Savage Cinderella

Chapter 30 and 31

Other than malnourishment, some scars, and several healed fractures, the doctors had given her a clean bill of health. Her counseling sessions were getting easier and she finally slept through the night, but the responsibility of sharing a life with someone seemed overwhelming and far too distant. Allowing the doubt to rise for an instant, she quickly shoved it back down. A life with Justin and a family of her own was something she only dared to dream was a possibility, but it was what she wanted with all of her heart, and Justin deserved someone who could love him, body and soul.

She squeezed his hand a little tighter, sending him a shy smile. The thought of being intimate with him made her heart pound with a mix of fear and anticipation.

He swatted at a bee that stubbornly flew about his head. Grinning, Brinn hummed a high-pitched buzzing sound through her teeth and the bee retreated.

“How do you do that?”

“What?”

“Talk to animals—even insects. You seem to have a gift for communicating with them.” He let go of her hand as she climbed the big boulder that edged the property. Justin climbed up and sat beside her, clearly enjoying the shade of the oaks and maples lining the trail.

“I guess I understand them. When you live life in the forest, you realize that all living creatures are connected. From the tallest tree to the tiniest bug, we are all dependent on one another for survival. You become like a family.” She gazed around at the trees and settled on a large hawk high up in the branches of a white pine. “It’s like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s hard to explain. In time, communication comes naturally, I think.”

“Kind of like us, I suppose.” His fingertips stroked the back of her hand, drawing her attention to the sensation that sent a warm shiver up her arm, and lifted the tiny hairs. “From the first moment I saw you in that stream, I knew you were meant for me.” He said it softly, dimples deepening. The ruddy glow that spread from his cheeks to his ears made her smile back, her heart bursting with happiness.

“Was it my amazing fishing skills or the way I threatened you with my knife that made up your mind?” she asked, joking, trying to lighten the mood and ease the awkward sensations that danced through her flesh.

Justin laughed, brushed the hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear, sobering before he said, “It was your incredible courage and strength of will. You are the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, Brinn.” His eyes turned to deep pools of emotion. “I can’t imagine my life without you.” He touched the end of her nose with a gentle fingertip. “Besides, who else could I recite Dickinson with?” His lips tenderly touched the end of her nose where his finger had just been and Brinn’s fears scattered.

Chapter 31

Flirting With Disaster

He was right. Whatever connection they had formed was undeniably a special bond that held seemingly endless possibilities. Her impatience squirmed uncomfortably down low in her belly. She wanted to know in this instant whether her past would be an insurmountable obstacle that would eventually destroy this precious connection that was growing by the day.  When he innocently kissed her nose, stubborn desire rose in flames, heating her flesh with curious pleasure and confusing her further.

She blew out a breath that sent a breeze across her face and lifted a wisp of hair from the new bangs that rested at her brow. Patience was definitely not her strong suit. She slid down off the big boulder landing soft as a cat onto the ground below. Justin followed suit, landed agilely beside her, and they started back toward the house. He reached out to offer his hand. Brinn took it and smiled, still awed by how such a small gesture could feel so incredibly intimate and right. It was the same sensation she got whenever he quoted Emily Dickinson’s poetry or answered her calls with sweet messages that lit up her day.