Heart of Light (31 page)

She continued her story, “I should have known that something was off when he only led me a short distance. I’ll never forget hearing the sounds of ice clinking against glasses. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of cigar smoke.”

She shuddered from the memory and Cam instinctively wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into his embrace, warming her with his tenderness.

“Deep voices echoed in the room, but I couldn’t see anything. I had no way of fighting off the restraints that were tied around my wrists within seconds of entering the room.” Jolene felt Cam’s entire body tense up behind her.

“I remember screaming for
him
to help me. All I heard in response was a room full of men’s laughter. That night, he auctioned off my body and my virginity to the highest bidder. I never saw his face. The blindfold was never taken off. I didn’t find out who it was until later when he kept coming back to see me.”

“Jesus,” Cam exhaled, pulling her body even closer to his.

“The next day, everything was different.
He
was different. I was no longer someone he was raising or looking after. I was his property, and every day became the same. He would ‘train’ me, as he liked to call it, forcing me to do things that I’d rather forget about. And then, every night, I served drinks in his special little poker room, getting passed around amongst his high-paying clientele, hoping that I could serve them enough so they would get drunk. You wanted a drunk one. The drunk ones would pass out quickly. The sober ones were cold and calculating. The way they looked at you…” She quivered, attempting to brush off the memory. “You knew they were planning whatever sick, perverse thing they were going to do to you that night. Nothing was off limits, except for kissing. And that’s why you wanted the drunk ones.”

“Jolene,” Cam asked, his voice soft, “did you ever get a drunk one?”

She turned her head, their eyes meeting. “No.”

His heart broke from that simple word, and he knew that she suffered far worse than he originally thought.

“Every night…” she wailed. “Every night of my existence, I was forced to put on a smile and dragged to a room. I had no escape. Most of the girls had a break from it all during the day…except for me. He always came for me during the day. I always knew when, too. I would hear him play
Hallelujah
on the surround sound before he entered my room. He would do what he wanted with me and then force me to go to confession to ask forgiveness for my sins. Not him…only me. According to him,
I
was the one needing absolution.
I
was the one in the wrong.
I
was tempting him, so he had no choice but to do what he did. So every day, when
he
was in meetings, putting on a façade for all his wealthy investors, I would sit in my room and listen to that song over and over again. Over the months, I began to actually believe that it was my penance to be handed between men like I was just a piece of property to be dealt with as they wanted.

“I guess I never understood why me? Why did he go out of his way to come and get me and turn me into one of his whores? You know the sick part? He made us thank him every day for giving us a job. But we all knew the truth. We were all snatched from our lives and hidden away.

“One day, I couldn’t stand it any more. I was so sick of him thinking I was this meek, obedient person that my fear had turned me into.”

Cam swallowed hard. “What happened?”

“I got out of line in front of a poker room full of wealthy clients, screaming and telling them all that we were there involuntarily. That he had abducted all of us from our homes. They laughed. They didn’t care. They knew what they were buying each and every night and nothing I said would stop them from returning time after time. I was thrown over his shoulder and taken into the bathroom. The next thing I can remember, I was on the cold tile, unable to stand, lying in a pool of my own blood.”

“Jesus.”

“He said that it was necessary, and that it was my fault he had to do that to me. He said that it hurt him more than it hurt me. And, right up until the day I got out, I still thought about it. Once, just once, I wanted to have enough nerve to open my mouth again in front of a room full of wealthy men and see if they realized that, with each thrust, we were all dying a little bit more.”

“Jolene, it wasn’t your fault. Nothing about what happened to you during that time was your fault. He’s a monster. And you need to realize that most people aren’t like that. They’re kind. And caring. And gentle. And loving.”

“Like you?” she asked, turning her body around to face him, meeting his eyes that were wet with emotion.

Cam smiled. “Yeah. Like me.”

She crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. “I believe you, ya know. I know you’ll never hurt me. I just wish I could stay here forever. With you. In this moment.”

