Page 30 of Love Unbound
“I didn’t sleep with her,” he whispered despondently, his thumbs rubbing circles on her skin where they rested. His fingers tightened marginally when she tried to pull away at his words. “Not in the way that you think I did, anyway. I was drunk and angry. I know that doesn’t excuse what I did, but I swear to you, I didn’t sleep with her.”
“Don’t,” Jodi whimpered wretchedly, trying to pull away from the hold his hands had on her shoulders. “Please, just… don’t.”
The front door opened, and the blonde woman stepped out, walking quickly to her car without glancing in their direction. The car started, and she pulled out of the driveway without a backward glance. Dust hung in the air after she pulled away, their silence stretching out interminably.
She sniffled once and finally braved a look up into his face. She avoided looking at his naked chest, or lower to his abdomen where the open V of his jeans revealed the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs. He was deeply tanned by the Texas sun. He was beautiful and even now she ached to touch him.
She reached up and swiped again at the tracks her tears had left. Gathering her into his arms, he pulled her close, and she struggled for only a fraction of a heartbeat before settling into his embrace, wrapping her own arms around his bare middle, her fingers trailing along the muscles of his back briefly. His chin rested on the top of her head, where she buried her face into the curve of his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper morosely.
Jodi nodded into his chest, whispering back, “Me, too.”
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she pulled away, doing her best to straighten her clothes, running one hand over her hair, fidgeting nervously.
“I need to go,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze. She knew she had to look like a wreck. Embarrassment sweptthrough her again, making her cheeks flame.
Free nodded, though she saw it more out of her peripheral vision, still unable to look at him. “Jodi…”
She stepped around him, reaching for the door handle of the Jeep and pulling it open. She climbed in, closing the door behind her before starting it.
Finally daring to look him in the eyes, she raised her tear-stained face to his. His aquamarine eyes filled with anguish as he looked at her. Tucking one strand of curls behind her ear, she whispered, “Bye, Free,” before putting the Jeep in reverse and backing out of the driveway.
When Jodi looked in the rearview mirror, Free remained standing where he’d been, staring after her as she drove away. A fresh round of tears started anew, and Jodi was powerless to stop them as they fell.
Chapter 21
“Don’t,” Free snarled when he walked back into the house. Shane shrugged his shoulders where he leaned against the doorframe leading into the kitchen, one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee.
“I didn’t say a word,” Shane muttered, raising his eyebrows and taking a sip of his coffee.
Free strode past his brother into the kitchen, going to the cupboard and grabbing a coffee cup. Kasey sat at the kitchen table, and Free could sense the two younger men’s eyes on him as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Putting the coffee pot back, Free braced himself against the counter with his hands, dropping his head between his shoulders.
“You knew she was married,” Free stated from where he stood, not moving.
Shifting his weight where he stood, Shane looked down guiltily. “Yes, I knew she had gotten married. I also knew she had gotten a divorce. I had no idea you didn’t know. It’s not like it was a secret.”
Bringing his head up, he looked over at his brother. “How was I supposed to know from two thousand miles away? Why did no one ever tell me she had gotten married to begin with? No one could have mentioned it in passing on a phone call for christ sake?”
“I didn’t tell you because I knew it was going to hurt. You would have been a wreck, and I didn’t want to be responsible for that. I also knew it wasn’t going to last,” Shane snapped, pushinghimself away from the doorframe. “Josh Murphy is a fucking tool. No one wanted her to marry him.”
“How long?” Free asked.
Shane shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, Free. It wasn’t long. Maybe a year? Less? They’ve been separated for longer than they were even married, man. Jodi doesn’t like to talk about it, I think she’s embarrassed. From what I’ve heard—and this is all second hand, mind you—he was abusive, I guess he put his hands on her a couple times. He’s an alcoholic, and had multiple affairs throughout the majority of the time they dated and into their marriage. That’s all I’ve heard. I don’t know anything more than that.”
“That jackass put his hands on her?” Free snarled, standing up straight. Shane gave him a look, and Free took a deep breath.
“Like I said, I don’t know all the details. It’s just what I’ve heard from people like Shaun and Levi,” Shane muttered, pouring himself another cup of coffee. Kasey stood and crossed the kitchen to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup as well. “I guarantee he knew what he was doing last night when he talked to you. He’s crazy as hell.”
Free blew out his breath and hung his head again, muttering a string of self-deprecating curses. “I don’t blame Jodi for thinking what she did. It took me by surprise, and the more I thought about it the angrier I got.”
“I didn’t even know what the hell happened last night,” Shane said, shaking his head. “One second you were fine, the next you came inside angrier than a pissed off hornet. You started slamming shots, and then you were making out with that blonde. Did you…?”
“No,” Free muttered, shaking his head. “I didn’t.”
Free walked over to the kitchen table and slumped into one of the chairs. His head ached abominably. He’d done some stupid shit in his life, but this took the cake. Last night he’d let his pridetake over, and instead of talking to anyone about it and getting the truth, he’d jumped to the conclusion that Jodi was lying to him, and had done the only thing he knew how to do to get Jodi Kendall— Jodi Murphy— off his mind. He cringed at the name, hating it with a deep passion.
Chapter 22
