Heart of Light

by T. K. Leigh

  “Jolene…” Cam said softly.

  She shook her head, turning her gaze to him. “Please. Just let me get this out.” She returned her eyes to the darkening ocean, steel drums sounding in the distance.

  “Everything was great those first few years. I didn’t even have to go to school. He hired private tutors for me. He took me to the theater. And shopping. And to baseball games. Then, when I turned eighteen, it all changed. And there was no more theater. Or shopping. Or baseball games. At that moment, I became another one of his girls. But not just a girl. I became his girl. But he still had no problem sharing me. So not only did I have to make him happy on a daily basis, I got auctioned off each night to the highest bidder.

  “After the first year, I gave up hope that anyone was even looking for me. It became apparent that he wasn’t my mother’s friend. I still don’t understand how my father could have allowed this complete monster to have custody of me. My dad’s still alive, as far as I know, so why wasn’t he looking for me? Every day, I woke up thinking today’s the day that he’ll find me and save me. But no one ever came. So I shut off. I stopped feeling because, with every touch, you know what I felt?”

  She looked at him, her chin quivering. “Shame, Cam. He blamed us, saying he couldn’t control his urges, that none of the men could, that we were at fault for their shortcomings, that serving them and bending to their will on a nightly basis was our penance. He made me feel shame, and I hated that feeling so I tried to turn it off. None of the men I was forced to be with seemed to care. I had finally stopped putting up a fight. And you want to know the sick part? Some of the men stopped coming to see me. They wanted a girl who would struggle against them. It turned them on.” She tore her eyes from his, running the grains of sand through her fingers as she continued telling her story.

  “After that, I put on a fake smile and shut down. If I wasn’t there mentally, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much, but it did. It always hurt. But what could I do? Escape? Impossible. Until a woman that worked for him took an interest in me. See, she wasn’t supposed to know about me, about any of us, but she did. We became close friends over the years. It took quite a while to plan but, one night, it all came together and I got out.”

  Jolene raised her head, wondering how Cam would react now that he knew her secret.

  “I had a feeling,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but you have to understand that you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you feel something other than that. I’ll help you feel free again. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

  She wiped her cheeks, staring intensely into Cam’s kind silver eyes. “Do you promise you’ll never hurt me?”

  Her voice nearly broke his heart. “Never. I want to help you come back from your darkness. I want to be the light in your life. Even if my presence is the only light, I want to be that for you.”

  She reached for him, clutching his hand in hers.

  He looked down at their intertwining fingers, his heart racing.

  “I need your touch, Cam. Please.” She pressed his hand against her face, slowly withdrawing her hand from his.

  “Jolene…” he exhaled, closing his eyes and concentrating on the sensation of her delicate skin against his. “Do you have any idea how amazing you feel?”

  Grabbing his face with both her hands, she brought his mouth toward hers. “Kiss me, Cam.”

  His eyes grew wide. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded, not hesitating for a minute. “Yes. I need it. To be free from the darkness. Please, Cam. Be my light.”

  He lowered his hand to her waist, pulling her close. “Is this okay?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Her heart raced in anticipation.

  He gently brushed his lips against hers, sparks igniting in her core from the delicate contact.

  “Is this okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. Don’t stop,” she breathed.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He moved his lips with hers, coaxing her mouth open with his tongue.

  Thousands of unique tremors ran through Jolene’s body. Cam’s kiss was unlike anything she had experienced before. He was so gentle, almost scared to be too forceful with her. Running her fingers through his hair, she closed the distance as they sat on the sand, their tongues caressing each other.

  “Cam,” Jolene exhaled, pulling her lips from his. She gently nibbled at his earlobe. “Take away the darkness. Please,” she whispered.

  “How? How can I do that?” He withdrew, staring deep into her eyes, the fear that was pervading her entire being just moments beforehand replaced by the look he had grown to admire…hope.

  “Set me free. Free from my past and my present…a life that’s been filled with shame. I don’t want to feel that anymore.”

  “What do you want, Jolene?”

  She grabbed his hands, standing up and pulling him with her. “I want to feel you, Cam,” she breathed into his mouth. “Please.”

  He quickly scooped her small frame into his arms and carried her the short distance back to their ocean-front suite, the entire time his heart pounding in his chest.

  Lowering her onto the bed, he hovered over her, his eyes searing into hers. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel that…”

  “Shut up and kiss me,” she said, grabbing his neck and forcing him down on top of her. She pressed her lips to his, entering his mouth with her tongue.

  Tearing out of the kiss, he feathered his lips against her neck, waves of bliss rippling through her body. A tear fell down her face as she thought how tender and sensual he was.

  “Please, don’t cry,” Cam begged. “I can’t bear the thought that you’re crying because of me.”

  “They’re happy tears,” she assured him, tilting her head, giving him better access. “Please, Cam. I want to feel you.”

  “You are feeling me,” he replied.

  “Cam, I want to feel you inside me.” She returned her eyes to his.

