Free Captured Love by Juliana Haygert Page A

frozen to the spot. I couldn’t escape him. Every place I went, even in my house, he was there.
    At least I hadn’t been sent to the Habitat for Humanity site again. However, it still boggled my mind. Ryan wasn’t one to volunteer for a charity. What was he doing there?

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    Jason descended the porch steps and started around the house, but he stopped and turned to me. “He was pretty messed up, you know, about what he did to you. If he could take it back, he would. And after what Dad did to you at the Main Square … I had to hold him back. Luke, Ethan, and I had to hold him actually, because I wasn’t strong enough. He would have killed Dad if I let him. I wanted to kill Dad too, but, well, not in the literal sense. My way of protesting was not to speak him for over a year. It would have lasted longer, if he hadn’t started to feel ill. Anyway—” He glanced at his phone. “—I thought you should know.”
    Jason disappeared down the path beside the house, leaving me stunned on the porch.

    ***
Ryan

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    I turned down the volume and parked my car on the next block. Through the rear-view mirror, I glanced at the house on the corner. If Jason didn’t come in one minute, I would leave.
    Shit. How was I supposed to know she would be up and outside at this hour?
    Well, thinking back, she had been outside plenty of times at this hour. Even later.
    Jessica and I had been together for only a month, but it was an intense month. We got together almost every night. Some nights, I would sneak into her bedroom and we would talk while she sketched me, or we would cuddle and watch a quiet movie on her TV. The highlight was the end of the night, when we kissed until we fell asleep in each other’s arms. Other nights, she would sneak out and we would go for a ride, either in my car or on my street bike. We only took the car if it was raining or cold, otherwise the bike was the first option. I loved how she 140/504
    hopped behind me, how she squeezed my hips with her thighs, wound her arms around my waist, and rested her head on my shoulder.
    Better than that was when I let her drive. Then I could press my body to hers, touch her waist, her belly, her legs, smell the delicious wild rose scent of her skin and her hair. I got hard every single time she was in front.
    One night, she was driving along a deserted highway, going fast. Her hair whipped back in my face. After a long sniff, I pushed it aside and admired the smooth skin of her long neck. I leaned into her, brushing my lips on her delicious skin while one of my hands cupped her breast, and the other slid around her inner thigh.
    Surprised, or overcome by the sensa-tions, she gasped and jerked the bike to the side. For a moment, she lost control and the bike skidded. I reached forward, making her 141/504
    lean over the gas tank, and grabbed the handles. I was able to steady the bike, but I decided it was time for a break.
    “Sorry,” she whispered, turning around over the side. “It was your fault though.” I chuckled. “No, it wasn’t. Prove it.” She scooted closer and wounded her legs around my waist. “Let me show you what happened.” Slowly, she slid her hand around my neck and brushed her warm lips on my skin. I hissed. “There was more.” She nipped at the soft spot between my neck and shoulder while snaking her hands down my body until she cupped my erection. I stilled, afraid that if I moved, I would wake up from this magnificent dream.
    A knock on my car window shook me from my memory. Jason stood on the sidewalk beside my car with Luna on a leash.
    Shit, I had been out of it for how long? I dragged a hand over my face and unlocked the doors.

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    “Hey,” Jason said, sliding into his car.
    He left the door open, so Luna could stay near him.
    “Couldn’t you have texted me that she was out with you?” I asked.
    Jason patted Luna’s head and shrugged.
    “This town isn’t that big. You two can’t avoid each other for the next two