Free GHOSTS OF ST. BARTS a totally addictive romance read (St. Barts Romance Books Series Book 5) by EMME CROSS Page B

really attacked and sexually assaulted. I can tell the difference. That night, what you saw, that’s why I was struggling. I was so tired and so upset about Henry that all those bad memories about when I was attacked came back to me.”
    “But I heard you say ‘wait’. I saw you wrestling. He hurt you. Why did you let him hurt you? How could he hurt you like that?”
    Sunny forgot to be cautious, intent on reassuring her young friend.
    “I told Sven to wait because I wasn’t ready. You’re old enough to know a bit about sex. A woman has to be ready. I just needed a minute but he couldn’t wait. Sometimes a man — or a woman — just can’t wait. Yes, he was a little rough . . .” she faltered, trying to find the right words, “but I was all mixed up, thinking he was the man who attacked me years ago. And Sven was in so much pain, Charlie. Just like you are now. And sometimes when grown-ups are in a lot of pain, they want to be close to someone. Intimate. Having sex can be a comfort. Sven needed to be very close to me. He needed to be intimate.”
    “But he hurt you.” Charlie couldn’t get past the disturbing images.
    “Yes,” Sunny answered honestly. “He hurt my upper arms but he didn’t mean to. Charlie, when you love someone, when you live with them, you often hurt them without realizing it. Not because you want to, but because they’re there, close at hand. Like brothers and sisters fight. Like when you get mad at your dad. It doesn’t mean you don’t love him. It’s because you love him. It’s safe to say and do hurtful things because you know they won’t leave. That doesn’t make it right. You should never hurt anyone on purpose, but it’s human. It’s what people do. And when you love someone who’s hurt you, you forgive them. Like I forgive Sven.”
    The tears had stopped. Sunny studied Charlie’s face intently. She could see he was trying to understand. He was calmer now.
    “Sven loves me and I love him. Please, don’t let your confusion over what you saw make you think otherwise. He was so upset about Henry. It reminded him about when his own dad died. He would never, ever, hurt me on purpose. Charlie, tell me you understand.”
    The boy went limp. “I guess so. I don’t know. It was just too much on top of Grandpa dying. If you say it’s okay?”
    “Yes, sweetie. It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”
    She stroked his cheek, smiling into his eyes and saw the hurt and confusion ebb away.
    Their emotional conversation had woken her daughter. The little girl’s arms were already outstretched, her eyes gazing past her two onlookers. Bliss leaned up towards the open nursery door. “Dada!” Sunny turned and looked up into the stricken face of her husband.
     

Chapter 8
    “Take off your clothes.” It wasn’t a request.
    “What?”
    “Take off your clothes. I can see what I did to your face. You didn’t bite your lip, did you? Let me see what else I did to you.” His voice was flat.
    “Sven, I’m fine. Really. Charlie was just upset about Henry.”
    “I won’t ask again. Either you’ll take off your clothes or I will.”
    They had returned to their bedroom in silence. Sunny realized there was no arguing with him, no waiting for the worst of the damage to fade. She removed her sweater, unveiling the purple bruises on her upper arms.
    Sven’s face was unreadable. She slipped off her black pumps and reached back to unzip her dress. There were patches of whisker burn on her upper thighs and the swell of her breasts, hickeys up and down her torso. The air was cold on her body, cold as her husband’s face. She reached around, fumbled to unhook her bra and slipped out of her nylons and panties. Sunny stood naked in front of Sven. She shivered, wishing he would say something — anything.
    * * *
    Sven looked at her sweet face with its anxious eyes. Her ravaged lips. His eyes travelled down the body he knew so well, assessing the damage he’d inflicted on that silken