Chapter 483
[ 486 words ]
Chapter 483:
Caroline’s eyes burned, and she fought back the tears that threatened to spill over.
He saw the glisten in her eyes. For an instant, his expression shifted as if he wanted to wipe the tear away himself, but his injured hands made the impulse useless. His jaw tightened with the frustration of it. Instead, he bent his head and caught the tear with a soft kiss against her cheek. “Don’t,” he commanded, his voice soft but firm.
Then he leaned his forehead against hers again, close enough that the brace pressed awkwardly between them and the heat of his body wrapped around her where his arms could not. She pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his scent, trying to brand it into her memory.
She expected words of farewell, a final promise. Instead, he drew back just enough for their eyes to meet.
And then he kissed her.
It was unlike any of their previous kisses. This wasn’t about passion or comfort. This was a public statement. It was raw, possessive, and brutally definitive. He had chosen this spot, in the middle of the bustling staging area, for a reason.
Across the way, Dr. Julian Croft saw it all. He stood frozen, his face a pale mask of disbelief. The kiss was a final, crushing blow to a hope he hadn’t even allowed himself to fully acknowledge. He understood now where the marks on her neck had come from. He understood the impassable gulf that had always existed between them.
Ashley Wright saw it too. Her face contorted in a mask of ugly, impotent rage. This wasn’t just a goodbye. This was a branding. Jarrod was telling the entire world, in no uncertain terms: this woman is mine.
The kiss ended, leaving Caroline breathless, her lips swollen and tingling. She felt the stares of dozens of people on her and wanted to hide.
Jarrod, however, looked completely satisfied. He rested his forehead against hers, his voice a low, urgent command. “Wait for me. Miss me.”
𝗨𝗉𝗱𝘢𝘁еs 𝖾𝗏e𝗋y 𝘸𝘦e𝘬 𝘰𝗇 gа𝗹ոоv𝖾𝗹s.𝖼𝗼𝗆
She could only manage a shaky nod.
“And,” he added, his voice dropping even lower, “stay away from that doctor named Julian.”
The raw, almost childish jealousy in his voice, coming after such a display of dominant power, was so unexpected it startled a laugh out of her. The sound, a small, choked “pfft,” broke the tension, washing away some of the sadness. She gave him a look that was part exasperation, part deep affection.
He smiled, a genuine, unguarded smile. He leaned in and pressed one last, gentle kiss to her forehead. Then, without another word, he turned, moved to the Jeep with controlled, careful steps, and climbed in awkwardly, protecting the braced arm as K.C. kept the vehicle steady and pretended not to notice.
The door slammed shut. The vehicle lurched forward, kicking up a cloud of brown dust.
Caroline stood rooted to the spot, watching until the Jeep was just a small speck disappearing over the horizon.
.
.
.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.