Broken Pieces by Kim Young, B. E. Laine Read Free Book Online

explaining myself.
    He takes a deep breath. “If that’s what you want, but I would like for you to stay and talk to me.”
    “Okay. What do you want to talk about?” I’m uncertain of where this is going.
    He still doesn’t talk, just cautiously reaches over and pulls my hands apart. I didn’t realize that I was still clasping them in my lap. He holds my hand and everything inside me is awake now. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Karaline. No one, especially you, deserved that. Okay?” He looks at me with tenderness all over his face.
    “Okay.” I look down.
    He takes his free hand and lifts my chin up. He waits until I am looking him straight in the eyes. “Don’t …” I slowly nod, then he takes his hand and puts it against the side of my face. He starts rubbing my cheek with his thumb. I lean into his hand, closing my eyes, relishing in the feeling of comfort and protectiveness.
    My eyes flutter open. I don’t remember the last time I have felt that sense of calmness. As I look into his caring eyes and feel his delicate touch on my cheek, he starts to lean forward. He stops to make sure I know what he’s doing, like he is waiting for the okay from me. Nothing else has ever felt this right.
    I lean in the rest of the way, and he takes my mouth into the most luscious tender kiss I could ever have imagined from a guy like him. With the rough exterior of ample muscles and abundant tattoos, I would have never expected this kind of compassion.
    His lips are so soft, so luscious. There were no words for the feeling when they touched mine. I felt like I could almost combust. I want to keep this feeling in me somehow. No one can hurt me when he is touching me. I do not know what it is, but there is something about him that I know I’m not going to be able to let go.
    He breaks the kiss and leans his forehead onto mine, closing his eyes. “You are perfect,” he says, breathless.
    A laugh escapes that I didn’t even know I had in me. For some reason, that was really funny to me. Is this guy seriously delusional? Not only am I nowhere near perfect on the outside, he should know, after what I just told him, that I am not even close to perfect on the inside, either.
    “Hey … don’t do that. Don’t start putting yourself down in your head. You are a great person.”
    “Drew, you don’t even know me so you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.
    “I’m a pretty good judge of character, if I say so myself.” He puts his hand on his chest comically, making me laugh again. Just like that, all the tension in the air was gone.
    “Oh, really?” I question, raising my eyebrows.
    Shrugging his shoulders, he says, “I’m just saying, sweetheart.”
    I just smile and shake my head. I glance at the clock on his dash. Four in the morning?! Holy shit! I haven’t stayed up this late since … hell, I don’t even remember. I look back at him, and he acts like he knows what I’m going to say before I even say it. I sigh. “I should probably get to my room.”
    “Yeah, I should probably get home, too. I have work in a few hours,” he states, dreadfully.
    “Oh, no! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have kept you out so late.” Crap! I don’t want him to be tired tomorrow because of me. Ugh! I’m horrible.
    “It’s fine, Kara. Please don’t worry about it.”
    “No, I’m sorry. You’re going to be tired all day tomorrow now because of me,” I say, really feeling like shit.
    “Hey, what did I tell you about the ‘I’m sorry’ business? Huh?” he says, as he takes my face in both his hands and places a light kiss on my lips. Oh, those soft, full lips again. I could get lost in those all night. No, he has work! I can’tt keep thinking of myself.
    “Well, I guess I’m going to go so you can go get some sleep.” It is so obvious that I do not want to leave.
    “I feel the same way. I don’t want to leave. Whatever is going on between us, I don’t want