Embraced by Faulkner, Carolyn (books for 8th graders .TXT) 📕

“My Mom and Dad were too busy enjoying their empty nest. I got a lot of ‘wish you were here’ postcards from all over the world. As soon as they got me moved into the dorm with Manda, they sold the house I grew up in, and bought a motor home to tour the country.”

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BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

He caught that fidgeting hand and kissed the back of it. “If I’d have known, I would have included you in more things we did.

If I’d known, I would have made you feel more a part of the family.

I assumed you had your own family taking care of you, but I was wrong.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want your sympathy, Barrett. I want you to keep your hands to yourself, particularly if I’m going to work here this summer. My decision is still up in the air.”

Barrett leaned toward her thoughtfully. “Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged you for a control-freak.”

“Yeah, that’s much more your style than mine. Still, there you have it.”

“But there’s much more to it than that, Angel. At the heart of it, because you had parents that you didn’t feel were there for you in any way except monetarily, you have to create your own structure for yourself by controlling everything. But you never learned how to trust anyone else to help you support it.”

Meg frowned. “Stop calling me that, and don’t psychoanalyze me.”

“But I’m right.”

“Whether you’re right or not is immaterial.” She stood, grabbing hold of the back of the chair until her knuckles were white. “I want your promise that you won’t touch me again.”

“Let me get this straight: You’re attracted to me, you like it when I touch you, but because it feels too good, you don’t want me to touch you ever again.” She nodded in agreement. “Mandy’ll tell

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BacksideOfLove.com

Embraced

you, Darlin’. I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” In one motion, he stood and pulled her against him, lifting her off her feet so that she had to lean on his body for support and loop her arms around his neck to maintain her balance. He whispered huskily to her, “I promise you that the sex between us is going to singe the sheets. I promise you that you’ll scream and go wild beneath me every time, even the first time. I promise you I’ll never hurt you sexually. But I’ll be damned if I’ll give you my word on something that neither one of us wants me to keep.” With a his hand buried in her hair, he bent her head back and took her mouth – no more mister nice guy.

The kiss was a possession, a branding of her as his, meant to inflame every nerve ending she owned, and it succeeded completely. She was limp as a wet noodle when he raised his lips from hers.

“Stay with me,” he whispered, “trust me to take care of you when the world spins around without you. Cling to me, let me be your anchor in the storm.”

Tears bled into her eyes and she had to blink fast to catch them before they fell. Who knew he was a romantic at heart, the big lug. He let her slide down his fully aroused body till her feet touched the floor, then removed himself from her presence to stomp down the hall and bang closed the door of his study.

Meagan stood there, alone in the middle of the big empty kitchen, having gotten what she wanted. He had taken his hands off her.

That

was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it?

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BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

Chapter VII

t had been a little more than a week since Barrett had made his outrageous offer and Meagan had almost I decided to take it. He had been very circumspect regarding her decision, and had not pressured her about it at all. He was very true to his “un”-promise – instead of not touching her at all, he touched her compulsively, at any opportunity. Meg was becoming more and more used to the feelings he could conjure in her with just a glance across the dinner table, and was glad that he’d refused to comply with her ridiculous demand – not that she’d ever admit that to him in a million years.

Before she let him know that she was accepting, she wanted to make some administrative arrangements, get her mail forwarded, etc. One of her first phone calls was to the small town bank that held the mortgage on her tiny condo. She spoke to a customer service person that took her temporary change of address, but also let her know that her next mortgage payment wasn’t due until October. That was impossible, she contended. The woman was adamant. They’d received a large payment to the account about seven days ago by wire transfer, which originated from a bank in Texas.

Meg pressed the disconnect button on the cordless phone in her room and threw the phone onto the bed, startling Butch, who, eyeing the look on his mistress’s face jumped down and hid under the bed. Smart dog. A few seconds later, a seething Meagan burst

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BacksideOfLove.com

Embraced

into Barrett’s study. His eyes widened at her expression and he ditched the person he’d been talking to on the phone immediately.

She got as far into his face as she could without one iota of fear in her eyes. Few men would confront him this way, but Meg was obviously not thinking of the fact that he was easily twice her size.

“You take back the money you paid on my mortgage,