He ran his fingers through her hair, thankful that he could finally comfort her the way he needed to. He could embrace her and, without saying a word, help her believe that everything would work out.

“I’m not going anywhere. And we can have more moments like this. When we get back home, there will be so many more moments like this. I promise.”

She let out a sob, realizing that everything could fall apart at any second. Their moment was fleeting.

“Jolene?” he said, getting her attention.

She pulled her head away from his chest. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but we’re not going to be able to do everything that you had on your list today.”

She turned her eyes down, avoiding the truth that was in Cam’s stare. “It’s okay. I understand. It’s all too much for you, isn’t it? My past and knowing everything…”

He grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “No, Jolene. That’s not it. I don’t give a fuck about your past.” He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. “I’m not going to fuck you against the wall tonight, although I’m sure it would be quite spectacular. I don’t want to fuck you. I want to make love to you. I want you to feel my love. Because…I love you, Jolene.”

“You what?” She could feel her heart beating madly in her chest, the sincerity behind the intensity on Cam’s face filling her with warmth.

“Jolene,” he said quietly, grabbing her hands in his. “I love you. I’ve been struggling with this for a while now. But this, what we have here… I haven’t experienced anything like this before. And maybe it’s rash. Maybe it’s stupid. But I’m not going to ignore what I feel for you. I love you. I love your sharp tongue. I love your smile. I love the cute little freckles you have right below your left earlobe. I love the look on your face when you’re sitting on your deck in the morning and you don’t think that anyone’s looking. But I am. It’s as if you finally realize that everything will be okay, even if just for a minute. It’s a look of peace. I wish I could do something to make that look stay on your face because that’s the look that made me fall madly in love with you. You don’t have to tell me you love me. You don’t have to feel the same way toward me. But I needed to tell you so that you know there is good in the world. That you are deserving of love. That you are deserving of so much more than what you’ve been handed. That you…”

“Shut up and kiss me,” she begged through her tears, grabbing his head and pulling him to her lips.

She ran her fingers through his hair, relishing in the feeling of his body against hers. In just twenty-four hours, they had come so far. She never wanted to feel anything other than the love that Cam had for her. She had known it for a while, but hearing those words come out of his mouth made her heart swell.

She tore out of the kiss, her eyes locked with his. She couldn’t look away if she wanted to. His eyes were her peace. Her freedom. Her future.

“Tell me again,” she whispered against his lips.

“Jolene Bergio, I love you with all my heart.”

A tear fell down her cheek. “Again, please.”

“I love you.” He grabbed her by the waist, picking her up and carrying her in his arms. “I love you.” He kissed her forehead as he walked back to their suite. “I love you, and I plan on telling you how much I love you every day until you tell me to stop. And, even then, I’m still going to tell you.”

Reaching their suite, he quickly found his keycard and opened the door. He carefully held on to her delicate body as he made his way to the bedroom and lowered her feet to the floor. He brushed his lips against hers again.

“But, most importantly, Jolene, I plan on showing you how much I love you every single day.”

He nuzzled his head against her neck, nipping at her.

There was something so different about feeling Cam’s lips on her this time. His touch was much more charged as he dragged his tongue across her skin, nibbling on her earlobe before pulling back, his eyes blazing.

“You’re so beautiful, Jolene,” he whispered. “And anyone who can’t see what I see doesn’t deserve you.”

She reached up and forced his mouth within a breath of hers. Licking her lips, a smile crossed her expression. “Kiss me, Cam. Show me how you feel about me. I want to feel your heart…your light…your love. It’s the only thing I want.”

He moved his lips against hers, their tongues tangling with each other. He walked her back against the bed, supporting her as he carefully lowered her down. Looking into her eyes, he searched for any trace of the fear that had covered her face on the beach just a few moments ago. Instead of fear, there was a look of contentment. A look of peace. A look of tranquility. A look of desire.

“What? What are you staring at?” she asked.