  “Are you sure?” he asked again. “We can take our time. I know this is difficult…”

  She forced his lips against hers once more. “Shut up and make love to me.” She kissed him with more ferocity than she could recall doing anything in all her twenty-eight years, the passion coursing through her veins at a fevered pitch. Her nerve endings ignited, taking her by complete surprise as she pulled Cam’s body even further into her own, every brush of his hand leaving fire in its wake.

  He tore his lips from her, panting as he gazed down at her, completely aroused from a simple kiss.

  “What are you staring at?” she asked. “You’re making me nervous here.”

  He gently caressed her cheek, loving the feel of her silken skin. “I don’t mean to. It’s just… This is a completely different look for you.” Leaning down, he trailed kisses down her neck, lifting her shirt over her head, gawking at her black lace bra. “I like this look on you,” he whispered, slowly licking and nipping his way down her chest.

  He felt her entire body trembling beneath him. Raising his eyes, he met her gaze. “Are you alright, Jolene? We don’t have to do this. We can stop.”

  She shook her head. “No. Don’t stop. Please. I don’t want to live in the darkness anymore.”

  He propped himself on his elbow, his face just inches from hers. He needed to see her eyes.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” she answered without giving the question a moment’s thought. “I trust you, Cam. Just assure me that everything will be okay. That I’ll be okay.”

  He brushed her hair out of her face, lovingly stroking her forehead. “Of course you will. I’ll never let you go back to the darkness. I promise that I’ll do everything I can to make sure your world is only bathed in light from now on.”

  Jolene nodded, fighting back the tears at Cam’s heartfelt words. “I need you to erase the past. I don’t want to think about the girl that I was before I met you. I only want to be the girl that I am now. I just wa
nt to be with you.”

  Cam leaned down, his lips hovering over hers. “Okay. But promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That even though you let me kiss you, we can still almost kiss from time to time. Because that fucking does it for me, Jolene. You do it for me.” He pressed his mouth delicately against hers before moving down her body, taking his time to make sure she felt every amazing sensation of finally being taken care of…of finally being loved the way she should have been all those years.

  He dipped his finger beneath her bra, exposing her nipple. Lowering his mouth, he gently circled her chest with his tongue, making her moan. “Is this okay?” he asked, continuing his torturous exploration of her body.

  “Yes,” she exhaled, ready to fall apart from his affectionate touch. “Don’t stop. I need you to keep touching me, Cam. Don’t ever stop touching me.”

  He grinned, reaching around her back and unhooking her bra rather efficiently.

  “Do that often, Casanova?” she asked sarcastically. “You’re a little too good at that.”

  He slid her bra down her arms before returning his mouth to her chest. “I’m just very good with my fingers,” he explained between licks. He trailed his lips across her stomach, trying to savor each and every inch of her. “You’re about to find out how good I really am.”

  Jolene’s heart began racing at Cam’s words. Not only was he incredibly gifted with his tongue, but his words were amazingly sensual, as well, forcing a strange reaction deep within her. With each touch, millions of electric currents spread through her body and she knew if he hit just the right spot, she would shatter into thousands of pieces.

  Cam glanced up at Jolene, her chest heaving as she tried to contain the pleasure he hoped was flowing through her body. Circling his tongue just above the waistline of her skirt, he asked one more time, “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Cam,” she exhaled breathlessly.

  Slipping a finger underneath the elastic waistband, he slid the skirt down her legs, gazing at the woman lying on the bed in just a pair of black lace panties. Grabbing his wallet out of his shorts, he pulled out a condom, leaving it on the nightstand, and swiftly rid himself of his clothes.

  Hovering between her legs, he pushed her panties aside, circling her clit with his fingers.

  Jolene moaned out, her mind a blank slate as she was consumed with certain feelings that she had buried deep within her soul. Cam was bringing them back and her gratitude for that simple act overwhelmed her.

  “Can I take off your panties, doll?”

  Jolene nodded her head fervently. “Yes. Please.”

  He smiled, lifting her hips and sliding the lacy material down her legs. “You don’t have to say please with me. You’re not here for me. I’m here for you.”

  The sincerity in his voice pushed her over the edge and she let out a cry, her sobs overtaking her.

  “I’m sorry, Jolene,” he said, raising himself and wrapping his arms around her, loving the feeling of her naked chest against his. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

  “I can’t help it. It’s not a bad cry. It’s a good cry.”

  Cam reached for her face, gently wiping her tears away. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

  “Know what I’ve been wanting for a while?” Jolene asked playfully.

  He shook his head, a mischievous grin on his face.

  She pulled his head to her lips, nibbling on his earlobe. “Your tongue on me. I want you to touch me. To taste me.”

  He groaned. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that, Jolene.” He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her delicious scent. “And if the way your skin tastes is any indication, I have a feeling your pussy tastes absolutely divine.”

  “Fuck…” she exhaled, bucking her hips as she felt moisture pool between her legs. “I’m ready to fall apart and you’ve barely touched me.”

