Chapter 2

Natalie

Oh my god.

I swear those words have flown through my mind about a million times since I walked out of this bathroom completely naked in front of the hottest, sexiest man I've ever seen. When he knew my name I had a moment of panic, wondering if Craig sent him, but just as quickly that thought faded, because Craig wouldn't send someone else to get me. He'd just show up and linger, or show up and badger me, like he's done the last three months, making my life hell.

The second Jamison said he knew my brother, I knew I was safe with him—at least as far as my physical safety, because wow, there's no way I'm safe from this magnetism that's pulling me towards him. My body is burning for his touch, and as his lips cover mine, I know this is the reason I couldn't move forward with Craig, no matter how much I tried.

We met just after I was back for my second year at Presley. Everything seemed to be going well. We were spending more and more time together, he never wanted to go out without me, which seemed to be a good thing. I thought I was almost ready for more and even went on the pill to be prepared. Then I went to my sister's for winter break, and Craig started acting all kinds of weird.

When I got back for the new semester, I couldn't move without him being there. It wasn't the same as us just spending time together. We wouldn't even have plans and he'd be there.

He wanted to know what I was doing every minute of the day. If I didn't respond to him within minutes, he'd blow up my phone demanding to know where I was, who I was with, what I was doing. I finally couldn't take it anymore. I broke up with him thinking that was it—I was done, free. Unfortunately, I was so wrong, because breaking up with Craig just made him worse.

I honestly don't know if I'll even be able to go back to Presley next year because my grades were suffering so much thanks to him never leaving me alone. I couldn't study, couldn't breathe without him interrupting me, and my scholarship is dependent on my grades. If I didn't manage at least high B's or low A's on all of my finals, I'll likely only have C's in two of my courses, the other three will be D's or F's.

At best, I'll be on academic probation next semester. Worst, I'll lose my scholarship and be out of college since I can't afford it any other way.

That scholarship was the only thing I had going for me. Yes, I have my brother and my sister, both who are older, but that's it. Our parents died when I was ten, Nick was eighteen, and our sister Nanci was seventeen. She was dating her now husband Mike, and his family took us in so we wouldn't go into foster care.

I like Mike's parents well enough, but they never really felt like my family. They accepted Nanci with ease since she and Mike had been together since they were fifteen, but adding me in at ten, mourning our parents, it just didn't translate.

Nanci went to cosmetology school after graduating high school a semester early, and just after she finished her year there, she and Mike married, moving me in with them. Nick was at State's technical school, studying to become an electrician, so he didn't have the time to take care of me. He stopped in to see me every chance he got, but once he started his on-the-job training hours, he didn't have much free time.

There was just enough money left over to get him settled into a place and help Nanci and Mike buy a house, take care of me, but that was it. I worked my ass off in high school to get my scholarship, and now, it's all about to be for nothing because I wanted someone to put me first, love me most.

I made such a mistake with Craig and I'm paying for it. The debt just seems way out of proportion though.

A soft moan falls from my lips as Jamison lifts his head. I don't want the kiss to end, not even close. I swear it felt like just maybe, I found something that could actually be mine. His words make me hope that it's real, but I don't know how easily I can trust them—not after everything that Craig said turned out to be a lie.

"You need to put some clothes on, baby girl, or I'm liable to do something I'll regret later," Jamison says, his breathing rough, and my eyes open, finding his gaze in question. "I want you, want to push that little towel to the floor, carry you to the nearest bed, and claim every inch of you as mine, but I don't think you're ready for that right this second, are you?"

"I…" Heat fills my cheeks, because as much as I want that, my body wants him to never stop touching me, the sane part of my brain says to stop. That this is way too much too fast, and I can't just rush into his arms. Even if that's exactly what my body's begging me to do.

"That asshole's made you second-guess yourself," he says, nailing it on the head and I'm honestly shocked by it. "So while most of you wants what I do, while part of you knows you're mine, that nagging is making you second-guess everything, isn't it?"

"How do you know that?" I ask, shivering a bit from the intensity of his gaze as it travels over my face. The look in his eyes is two-fold. The first something I saw in Craig's every time he tried to touch my body—desire, need. The second though, that's something that I've never seen in anyone's eyes as they look at me, and I can't place it. It feels amazing seeing it though, because it's warm and inviting, and I could happily linger in it for the rest of my life it feels.

"Because I have six sisters and four sisters-in-law. Plus three nieces and one sister via my sister-in-law of dating age. One of my sisters is also my twin, so I know that look, know when a boy—or girl, hasn't treated someone right. Made them question themselves. We have plenty of time for you to get to know me, know I'll never lie to you. So when I do have your sexy little body under me and you're giving yourself to me, you'll never question if it's real because you'll know every millisecond that it is," he answers me, sending my heart racing in so many directions.