“You, Jolene. I think for the first time since I’ve met you, I finally see you. I see the scared girl. I see the strong woman. And I see the most precious treasure on the planet. I love you, Jolene.”

“Good,” she said, kissing his neck as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Now show me how much.”

He groaned, sensually pressing his lips to hers, communicating with his mouth his overwhelming adoration for her. Running his hands up and down her slender torso, he gradually lifted up the skirt of her dress, exposing her white lace panties.

“Take it off, Cam,” Jolene ordered breathlessly.

Grinning, he obeyed her anxious demand, doing exactly what she wanted. After all the years of her being taken advantage of, he would give her everything she wanted and desired. At that moment, he swore that he would show her his love every day, whether it be in the physical act of love or simply looking out for her when she needed someone. “I’ll never let you down, Jolene.”

“Are you talking in bed or in general?”

He laughed at her quick wit. “How about both?”

“Okay. That works for me. But for now, I want to feel your tongue on me. On every inch of my body.” Clasping his face in her hands, a coy smile crossed her mouth. “Don’t you want a taste of your peach?”

“More than you can possibly imagine. I’ve been thinking about how good you taste all night. Every time I gazed at you from across the table, I couldn’t stop thinking how amazing it would be to put my lips on you.”

Her breathing grew erratic. “Then what are you waiting for? Do you need a written invitation?”

He lifted her dress over her head, his erection growing harder when he saw that she hadn’t been wearing a bra. “No. Not a written one. Maybe an oral one.” He lowered his mouth to her breast, swirling his tongue against her nipple. He blew on her gently, the air causing it to harden. He took it between his teeth, tugging slightly. “Do you like that, Jolene?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Don’t stop. Do it to the other one, too.”

“As you wish, peaches.” He obeyed her command, giving her other nipple the same treatment, trying to remain composed while he watched her body writhe beneath him, her stomach and chest rising and falling in a growing unsteady pattern. “Are you turned on, Jolene?”

“Yes. Put your lips on me. Taste me.”

He glanced up, his tongue continuing to trace circles around her chest. “I am tasting you.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Not my breast, Cam. I want your tongue on my clit.”

“And I want my tongue on your clit more than you can possibly imagine. Let me love you first.”

“I need you, Cam. I’m burning up right now.” She threw her arm over her head.

“Good.” He grinned. “All part of my plan.”

“You’re such a tease.”

He lowered his mouth down her torso, kissing her soft flesh as he traveled her body. “Maybe. But I can guarantee you that delaying your gratification will only make you come harder, Jolene. And I intend to make you come harder than you’ve ever come before.”

Jolene’s mind raced at his words. She loved how he could be so sweet and caring, yet his sensual and erotic tongue made her flame with more than just desire for him.

“Cam,” she exhaled breathlessly. “I need you. Love me. Show me your love.”

He trailed kisses across her stomach, sliding her panties down her long legs. Looking up, he pressed his tongue against her, circling slowly, wanting her to feel each and every swirl. As she began moving against the delicate rhythm he set, he felt her thighs tighten up.

She whimpered and Cam knew she was ready to fall apart. He inserted a finger inside her, setting her off and she screamed out his name. Her body shook against him and he continued licking her, making sure her pleasure lasted as long as possible.

“Cam,” Jolene said softly, her tremors beginning to subside. “Get inside me. Now.”

Raising himself, he lowered his mouth to hers, his tongue licking her lips, begging for permission to enter.

She wrapped her legs around him and deepened the kiss. “Please, Cam. Show me your love. Give me your light.”

He simply nodded, the look on her face causing his heart to race. It wasn’t a needy, demanding look. She looked so sweet and vulnerable at that moment. If she needed his love, he was happy to give it to her. He shrugged out of his clothes and positioned himself between her legs, pushing into her.

She threw her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the warmth spreading through her body from his reverent motion. “Cam…?” she said, her voice pleading.

“Yes, beautiful?”