  Cam lowered himself back down her body, re-positioning himself between her legs. “Now, where were we?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice, his hot breath against her most sensitive spot sending shivers down her spine.

  “Stop being a tease, Cam.”

  “Oh, Jolene. You haven’t seen tease yet,” he commented, gently pressing his tongue against her clit.

  She moaned in response, unable to make sense of the strange feelings flowing through her body at that moment…all from a simple touch on the most intimate part of her body. She had been touched there before, but this was different than all the other times. This touch was gentle. It was compassionate. It was kind. And, most of all, it was wanted.

  “Is this okay?” he asked, noticing Jolene’s body tense up.

  “Yes,” she responded quickly, not wanting him to stop what he was doing.

  “You like that, Jolene?” he asked before he returned his mouth to her, sucking gently.

  “Hmm…”

  He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He pushed a finger inside her, his tongue continuing to circle her. “I love touching you like this.”

  Jolene was on edge and about to fall apart. Nothing she had experienced in all her years came close to the feeling of complete and utter satisfaction she felt from being intimate with Cam. At that moment, she knew he was her light…her ray of sun in the storm of her life. The only thing that would rid her world of darkness was Cam and his touch. She no longer feared it. She craved it above anything else.

  “Don’t stop, Cam,” she begged, her body clenching as she climbed higher and higher. “Holy shit!” she screamed, waves of pure ecstasy unexpectedly washing over her.

  Cam continued his delicate motions until the last of her tremors ceased, not wanting her to miss one second of his touch. Raising himself up, he gazed into her crystal blue eyes. “Did you enjoy that?”

  Jolene nodded, unable to even formulate a simple “yes”. Pulling Cam’s head back to her own, she kissed him, forcing her tongue into his mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “Please, Cam,” she murmured against his lips. “I want to feel you inside me. Erase my past. Be my future. Be my light.”

  His eyes went wide and he crushed his lips back to hers. He loved the sound of being Jolene’s future. Grabbing the foil packet off the nightstand, he leaned back and rolled on the condom. He positioned himself between her legs and entered her. He took his time, pushing into her before withdrawing, wanting to let her know with his motions that he was different from all the other men. That he was there for her. That he treasured her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, making sure that she hadn’t gone to her dark place.

  “I’m better than okay,” she responded with a wide grin. “Don’t you dare stop. Keep going.”

  He nuzzled against her neck, nibbling on her as he moved inside her. “I love the way you taste, Jolene. I love the way you feel. I love everything about you, baby.”

  She threw her head back, basking in his caring words as she met his gentle rhythm. For the first time, she felt venerated by a man.

  “Did I erase the past, Jolene? Is the darkness gone?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Cam. It’s only light. It’s only you.”

  He grunted, quickening his pace. He felt her begin to tense up below him, wondering if she was going to go again, slightly amazed that he could give her that much pleasure. He held back, not wanting to come if she was close.

  Her breathing became erratic and labored and, in a few quick thrusts, she screamed out, her orgasm even more intense than before as she quivered under and around him.

  He met her eyes. “That was hot,” he commented, pushing into her a few last times before finding his own release, collapsing on top of her.

  She affectionately wiped his sweat-stained brow, deciding that she never wanted to go back to Amelia Island. She didn’t feel safe there. She wanted to go far away with Cam and never return. As she fell asleep in the arms of a man who cared for her for the first time
in her life, she felt that anything was possible…all because she finally had a ray of light in her otherwise dark existence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  A NEW WORLD

  JOLENE STIRRED IN THE bed, smiling when she felt Cam’s naked chest against her back. Opening her eyes, she squinted, the rising sun beginning to cast everything in a brilliant pink hue. For the first time in weeks, she had a restful night’s sleep. No shadows came to haunt her. She had light in her life to keep the darkness away, even if for just a little while.

  “Mmmmm…” Cam groaned, pulling Jolene closer to him, smelling her hair. “Peaches.”

  She giggled. “What? Are you still dreaming?”

  “No,” he said sleepily. “You smell like peaches. I noticed it the very first day we met.” He pushed her onto her back before climbing on top of her, delicately nuzzling her neck. “But you taste far better than any peach I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some amazingly succulent peaches in my life.”

  She ran her hands up and down Cam’s sculpted back, bucking him with her hips, trying to tell him what she wanted.

  “Something I can help you with this morning, Jolene?” he asked coyly, giving her a flirtatious smirk.

  She nodded her head. “I can think of one or two things I could use a hand with.”

  He chuckled at her playful side. “Oh yeah? Anywhere in particular you want my hands?”

  “Yes,” she exhaled breathlessly as he lowered his mouth to her chest, circling her nipple with his tongue, his motions benevolent. With the most delicate touch, he could set fire to her entire being.

  “Cam…” she moaned out, grabbing his face and bringing it inches from hers. “I want you inside me.” Her breathing became unstable just from the thought of him moving inside her. “I want you to make me come like you did last night.”