Born Innocent by Christine Rimmer Read Free Book Online Page A

sure what the shift would mean.
    “ You’re good,” he said, when he was so close that half a step would have brought their bodies into intimate contact. “A good person, and maybe a strong one, too. A damn special thing.” He raised his hand, then dropped it. “Hell,” he muttered darkly, and she understood his struggle with himself. He was trying not to touch her.
    He lost the fight. He raised his hand again and very gently smoothed a strand of her hair back over her shoulder, his rough thumb whispering along her jawline in one achingly tender stroke.
    The touch was all it took. The touch showed her everything. It put a cruel mirror up to her sacred, central lie, the lie she’d been faithfully telling herself for six years now.
    She looked in the mirror his touch showed her and the lie faded away to mist and she was looking at the hard truth.
    She loved Joe Tally. She had never stopped loving Joe Tally. She would always love Joe Tally. Until the day God took her breath for good.
    He was watching her, his tawny eyes seeming to see it all. “Tonight, I’m not up to protecting you.”
    Her voice seemed to know what to say, though she had no awareness of framing the words. “I know. It doesn’t matter. I can take care of myself. I’m not as innocent as you keep saying.”
    “ Oh, no?”
    “ No. You need me. You need a... human touch. A woman’s touch, to get past that dead boy. In the morning, you’ll feel better. And you don’t have to worry. In the morning, I’ll go.”
    “ You don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice was ragged. She heard the hope in it—and the raw need.
    “ Don’t underestimate me, Joe. I know more than you think.”
    “ I have nothing for you. God, Claire. Tonight I don’t even have what it takes to do the one favor I’ve always done you... to send you away.”
    “ You couldn’t send me away tonight, anyway. I’m staying.”
    He stared at her. “Damn, you, Claire. Go now or—”
    “ Shh.” She dared to touch his lips. “It’s okay.”
    The touch did it. With a soft oath, he reached for her. She melted against him—and then felt his wince when she touched his shoulder.
    She pulled back. “You’re hurt....”
    “ Just a flesh wound.”
    But she had to see. She carefully guided the open shirt off his shoulders to the floor, and found a clean gauze bandage, which looked white as snow against his tanned skin.
    Joe looked at the bandage and then at her. “I swear. It’s okay. The bullet passed right through the meat. I’m taking good care of it.”
    “ You’re sure?”
    “ Absolutely.” He took her head between his hands and tipped her face up to his. “But are you sure?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ Tonight.” It was a rough vow, spoken sweet and low against her parted lips. “And never again. You’ll go back to your nice, sane life tomorrow morning. We’ll... stay away from each other, from now on. We’ll cut it clean. Agreed?”
    She stood on tiptoe, inviting his kiss. He nibbled on her parted lips a little, hungrily. But he insisted again, “Agreed?”
    She nodded, as much as she could with her head cupped between his hands. “Agreed.” A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. He caught it as it trickled back toward her hair, brushing it gently with his thumb.
    And then, murmuring some dark, hot promise, he covered her lips with his own.
     

Chapter Four
    The shock of knowing his mouth after all the years of yearning and denial held Claire utterly still for a moment.
    She moaned in hungry joy and lifted her arms to clasp him as close as he was holding her. She ran her greedy hands all over his bare skin, feeling the hard beauty of lean muscle and the shape of the long bones beneath, cautious only of the bandage at his shoulder.
    And as she touched him, he was touching her, burning her with his rough and tender hands, making urgent sounds, sounds of need and promise at the same time. He felt along her neck and down to the buttons of her shirt, fumbling