Page 51 of Inexplicable

I had a soft spot for Seth because I knew what it was like to have physical scars. Even though he was standoffish, we had a kinship that was probably understandable, and he was always nice to me.

“Yeah,” Brock told me. “He’ll never be the jokester he was earlier in his career, but I think he found his peace here in Cherry Cove. He’s self-conscious about his scars, but the PTSD is better than it was after it happened. He got treatment after we got out. I don’t think he wanted to admit he was suffering on active duty. I think he was afraid he’d end up discharged or transferred.”

“I’m glad he’s better,” I murmured.

“That’s only question four,” Brock reminded me. “Are you going to toss out question five?”

I had a million things I wanted to know about him.

There were a lot of questions that could have fallen from my lips.

So I had no idea why I ended up asking the most tantalizing and personal question I could think of at the moment. “Are you really as ungodly attracted to me as I am to you?” I questioned in a barely audible voice. “And why are you so attracted to me? I’m scarred and a little broken.”

For some reason, I just had to know.

Brock rolled and captured my body beneath his. “Don’t tell me that you think I’m not really attracted to you,” he said in a graveled voice as he looked down at me from above and caught my gaze.

His eyes were a darker brown than normal, and the intensity in his expression sent a spark of electricity down my spine.

There was definitely lust in his eyes, but there was so much more…

My core clenched viciously and painfully as I stared back at him. I swallowed hard before I forced the words out of my mouth. “It’s scary to me,” I whispered.

I felt vulnerable with Brock because of the physical attraction, and that definitely terrified the hell out of me.

I’d felt fondness for men.

I’d felt mild desire.

I’d felt a kinship and friendship from the man I’d called my boyfriend.

But never, not once, had I opened up enough to give any of them a glimpse of my soul.

I had a feeling that Brock would be the man who wouldn’t settle for anything less than complete access to the things I’d never shared with another man.

And I wasn’t sure I was capable of that.

“You don’t think that scares me, too?” he asked huskily. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted another woman in my entire fucking life, Jenna. I want you to the point of obsession. I shouldn’t feel this way after the shit you’ve been through, but I can’t put a lid on it. The best I can do is to try to contain it for right now. This isn’t just an itch I want to scratch or lust for me. I’m not going to lie, I’ve had my fair share of women in my life, but I had no damn idea that this kind of chemistry even existed. I felt it from the very beginning. So yeah, I’m just as attracted to you as you are to me. Probably more so, but I want more than just sex. Tell me that you understand that. I don’t want you to ever be afraid of me in any way.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” I said honestly as I lifted my palm to his face and stroked his stubbled jawline. “Kiss me.”

I was scared of the way I felt about him, but I could never be afraid of Brock, even with all of his intensity and fierceness.

I wanted to feel his lips on mine with a desire that was almost painful, and I was tired of being afraid of the way I felt.

Yeah, it was frightening, but it was also dizzyingly exciting.

To be wanted by a man like Brock was exhilarating, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to explore that insane attraction.

I barely got the chance for a brief intake of breath before his lips met mine, almost immediately robbing that air from my lungs.

The embrace was sensual and unbelievably heart-stopping.

It woke every one of my senses.

He demanded, and I opened to him because it was absolutely impossible to do anything else.

The slide of his tongue sent heat flooding between my thighs, and I could do nothing except wrap my arms around his neck and hold on.