On Common Ground

by Jansen Schmidt

  She raised her face toward the heat from the fire. Blinking back tears she shook her head.

  Trevor took her clammy hands in his much larger warm ones. He looked into her eyes. “Who?”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “It was raining that night, too.” The words eked out, a faint whisper as if they didn’t want to be captured by another human ear. “And lightning. Lots of lightning. Like now.”

  Trevor leaned closer. She drew in a ragged breath, sniffed, exhaled. “We were at a party. At a bar. Near campus. Everyone was drinking, but I only had one beer all night. I was too nervous to drink.”

  She wrapped her arms around her waist. Rocking back and forth, she stared into the fire wishing the flames could burn away the vivid images etched in indelible ink in her mind.

  “He was drunk. But, he wanted to drive home. It was raining super hard. Everyone told him not to drive. Because he was drunk. He said he was fine. I…I grabbed the keys out of his hand and started running toward the door. I didn’t think. I just….”

  She blinked a few times. Trevor dabbed the corner of the blanket against her wet cheeks. Thunder boomed in the distance. Rain assailed the cabin.

  “He chased me and then…I didn’t know what to do. So…I got my purse. I told him I would drive him home. Everyone started saying rude stuff, telling him he was going to get lucky and…I should have stopped.”

  She hung her head as a fresh wave of tears washed over her. Trevor squeezed her hand. Air puffed out of his nose in short intense bursts. She glanced at him. His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed.

  “I didn’t know what to do.” She’d grown hoarse from crying. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I don’t know what came over me. I just…really didn’t want him to drive. I was scared that he’d get in a wreck. It was such a bad storm.” Her eyes darted to the window where rain pelted against the glass.

  “Everyone knew I liked him.” She shrugged. “And I did. That’s why I didn’t want him to drive. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  She wiped tears from her cheeks with the sleeves of her sopping pajamas. “So I drove him home. But when we got there, he…he…wouldn’t get out of the car. He started kissing me and groping me and he wouldn’t stop.” She looked at Trevor, tears pooling, blurring her vision. “He wouldn’t stop.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head before continuing. “I kept yelling at him to stop. I hit him. Lots of times. But he was so much bigger than me. And strong. He ripped my clothes. He kept saying, ‘this is what you want’ and ‘I hope you like it rough’.”

  Tears scalded her cheeks. She thought she might hyperventilate. Trevor rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms. His lips tautened across his firm tense jaw.

  “I…just…didn’t…want him…to…to…drive. That’s all.”

  Trevor got up and put more wood on the fire. She pulled the blanket tighter and leaned into the cushions. He paced the length of the sofa and back. When her tears subsided, she elaborated.

  “Because it was such a bad storm, my dad was waiting up for me when I got home. My clothes were torn and I had cuts and bruises. He knew something happened. He insisted that I tell him. He and my mom took me to the hospital. They did all kinds of tests. Gave me shots and…stuff. It was awful. Humiliating.”

  Trevor sat next to her, but she couldn’t look at him. She wanted him to hear the entire ugly story. “The hospital called the police. The next day they started questioning my friends. By noon the whole campus knew what happened. Everyone told me not to press charges. They all said he didn’t mean it. He was just drunk, and everyone knew I liked him.” She glanced at Trevor. “One girl even said I was lucky. She’d been trying to have sex with him all semester.”

  Trevor swore. He launched himself back off the sofa.

  “No one,” she said through clenched teeth, “not one single person was on my side.” She swiped the backs of her hands across her wet cheeks. “Even the administration thought it was no big deal. Some people said I was making it up because I was mad at him for not asking me out. Kyle was the star of the football team, first round draft pick, supposed to play for the Detroit Lions in the fall. Everyone said if I pressed charges, his life would be ruined.”

  “What?” Trevor roared. “You’d ruin his life?”

  She hung her head. “I was a nobody. Just a silly little virgin girl. A bumpkin beauty queen from the Ag department who got what she deserved for wanting to drive him home.”

