SCARRED - Part 4 (The SCARRED Series - Book 4) by Kylie Walker Read Free Book Online

contact was still strange for her and not extremely comfortable. She even had to fight through it with Derek sometimes. But at the same time it was nice. It was nice to have people in her life that she felt safe with. She felt safe here. 
    “You’re not fawning all over her are you, Sam?”
    The men had walked through once already, but they took the bags to the guest rooms straight away, looking like they didn’t want to interrupt the conversation. When they came back in, Samantha had Chloe in her arms. Trevor’s voice was light but when Chloe looked up at him, she could see in his eyes that he was worried about his wife. As hard as this was for her, she could only imagine how much harder it must be for them. 
    “She’s fine,” Chloe said with a smile. “She’s making me feel welcome.”
    “Speaking of,” Samantha said, “Come with me and let me show you your room.” Chloe got up and Samantha led her down the hall to the room where she would be staying. “This guest room connects with Derek’s room through the bathroom there. The sheets are fresh and the linen cabinet is stocked but if there’s anything else you need...”
    “Samantha,” Chloe said, softly. The poor woman looked like she was about to explode. “It’s all lovely. Thank you. Maybe we should just open the envelope now so that you...all of us don’t have to spend too much more time thinking about it.”
    Samantha sucked a deep breath in and then held a trembling hand out to Chloe. Chloe took it and Samantha said, “I think that’s the best idea that I’ve heard in a long time.”

Chapter 7
    ––––––––
    T hey decided after talking to Trevor and Derek to wait until after lunch was over to open the envelope. Trevor had already put the meat on the grill and everything else was ready. Chloe and Derek helped put the salads that Samantha had made out on the table and by the time the table was set, the meat was ready.
    Samantha was an excellent cook. Trevor told them that Samantha had made the hamburger patties with her “special” recipe. Chloe had never had a simple hamburger that tasted so good. She hadn’t even known she was hungry because the anxiety had been gnawing away at her guts for so long. Then again, maybe it was just the company that made it all taste so good.
    Chloe knew that Samantha and Trevor had to be feeling the same anxiety as she was...or worse. Yet they kept the conversation light and amiable throughout the meal, talking about a gala that they’d taken part in planning and simple things like the weather. It was relaxing and pleasant yet the elephant in the room still stared her in the face as she did her best to enjoy it. She had thought and worried about this for weeks now and she had decided that she was ready to know so that her mind could begin dealing with it one way or the other. She was at a point in her life where she’d finally decided that she wasn’t going to run from any of it any longer. She deserved to have a life and she was more than ready.
    After lunch she and Derek insisted on cleaning up. They were in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and Derek asked her, “Are you doing okay?”
    She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m doing good. I’m still nervous, but I think that’s probably normal in an abnormal kind of situation like this. I’m ready to find out.”
    Derek put his arms around her from behind and bent down to bury his face in her hair. Chloe had her arms on top of his and as she felt him nip at her neck, she moaned softly and leaned back into him. He growled and spun her around, slamming his lips down against hers. For a few seconds she forgot where they were. Hell, she even forgot who they were. The only thing that she knew at that very second was that this man made her feel things that she never even knew existed.
    She felt him slide up the edge of her shirt and place his hands on her warm ribcage and that was when reality sat in.
    “Um...Derek,” she said, pulling back