Page 43 of Jolene's Justice

She framed his face between her hands and stared deeply into his eyes. The wind picked up and blew her hair into her face, but she ignored it. She spoke slowly and clearly, wanting to make sure her message was received. “You are a man of honor. Of integrity. You pour your heart and soul into your work, tirelessly giving to others. You have every reason to let hate and anger eat away at you, but you don’t let it. You genuinely care for people. Doesn’t matter if they’re stranger or friend. You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. The fact that you do it with all that weighing on your shoulders is truly remarkable and proves my point.

“But I can see it still causes you pain. Listen carefully. It’s crucial that you understand what I’m about to say.” She paused, studying his eyes carefully, noting the tiny variations in shade and color that made them so unique. “The shame you feel is not yours to bear.”

“Jolie,” he muttered, and she could tell he was about to contradict her.

“The shame is not yours to bear.” She repeated herself, wanting to make absolutely certain he understood. “After Harrison’s betrayal, it took me a long time to understand that myself. What he did was shameful. I had to learn that his actions did not reflect poorly on me. I was not responsible for his actions. It was hard, but I had to learn to disconnect his misdeeds from my own emotions. What he did was not a reflection of my character, and I had to remind myself of that constantly. It was his shame to carry, not mine.”

Finch clasped one of her hands and placed a kiss on her palm. “I’m sorry he did that to you. I wish I could hunt him down and—”

She stopped him with a kiss, pouring everything she was feeling for him in that moment. When she broke the kiss, she was breathing heavily, but she had more to say. “I see you now. I see when you struggle. I see when you try to push it down and put on a brave face. I see the way you use humor to cover the pain you feel. I’m sorry I closed my eyes to it for so long, but now they are open. And I promise to keep them that way. The shame isn’t something you have to bear alone, and I will help you come to terms with that. I promise.”

His expression softened as he stared at her. “I do not deserve you,” he whispered.

With a shout of “Bullshit!” she caught him off guard, and his eyes widened in shock. “I call bullshit,” she said, her voice quieter this time.

“Jolie—”

“Nope. Not gonna hear it. I will not let you demean yourself anymore. You are the best man I know, and we deserve each other. Now shut up and kiss me.”

The smile he beamed at her made her heart take flight. Despite the heaviness of the conversation, his smile was a marvelous thing, a ray of light in the darkness. And she loved the fact that she had made it happen. But all those thoughts flew out of her head when he took her mouth in a searing kiss.

Electricity charged the air, and she had a feeling that was more due to them and their passion than the incoming storm. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his went around to her back. His hands locked against her spine, holding her tight to the hard planes of his chest. She felt the strength of his hold, as if he was afraid she’d slip away.

His erection pressed against her, and as he deepened the kiss, she shamelessly ground herself against him. Her pussy was weeping for him, and she didn’t want to wait any longer.

A loud clap of thunder jolted them apart. She couldn’t tell if it was the charged atmosphere or the kiss that had just rocked her world that made the fine hairs on her arms stand at attention. She glanced over her shoulder at the ominous clouds closing in on them. Relentless bursts of lightning painted the pitch-black sky with a bright white light, exposing the otherwise invisible details of the surrounding landscape. Rumbles of deafening thunder echoed through the atmosphere, filling the air with a sense of foreboding. A pungent odor of ozone and rain hung in the air. The anticipation of the impending storm was almost tangible, creating an atmosphere of both excitement and apprehension.

All that disappeared when she turned back to Finch. The fiery intensity of his gaze was palpable, as if it could sear through flesh. His stare ignited the air around them, sending shivers down her spine. It was so intense it felt like a physical touch. His rapid breathing was loud in her ears, as if he had just come up for air after being submerged. His fingers flexed on her hips as if he was trying to convey his desire without words. The atmosphere wasn’t the only thing that was charged with an electric tension. She felt like a single touch from him could ignite a fire.

Oh, boy howdy, she was itching to light a match and watch the flames dance. She wanted to burn so badly she could feel the heat rising in her chest.

The first fat drops of rain did nothing to cool her overheated skin. He pulled her in closer as if he could shield her from the rain, like some sort of human umbrella. It made her laugh. “We can go inside, you know.”

She felt his smile against her hairline. “I know. I just don’t want to pop the bubble.”

She knew exactly what he meant. “We can create another one inside.”

“Yeah?” he asked, as if he was unsure whether she was telling him the truth.

“Yeah.” Before she could climb off his lap, he stood with her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, clinging like a monkey. God, she loved his strength.

He moved toward the sliding glass door. “Wait,” she called. “The blanket.” He stopped and held her as she bent over and grabbed it. He took the advantage and kissed her extended throat, tracing the exposed contours with his tongue. The sensation of fiery shivers ran through her.

Then he was moving again. The blanket trailed behind them, snagging on the rough surface of the doorframe as they strained to push it closed. It seemed Finch didn’t want to put her down to deal with it, and she didn’t mind one bit. With a yank, she freed the blanket. The fabric tore with a loud ripping sound that echoed through the room. “Oops.”

“I’ll buy your dad a new one.” Finch’s grumbled promise made her laugh. As soon as the door was shut, she let go of the blanket, and he moved swiftly through the darkened rooms. The continuous strobe light effect of lightning illuminated the way. Feeling frisky, she started nibbling on his neck as he climbed the stairs.

Only once did he fumble, possibly due to a sensitive spot that she hit. “Fuck,” he hissed. His curse was a sharp exhale against her cheek, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“You okay?” she teased.

He huffed out a breath. “You’re dangerous.”

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” He was right about that. She liked the effect she was having on him. She liked that he took the remaining stairs two at a time. It was hot as hell. Here was a man who couldn’t wait to be with her. And yet, if she told him to slow down or stop, she knew he would. But there was no way in hell she’d say stop. This had been a long time coming. Over a year late. She’d been such a fool. She sighed. It made her suddenly sad for all the time they’d missed.

He’d reached her room and let her feet hit the ground in front of him. He gripped her hips, his gaze studying her. Was her remorse evident in her expression?

---