Chapter 325
[ 494 words ]
Chapter 325:
The physical warmth of his body completely contradicted the icy chill of doubt spreading through her chest.
She realized that while he was holding her, a piece of his heart was locked away in that hidden lockbox.
She silently vowed that she would never let him see her insecurity, and she began building a new, invisible wall around her heart.
Jarrod tightened his grip, completely unaware of the psychological barrier she was actively constructing while in his arms.
He pulled back slightly and pressed a deep, possessive kiss to her lips, claiming her as his own.
Caroline kissed him back fervently, using passion to cover the bitter taste of jealousy and fear in her mouth.
Jarrod misinterpreted her desperate intensity as a need for comfort. He leaned low, hooking his functional left arm deep under her knees and scooping her upward, leveraging his core strength to hoist her weight, guiding her upper body to rest securely against his immobilized right shoulder and the rigid brace beneath his shirt.
He carried her back to the bed, entirely focused on protecting the woman he believed was completely his.
As he laid her down, Caroline’s gaze flickered one last time to the desk. The toxic seed of Elena was firmly planted in her mind.
𝖶е𝖾𝘬𝘭у 𝗋𝗲𝗅eаs𝗲s о𝗻 𝗴𝗮l𝗇𝘰v𝖾𝗹ѕ.с𝗈𝘮
Jarrod held Caroline flush against his chest, his left arm wrapping around her trembling form like an impenetrable fortress, his right arm remaining motionless at his side, the rigid outline of the field splint still pressing against his ribs. The dark silk sheets of his bed were cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the burning heat radiating from his combat-honed body. The frantic battle in her mind, fueled by the toxic image of Elena in that hidden photograph, had finally given way to sheer exhaustion. She clutched his shirt, a sickening mix of relief for her successful deception and profound heartbreak over her own secret doubt.
He felt the dampness of her tears against his shoulder. His entire posture shifted, the predator completely gone, replaced by the ultimate protector. A wave of intense self-loathing hit him like a physical blow. He gently rubbed her back in slow, rhythmic circles with his left hand, his calloused palm tracing the delicate line of her spine. He believed he had pushed her too hard, demanded too much while she was still physically and emotionally fragile.
He pressed a surprisingly tender kiss to the top of her head, his voice dropping to a rough, apologetic whisper. “Look at me, Caroline.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes, the guilt of her snooping too sharp.
He misunderstood her silence completely. “I know,” he murmured softly, his voice thick with a pain that was all for her. “You’re thinking about your mother, aren’t you? This place… it reminds you of the hospital. Of what happened to her.”
Caroline’s breath hitched. He had just handed her the perfect alibi for her sudden grief, a plausible reason for her breakdown, a cover for the fact that she had discovered his secret.
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