  Trevor knelt in front of her and clasped her hands. “You can’t believe that.”

  “Why?” She shrugged. “It was true. I was a virgin. I liked him. I was an Ag major who had no business being attracted to a jock. What did I think he was going to do? Kiss my hand and thank me for possibly saving his life or someone else’s? That’d be idiotic, now wouldn’t it?”

  Trevor stared down at her. “The world is full of jerks and idiots, but you are not one of them.”

  The anger in his voice was palpable. He paced in front of the window. His eyes darkened to dangerous proportions. His hands flexed at this sides. She shivered, remembering the same slow deliberate movements the night he’d rescued her in the barn, the controlled force he’d used to subdue Brooks.

  “I pressed charges anyway. A lot of people who took the stand at the trial lied. But, there was enough physical evidence to put him in Oklahoma State Penitentiary for twenty-two months.”

  “A measly two years? Are you kidding me?”

  “His daddy was pissed.” Ketra tried to laugh, but fell short. “He tried every trick in the book to keep Kyle out of a prison. I guess his political status in California didn’t carry much weight in Oklahoma though. When he found out his precious baby boy was going to prison, he started threatening my family. I was so scared he’d hurt them. My reputation was ruined. I started getting hate e-mails and obscene texts. My dad thought it would be best if I went away for a while. That’s when they brought me here. No one except my immediate family knows where I went.”

  Trevor nodded. “They did the right thing. You’re safe here.”

  She wanted to believe the conviction in his voice, but didn’t. “I don’t feel safe. Not anymore.”

  “Because of Brooks?”

  “My mom called today. Kyle’s out of prison. His parole officer called. As a courtesy.” She rocked back and forth, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an effort to eliminate the bone-deep chill that seemed her new-found companion. “What if he finds me?”

  Trevor pulled her into his arms. “Baby, you’re safe as long as I’m around. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. No one. I won’t let that happen.”

  “I knew this day would come, but I thought I’d be ready. I thought I’d stop hating him, but I can’t. He hurt me so bad. And his dad threatened my family. I don’t want him to hurt anybody else.” She cried onto his shoulder while he rubbed her back.

  “Sssh. It’s okay. You’re safe.”

  She raised her head and swiped the now damp blanket across her wet face. Trevor smoothed her hair behind her shoulders. Settling her against the couch cushions, he turned to face her.

  “Did your mom give you a name of his parole officer?”

  “I don’t remember. It was a man. He said he wanted us to know that he was Kyle Hamilton’s parole officer.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “No, not the parole officer’s. Kyle’s.”

  “Kyle Hamilton.”

  Trevor cocked his head. “His dad’s a politician in California? Is his dad Brian Hamilton?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  His brow furrowed over narrowed eyes. “I’ve heard of him.”

  “I don’t know why I’m so afraid.”

  He pulled her onto his lap and cuddled her against his chest. He feathered kisses across h
er forehead and temple, his hot breath warm in her ear.

  “Hush. The storm’s moving away, but I’m not.” He carried her toward his bedroom at the back of the house. “We need to get you out of these wet clothes.”

  She snuggled into his warmth; solid and…safe? How is it possible that I feel this safe with this man?

  Trevor set her on the edge of the bed and removed the damp blanket. She crossed her arms to rub the chill from her shoulders. A pair of boxers and a t-shirt landed next to her. She stilled as he knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her knees.

  “Let’s get you warmed up,” he said.

  His eyes shimmered silver in the faint light spilling in from the hallway. All resistance to his attentions vanished. In its place a welcome sense of peace unfurled. Sitting in the dark, staring into his caring eyes, her brain cautioned that trust was a fickle friend. But her heart burst with yearning for human companionship. He guided her hands down until they rested in her lap. He leaned in. He’s going to kiss me! She braced for panic to engage her legs for flight. Instead anticipation and exhilaration flickered to life when his lips connected with hers. She savored the warmth of the gentle contact.

