29. Eva

For the first time since Dad passed, I felt truly calm. Talking about everything Brent had done - all the vile ways he'd hurt me - had lanced a festering abscess and released some of the poison, allowing the wound to begin the healing process.

I was under no illusion that I was suddenly ‘cured' of my trauma. That wouldn't happen overnight. If at all. But at least the guys now knew what they were up against. They were aware Brent was no ordinary Joe.

As a cop, he had access to untold resources, as well as loyal buddies who'd back him if the shit hit the fan.

The best I could hope for was that Cole, Silas, and maybe Tanner would help me get to New York in the New Year, where I could disappear and make a new life for myself. I had nothing, but living a life that didn't include Brent was enough.

I'd find a way. Get a job. Sure, I didn't even have my high school diploma, but I'd worked in enough senior living facilities to have no problems getting that kind of work.

The sofa in the living room was supremely comfortable. It was my favorite place in the cabin, apart from the outside deck, where on a fine day, I could sit and enjoy the sounds of the forest.

Outside, night had fallen. For once, it wasn't snowing. High above, the sky was inky black, sparkling with a million tiny stars.

After our talk, Tanner disappeared, Silas went for a run, and Cole tidied up the kitchen. He'd made venison stew, but none of us were hungry. Tales of torture were not conducive to a hearty appetite, apparently.

"You OK?" Cole appeared from the kitchen, a steaming mug in his hand.

"Yeah." It wasn't a lie for once.

He sat down beside me and gave me the mug. "Hot chocolate." God, this man was amazing. How had some lucky woman not snapped him up yet?

"Thank you." I chewed my lip a bit, searching for the right words. "For everything, not just the…hot chocolate."

"You don't need to thank me, Eva. And I'm sorry for walking in on you earlier. It was honestly not my intention to catch you with no clothes on." He flashed me a smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Really?"

He smirked. Then my smile faded. "Well, I'm sorry you had to see all that." I gestured loosely at my torso, and he frowned.

"What are you talking about, Eva?"

"I mean my scars. I know they're horrible and ugly and…" My lip wobbled, but Cole's hand gently cupped my cheek and his mouth found my lips.

He tasted of coffee, bourbon, and smoke. For one crazy moment, I just accepted the kiss, reveled in it, soaked up the heady feel of his kiss, then reality butted in and the stupid voice in my head screamed, you can't have this.

I pulled away, my breathing heavy. Cole's hooded eyes were more gold than green.

"We shouldn't…I shouldn't…"

"Why?" There was something unyielding in his voice, like he had no intention of walking away. It calmed me. Made me think that perhaps he'd thought about this moment - about kissing me - and decided he wanted it, regardless.

"Because I'm…me…and…this…" I looked down, but he cupped my face again, forcing me to look at him.

"No matter what bullshit you've been telling yourself, no matter what vile shit that fucker told you, you are beautiful, Eva, inside and outside. Your scars don't matter to me. All I see is a sweet, brave woman who deserves so much more than what life has given her. Someone I care about." He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and smiled. "So let me care for you, let me take care of you."

Guilt surged inside me. "But Silas and I kissed!"

He looked puzzled. "So?"

"Doesn't that bother you?" Surely it had to. Most men didn't want a woman they cared for to kiss another man. At least that's what I believed.

He sat back and sighed. "Yes and no. Yes, I confess I was jealous when I walked in and it was obvious you two were having a moment. I wanted to be the one to kiss you and that bastard got there first. But if you think I'd have a problem sharing you with my brothers, you'd be wrong. We're shifters, sweetheart. Poly relationships are normal in our world. Lots of guys share their women within a committed relationship and vice versa. Nobody bats an eye."

Well, color me shocked.

"I have no experience of…anything," I admitted. Sure, there had been a couple of boys in school, some immature fumbling, but I mostly kept to myself because it wasn't as if I could bring anyone back to our trailer. We were also dirt-poor, so I couldn't afford new clothes or the kinds of stuff the popular kids had. Nobody bullied me, exactly, but I'd had very few friends.

"It's OK, sweetheart. I don't expect anything. None of us do. You're safe here, with us."

He was telling the truth. I could feel it. Cole cared about me. I wasn't sure what he saw in me, but when he kissed me, for a moment there I felt beautiful.

