As if she couldn’t hold it in another second, she blurted, “Being raped.”
“By Franco Spatafore?” Chase growled.
“No.”
“Not Mateo Spatafore?”
“No,” she said with conviction. “I know how I would physically feel afterward now because of you, and besides that—I can’t say what else.”
“Yes, you can. What else?”
In the tiniest of whispers, she reminded him she’d been on her period at the Spatafore compound. He’d seen the tampons she’d brought with her.
“Except for my wrist, like I said, neither of the Spatafores touched me, Chase.”
“Awright.” Relief. Sort of. “Then who?”
“You.” She looked at him in the moonlight.
“Hell no!” Chase jackknifed up in the bed, reached to the bedside lamp, and flicked on the light. “Not me, Jade. I asked you if it hurt a little, but what we did was not rape.”
“I know that, Chase.” She sat up, too, and put her head in her hands. “What I’m seeing is as false as the pain was.”
“Can you remember what really happened?”
“Yes.” She nodded and looked at him. “I remember every detail. You asked me if I was sure. You said you’d pull out. I said no because it wasn’t the right time for me to, you know—”
“Get pregnant,” Chase said.
“I also said, ‘Let’s do it again.’” She swiped away more tears and sniffled. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she closed her eyes and said, “I think that’s why I had the nightmare. The truth and the lie are fighting each other in my head.”
Chase sighed. “Thank God, you finally told me. I thought you’d changed your mind about being with me. And that would suck because I really like you, Jade.”
Jade’s green eyes widened as her mouth fell open in surprise. “I really like you, too, Chase.” Placing her hands over her heart, she said, “I fell for you the minute I saw you under the portico. The way you’ve taken care of me since I’ve been back, the patience you’ve showered on me—every day, I like you more.”
Chase thumbed away a tear on her cheek. “Same here. What’re we gonna do about it?”
“Make love?”
“We’ve got no condoms and no pill.” He saw a question burning in her eyes. “What?”
“I want to have a baby. Someday, Chase. Do you?”
“Yes. That’s why I left the bedroom next to this one as a nursery.”
Jade squeezed his hands. “For the next week or so, we’re safe.”
“If not, we’ll have a baby.” With a grin, Chase added, “Sooner than later.”
Jade sniffled and asked, “Do you know you’re as sensitive as you are sexy? And that’s just part of what makes you so irresistible?”
“I guess we’ll see.” He grinned. “Let’s do it, buttercup.”
“Just like when you hugged me through the pain, we don’t stop no matter what,” she choked out around a quivering smile. “Okay?”
“Maybe.”
Chase pulled his tee shirt off, tossed it, and lay back in the bed. Jade tugged off her tee shirt, and his mouth watered as he admired her cotton candy nipples and ivory breasts. His gaze moseyed up her elegant neck and glistening lips to her emerald eyes. From the moment he met Jade, she had attracted him like no other woman ever had. He needed her and wanted to take her fast but warned himself to proceed with caution.