  He enfolded her in his arms, pulling her into his chest, deepening the kiss, but letting her set the pace. When she parted her lips, he did not invade her mouth as expected. Relieved and encouraged by his patience, she wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her tongue against his. A jolt of pure raw passion exploded.

  The soft moan that escaped her throat surprised her. Trevor broke away and rested his forehead against hers. “You okay?”

  She nodded. He kissed the bridge of her nose then a path along her jaw line. Sucking air into her lungs, she cupped his face and brought his mouth back to hers. His hands skimmed down her arms. Buttons on her damp top opened one by one.

  Wet fabric slid off her trembling shoulders. He cupped her breasts in his warm hands, grazing her nipples with his thumbs. She arched her back as a current of desire raged through her. He positioned her in the middle of the mattress, bracing himself over her, close but not trapping her. She looked into his eyes. She wanted to touch him, but insecurity and inexperience stopped her.

  “Still okay?” he asked.

  She lowered her eyes, embarrassed at the amount of enjoyment his ministrations created.

  “Want me to stop?”

  She shook her head.

  He kissed her again, weaving soft hot kisses down her neck and into the valley between her breasts. His tongue flicked over her nipple. She gasped, arching into him as he continued his assault on her tingling breasts. The sensations filling her spurred her to participate in the sensual exploration. She plunged her fingers into his silky hair, softer than she expected, like thin satin ribbons. She’d never caressed a man’s hair before. She liked it. Her hands traveled down his back and across his shoulders.

  He rose up to his knees and removed his t-shirt. All the air left her lungs at the magnificent site of his naked torso. She reached tentative fingers to the hard planes of his abdomen and broad chest. He held still while she fondled his smooth skin. As her confidence escalated, so did her exploration of his body. She circled her arms around his narrow waist, pulling him closer for more intimate contact.

  Heat pooled in intimate places as he kissed her, the intensity of their sensual contact coiling tighter at her center. Trevor tugged at the damp pajamas clinging to her waist. She lifted her hips for him to remove the last article of clothing protecting her modesty. Lying still and naked beneath him, anxious and eager at the same time, she waited for him to make the next move.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered. Through lowered lashes, she glanced at his stomach, praying he’d keep his jeans on, hoping he wouldn’t. She trembled, but not from cold.

  He rolled beside her, clasping an arm around her waist. He massaged her hip, thigh, and butt, tickling the back of one knee before working his way back up. Their kisses deepened when he buried his hands in her hair. She pulled away, breathless. He pushed off the bed and removed his jeans and underwear. She stared at his naked silhouette until he returned to her side.

  He scooted close. Their lower bodies touched. Ketra relished the feel of his warm skin, velvet softness over solid muscle. Ignoring her inhibitions, she followed her instincts, closing her fingers around his erection. She glided her hand along his hot shaft, slowing at the tip to let her thumb explore the moisture there before sliding back toward his body.

  “Damn,” he groaned when she began the journey back down the length of him. He inched away and slid his fingertips between her legs to bestow the same pleasure on her. Her muscles clenched until he circled his thumb on the sensitive area between her legs. With an audible exhalation, she relaxed enough for him to slide a finger into her wet center.

  “Damn,” he repeated. “Baby, you feel so good.”

  He continued his pleasurable torment. A firestorm of tension eddied inside. She bucked her hips, her arms flailing when a wave of pleasure rocketed through her. Fisting the blanket, she arched her back. Trevor increased the pressure. She bucked again, squeezing her eyes shut when another spasm seized her. Small flinches wracked her body.

  Trevor stilled. “You still doing okay?”

  She stopped panting long enough to answer. “I didn’t know anything could feel so good.”

  “Mmmm.” He nuzzled her neck and flicked a thumb across her nipple. “And we’re just getting started. It gets a whole lot better.”