And I liked the feeling.

"I know," I replied, meeting his moss green eyes with my own. Then the warmth in my veins faded again as all my insecurities rose to the surface. What could I offer them, really?

Surely they were used to women who knew how to please a man. I didn't.

"Tell me what you're thinking?" Cole stared down at me with concern. One hand rested on my leg and I tried to ignore how warm he felt, how good he smelled, and how badly I wanted him to kiss me again. When he kissed me, I forgot who I was, and I liked it.

"I'm worried," I admitted, struggling to voice my thoughts. They were confused. I was confused.

"About what, sweetheart?" His gentle voice was encouraging. Smooth like milky coffee on a frosty morning, comforting.

"I'm worried you'll get bored with me. That I won't be enough." The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I froze, mentally preparing myself for the rejection that was sure to follow.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're all I need." He smiled at me and it was like the sun had come out from behind a black cloud. Everything lit up with blinding clarity and the heaviness in my heart lifted. He stroked my cheek and then bent down to kiss me again.

This time, he wasn't holding back, and his kiss was a lot more forceful. The little voice inside my head screamed at me to run away, but I ignored it. I let myself feel the kiss. My body burned as his hand cupped the back of my head and pulled me closer. I sank into him, allowing his tongue to plunder my mouth.

A small moan escaped, and he groaned. A low, husky, infinitely male sound, telling me he was enjoying this as much as me. He shifted slightly until I was half lying across his chest and my core rested against the very prominent bulge at his groin.

Every little movement ramped up the ache between my thighs. I'd never felt like this, not until I came here. Was this what it was supposed to feel like? The way my heart pounded in my chest and my breasts ached for his touch seemed more reminiscent of a romance novel.

Cole's hand slid under the tee I wore and I froze again, anxious about my scars. I knew how awful the ridged, damaged skin felt when touched.

"Relax, sweetheart," he murmured against my mouth. Calloused fingers traced lines over my ribs, edging ever closer to the swell of my braless breasts. It had been ages since I wore a bra.

What was the point? I spent most of my time swaddled in several layers and my breasts weren't that big. I didn't need the support and going without a bra was more comfortable.

Despite the extensive scar tissue, I could feel every brief touch of Cole's fingers, and God, it felt so good. Touch purely for pleasure was not something I was used to.

Everywhere our bodies connected, I burned. The heat from the fire was nothing compared to the raging inferno inside me. I was in serious danger of spontaneously combusting on the sofa.

When his palm found my breast, I moaned softly. It was as if he could read my body's cues without me saying a word. He knew my body better than I did. He lifted my tee, ignoring my protests, and his mouth found my nipple. God. The hot, wet sensation felt so good, but I wanted more.

The thick ridge I could feel against my belly grew even harder. Knowing that he wanted this, that my body turned him on, despite all the scars, gave me a sense of power I'd not felt before.

He found me attractive.

Not ugly.

He lifted me and shifted us both so I was lying beneath him. His mouth moved down my body, kissing each gnarly patch of scarred skin like it was beautiful. Like I was beautiful. I didn't expect to feel anything, but this was everything.

"Cole," I gasped when he moved between my thighs. I was so wet and the thin boxers I wore likely had a wet patch a mile wide. Embarrassment curdled in my stomach and I tried to close my legs, but he held me tight and looked straight at me.

"No, you're not going anywhere, sweetheart. You're all mine." The rough growl in his voice took me by surprise. A commanding edge to it I couldn't ignore. My body listened, overruling the chaotic thoughts clamoring for airtime in my brain. Instead of protesting, I relaxed and let him take control.

Outside the wind howled around the cabin and more snow fell, but in here, I was safe. Cared for. Protected.

I trusted Cole.

He would never hurt me.

"I need to see you, Eva. Taste you."

Those golden eyes of his shimmered in the muted light from the fireplace. He was so beautiful. Almost too pretty for a guy with his thick lashes, lush lips, and sharp cheekbones. Whereas Tanner was all hard lines and rage, Cole was warmth and sunlight. Not quite so happy-go-lucky as Silas, but definitely not the dark avenging angel vibe Tanner exuded. He and Silas were the perfect sunshine antidote to Tanner's grumpiness.

"Now."