron?"Aron McCoy just looked at him. "I'm trying to help you get your head out of your ass."Caleb ran his hands up the sides of his face and across the top of his head. "Hmm. Seems like it's still in the right place."Aron snorted. "I should have known. A wiseass, just like at the University of Texas."Caleb chuckled. "Is that better or worse than being a smartass?" The smile disappeared. "You have to stop trying to 'fix' me, buddy. Some people are just permanently broken.""So that means what? You'll just hide away in your cabin up in the hills, relying on your disability funds to pay for your beer and skittles?"Caleb managed a chuckle. "I might if I knew what skittles were."Aron leaned forward. "I'm serious, Caleb. Everyonehas disasters in their lives, but they deal with it. There are a lot of people much worse off than you are."Last night when Libby told
Man of My Heart Chapter 22
"So how are you doing? Really?"Carson Wagner sat across the table from Jasmine on her patio and studied her with that analyzing look she knew so well."Good. Really. All things considered."She wasn't about to tell him she still woke up in the middle of the night with the feel of Cobra's hands on her. This was a battle she was determined to fight herself."Are you sure? Because we have stuff to talk about, good stuff, but I want to make sure you're ready to move forward.""Carson, it's been three weeks. I'm okay. The best part of the whole episode, if there is a best part, is the band and Gary broke into the room and yanked him off of me before he could do any real damage.""And thank the lord for that. Okay, if you're sure, take a look at what I have here." He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a folder, opened it and set it on the table before her.Jasmine's eyes widened as she read the information. This was the next step in her career and it was a really big one."Wow, Carson,
Man of My Heart Chapter 23
Caleb grumbled to himself as he drove down the two-lane country highway headed toward the address Carson Wagner had given him. He still couldn't figure out how this happened so fast. Or how it even happened at all. One minute he was happily miserable in his self-imposed isolation. He'd even learned to live without sex except for the occasional connection with his hand. The next Aron McCoy had turned his life upside down. He thought it was the fickle finger of fate that they'd bumped into each other in Kerrville and nothing would do but they have coffee together. As if that wasn't bad enough, Aron managed to connect with him again on the one day he came into town to do some grocery shopping. He'd been happy not having to talk to people. Be with people. He could wallow in his misery up in his isolated cabin and feel as sorry for himself as he wanted to. He should have flat out told Aron "No" when the subject came up, but the man just wouldn't take that for an answer. He'd said yes mostl
Man of My Heart Chapter 24
"Well, what?" Caleb asked. "I just met her. I don't know exactly what this job requires or even if she could stand to have me around.""Don't throw those scars in here," Aron warned. "She barely looked at them. I want your gut reaction."Caleb folded his arms. "She seems okay. At least for all of the ninety seconds I've been with her so far."Aron threw back his head and laughed. "So I should forget that you practically had your tongue hanging out of your mouth?""Okay, okay," he grumbled. "She's attractive. I'll give you that. But you're not hiring me to be her stud."Aron's face sobered. "No, I'm not. But I also don't want you to stand around with a stick up your ass. She's not what you expected, is she.""Exactly what did you expect, Mr. Branam?"Both men startled. Neither of them had heard the screen door open and close or her footsteps on the concrete. Caleb felt a hot flush rise on his cheeks. He stood up, trying not to favor his leg, and took the tray with mugs on it from
Man of My Heart Chapter 25
Jasmine stood in the center of the great room directing the deliverymen from the furniture store. She and Liberty had put a nice dent in her cash but she was happy with everything she'd gotten. She'd even thought to ask Aron what kind of mattress she should get for Caleb. He'd only be staying with her a short while but Aron had told her about his leg and she wanted him to be comfortable. She'd had them set up the room Caleb would be using first thing, so she could make it up with the new linens she bought and washed in fresh-smelling detergent. She even had a television in there. She'd hooked it up to the satellite system and tested it to make sure it worked. She wanted him to be as comfortable as possible. After all, it would be just the two of them alone out here while she finished the songs for the album. The two of them alone!A little shiver danced along her spine at the thought of Caleb Branam living in her house with her, just the two of them. Just his presence had made all
Man of My Heart Chapter 26
Caleb nodded. "And why you want it." He chewed, swallowed and shrugged. "Sorry. My social skills are a little rusty right now, so I'm sorry if anything I say offends you.""No, no, no. Not at all." She took a swallow of her iced tea, hoping the chilled liquid would cool off her flaming hormones that seemed to ignite when she was within ten feet of this man. Great. Just great."So let's have it. Was this your goal in life?"Jasmine shrugged. "I think so."She told him about singing at parties with her cousins, getting her parents to drag her to every country music and country/rock concert and appearance within fifty miles. How she'd bought her first guitar from a second hand store and taught herself to play. How, at the insistence of her parents, she'd enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin but spent every spare minute looking for gigs at every little hole in the wall club in Austin.She told him about the nights she sat outside by herself, writing music and practicing it.
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