I want all of that, crave it deep inside, but my stupid brain keeps telling me to stop and think. To be rational. To not do something reckless with a guy, reminding me about Craig every two seconds. It sucks having to push down the need that's rushing through my veins because I've never felt anything so good before.

"I'm going to grab the rest of my stuff from the truck, why don't you get some clothes, and we'll have a late lunch, or early dinner," he suggests pulling my attention to the clock that shows it's nearly four already.

I'd gone out for a long walk, trying to clear my head, calm down, and when that didn't work, I decided to take a shower. It only marginally helped to tame the anxiousness accosting me, but since he told me who he was, the anxiousness has been replaced with these feelings—this need, this want, and while my brain says not to act on them, I'll gladly feel them rather than that anxiety that's plagued me for months now.

"Okay," I tell him, lifting all the way up on my tiptoes but that's still not enough to reach his head. He helps by leaning down and I brush a kiss to his cheek. His short beard rubs against my cheek, and I love the way it feels.

It was amazing when he kissed me. Feeling it brushing against my face, completely changing my mind about them and mustaches. I always thought they were stupid, liked Craig's clean-shaven face compared to the guys in school that had stubble and raggedy facial hair they were too lazy to tame. Now, I know I was wrong—well, at least as far as ones that are maintained go. They're sexy like Jamison, and I really want to get to know him more.

"Go, before I break and kiss you until you can't begin to think," he warns, and I smile, moving to the bedroom quickly. It's the second one in the cabin, the one I used last summer when Nick invited me out before I went back to school. I wasn't too sure about spending a week in a cabin in nowheresville, especially since he said he was still remodeling it, but this place was far better than I was expecting. The solitude wasn't my thing last summer, but now…knowing it's sure to keep Craig away from me, it's felt like a sanctuary.

Add Jamison into the mix and it feels like the best place in the world to be right now.

I can't stop thinking about him as I dress, forgoing a real bra in favor of a comfy little bralette. My boobs aren't big by any means, but I feel more secure if I'm wearing at least something under my shirts.

I debate between leggings and shorts before choosing the shorts. My legs and butt are probably my best features, so showing them off some feels right.

I'm more legs than torso so to me, my legs seem long on my five-feet-four body, but compared to Jamison, they're probably stubby. He's taller than Nick who's only five-eleven, but even he's taller than Craig. Craig claims to be five-ten, but I'd say he's more like five-eight, five-nine at most, which would have Jamison looming over him since he towers over me.

I grab my slip-on shoes before leaving the room. I'm not a fan of shoes while in the house, but with the kitchen in it's already state of remodel, it's better to have something on my feet than be barefoot in there.

I'm out of the room, heading towards Jamison extremely curious about him and his family. I've never known anyone with a big family, but it sounds so much better than a small one—well, if you can afford it at least.

I'm lucky I had Nick and Nanci still when our parents died. I could have been completely alone like my friend Greg.

My feet slow when I reach the edge of the kitchen, finding Jamison taking food, real actual food, out of a huge cooler, and I can't hide the way my stomach growls smelling all the delicious aromas. A little blush hits as Jamison turns towards me, his eyes darkening as they run up and down the length of leg left bare.

A smile touches his lips when he sees my shoes that curls my toes because he's so incredibly handsome. "Come help me decide what to do for tonight," he tells me, holding out his hand my way.

I put mine in his, feeling the same rush of desire that flooded me earlier when his callused hand wraps around mine. My eyes flow over the items on the table and I can't quite stop the lift of my brow seeing a lot have notes of heating instructions on top of them in very feminine writing. Different feminine writing I note, as one set is written in a mix of cursive and print, while the second is just print.

"We have family dinners every Sunday for whoever can make it. Yesterday was the mandatory monthly dinner since it was to celebrate all the May birthdays. I let my mom know I'd be out of town for at least the next week," Jamison says, lifting my chin his way with a soft smile. "She called this morning while I was loading up the truck, telling me my third oldest sister Jackie would be stopping by with some meals they made for me to bring. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she just laughed and said they were already making meals for my twin, Jasmine and her family so it wasn't that hard to add some for me so I wouldn't live off of sandwiches if I was too tired or it was too late to bother cooking. Jasmine's daughter Faye is two months old now. The family is still taking meals by, so she's not stressed about making something for dinner, while also having a two-year-old, and a thirteen-year-old to take care of."

"Thirteen-year-old?" I can't help but ask because while he's older than I am, he can't possibly be old enough to have a thirteen-year-old niece by his twin sister surely. Not if he met Nick in college.