  When she didn’t comment, he raised up on one elbow. “You don’t believe me?”

  “I guess you’ll have to show me.”

  They lay still for a couple of minutes, gazing at each other.

  “First, I need to know you’re okay,” he said. “That you’re not afraid.”

  She licked her lips. His eyes, dark with unspent passion bore into hers. “I’m not afraid.”

  “And I need to know that you know exactly who is holding you and loving you.”

  “I….” She looked away, wishing with her entire being that he’d make love to her. But could she forget about what happened with Kyle? Would unwelcome memories invade? “I know it’s…you”

  “Me?”

  She had so little experience with men and intimacy. She didn’t know a thing about pillow talk or how to tell him what she needed or how she felt. And she couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t freak out, because she had no idea if she would or wouldn’t.

  “Who am I?”

  Why is he angry? Should she say his name? Is that what bothered him? She wished she was better at talking about her feelings. Her eyes sought his. He expected her to say something, but what? Did he need her consent to finish what they’d started? She wanted him to continue.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  His lungs deflated as though someone delivered a punch to his gut. How could she not trust him after the intimacy they’d shared?

  Extreme patience had been his constant companion while he ensured her pleasure without seeking his own release. She needed proof that she could enjoy sex without getting hurt. Fire raged in his loins with each mental reminder that self-control was key to winning her trust. Backing away from her when he did had been a monumental display of discipline.

  “Are you a cowboy or a cop?” she asked. “Or something else? A criminal maybe, on the run. Hiding out here.”

  Shaking off the shock, Trevor ruminated on her question and how to answer. Being evasive always worked best when trying not to outright lie. Because he hated lying, he’d perfected the art of evasiveness. However, pure and simple honesty was the favored path right now.

  Trust came hard for him, probably harder that it did for her. Trusting the wrong person could mean life or death in his line of work. Showing that he trusted her first would gain her trust in return.

  And
beyond a shadow of a doubt, he wanted Ketra’s trust. More than he’d wanted anything in a long time.

  “At this particular moment, I’m all of those things.” He ran his fingers through her tousled curls. “First and foremost, I’m a cowboy. Always have been, always will be. I’m also a detective with the Maricopa County Sheriff. I’m on administrative leave. I shot someone. If it turns out I shot the wrong guy, then I’ll be a criminal too.” He offered what he hoped was a sympathetic grin.

  Her inquisitive eyes widened. Hoping to avoid a further explanation, he grasped her shoulders and rolled on to his back, pulling her on top of him. “Now, little lady, I’ll show you how good it’s gonna get.”

  He kissed her, pouring all of his long-buried passion into the gesture. While they kissed and stroked and nipped each other, he fumbled in the drawer of the night stand for the box of condoms. He hadn’t expected to use them but being prepared never hurt. With the latex barrier in place, he positioned her hips above his. He lowered her on to his shaft with painstaking gentleness. Her head tilted back as she took him deep inside her soft wet center. After a minute for her to adjust to him, he eased into a slow rhythm he hoped she’d quicken.

  With hands on her hips, he encouraged her. “You’re in charge, baby. You can stop whenever you want. You say stop, and I’ll stop.” He prayed in silence, admitting that divine intervention might be needed if she asked him to stop.

  “I don’t want to stop,” she said. “It feels…really…good.”

  With a sigh of relief, he increased the tempo. She followed his lead. Her hair cascaded down her back on to his thighs like a silk waterfall, shimmering silver in the faint light filtering in from the other room. He cupped her breasts and drove deeper. She moaned and panted as she rocked back and forth. Passion danced across her face. Tremors skipped over her limbs. He quickened the pace. She matched him thrust for thrust. When the pressure inside demanded release, he bucked hard and groaned. She clenched around him.

  When his taut body relaxed, she laid atop him, two lumps of Jell-O, melting into each other. He smoothed her hair and caressed her bottom, neither saying anything until their breathing returned to normal.