"Cleo," he says with a smile, love shining in his eyes, and it hits hard because it's so similar to the look that was in them earlier as he stared at me with hunger. "She's Jasmine's step-niece technically. She met her husband Adam three years ago when he brought Cleo in to have Jas plan her birthday party. My sister owns and runs Celebrations by Jas," he adds, and my jaw drops a bit, because that's the company that threw our scholarship dinner last year.

Each year Presley throws an event just after the start of the semester to let the scholarship students meet their benefactors. I won the school's first Cartwright Endowment for Early Childhood Education, which covered everything from room and board, to tuition, to books, to a computer and even my car. Another reason I'm terrified of losing my scholarship. Since I'll likely lose the car as well, which means having no way possible to get to school if I manage to stay in, or work if I have to get a job to cover tuition. Nick would let me stay with him, but his place is thirty miles away from Presley, so a car is a must.

"I think I've met her," I admit, as he stares at my shock. "I won a scholarship to Presley. That's why I was in Oak Grove instead of back in Johnsonville at the community college there. The school throws a dinner…"

"For students with scholarships to meet those behind the endowments. Was this your first year there?" he asks, and I shake my head no, smiling at the hints of relief in his eyes.

"No, I just finished my sophomore year. I'm twenty," I add, and he leans down, brushing his lips across mine making me hungry for more, but my stomach growls again, making me flush.

"Good to know. I'm twenty-eight," he states, and I nod, knowing that puts him at the same age as Nick. "Now, what sounds good to you? We have beef, chicken, pork and pastas."

"Anything," I tell him. "I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to food. There's not much I won't eat."

"How about the pork chops, roasted potatoes, and coleslaw?" he suggests, and I nod, trying to stop from moaning at how good it sounds. "It's one of our favorite meals Mom makes. The coleslaw mixture is good the next day, still crisp and all, but it's best the day it's mixed."

"Sounds great. I've been existing off of cheap easy stuff I picked up at the gas station before coming here. I just wanted to get here safely and then I figured I'd find a store to get more. I just got scared every time I thought about heading into town that somehow he'd find me," I admit, letting out a soft sigh when Jamison wraps his arms around me in a hug, holding tight before he goes back to putting things away, turning on the oven to reheat the food for us.

My first bite is absolute bliss. It tastes so much better than even the food in the dining hall at school and I thought that was good. I shake my head as his eyes twinkle at me as he enjoys his own. "I take it that you can cook as well considering the groceries you brought."

"I can, that was one thing our mom insisted on for all of us boys, saying we couldn't exist on take-out or expect a woman to cook for us when we moved out or married. She and Jackie enjoy it though, so they've dropped off meals that were ready-to-cook or reheat when we each moved out."

"I'm sorry, how many of there are you?" I ask, pausing my next bite. "You said you have six sisters and four sisters-in-law right? So I'd say that means at least four brothers?"

"Six brothers and six sisters," he replies, making my jaw drop again. "I have three brothers and two sisters that aren't married. All but one are younger than me though."

"Wait, how do you have four sisters-in-law if you have six brothers and half aren't married?" I have to ask because the math doesn't add up and it'll just drive me crazy without an explanation.

"My oldest sister Julie is married to my sister-in-law, Serena."

"Now that makes sense," I say, shaking my head feeling a bit dumb now. "I'm guessing that's also why you said ‘or girl' earlier too?"

"Partially," he says, watching me closely. "Serena was the first woman Julie ever dated, but they were meant for each other. They adopted Anya who was thirteen when they met her. Her mom threw her out because she told her she liked girls. Serena's biological parents did the same to her when she was fifteen. She moved in with her best friend's family though, so she didn't have it as hard as Anya. Julie met Serena at a bridal salon while Jackie was there to pick out bridesmaids dresses for her upcoming wedding to Ethan. Julie introduced Jackie to him actually," he adds and that has me spellbound.

"More please," I tease him when he stops, looking like he's trying to gauge if he's said too much.

"Alright, well, Julie and Ethan went to college together in Sherman. Jackie is basically Mom just twenty years younger, and like Mom who just wanted a family, that's what Jackie wanted as well. She was entirely content to just stay home and help Mom with the rest of us kids—she was eleven when we were born," he explains. "She didn't really want to go to college, and Dad would have caved to her pleadings if she'd really pushed it, because not only is Jackie like Mom, she looks just like her too," he says, the love in his eyes as he talks about his family enough to make my heart melt, wish I had something that went that deep as mine.

I love Nanci and Nick, but there's definitely not this closeness. I don't know if he even realizes how lucky he is to have it.