Page 78 of Champagne & Handcuffs
I blinked. “No?”
She shook her head. “I’d like to say that I focused on my career, but the reality is that it was hard because I remembered that night.”
Autumn leaned forward and rubbed Joss’s back.
“Will it take me twelve, thirteen years to finally have sex again?” I didn’t know how it worked, but the thought made me sick to my stomach. I wasn’t raped like Joss, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the faceless man and felt as though I could feel his hands on me. How was I going to let Seth touch me?
Autumn moved her comforting touch to me and rubbed my back. “It will take as long as it takes.”
“It only took that long because I was in my head,” Joss clarified. “I trusted Paul. Knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and once I let him show me that he loved me, I got out of my head because I loved him too. I was tired of living in the past. Granted, I didn’t know I was about to come face to face with my past.”
“And now?” Joss leaned forward and grabbed my hands. “Now I know he won’t hurt me again. Even before Tony was dead, I had Paul to show me I wasn’t broken. You have Seth, and while I don’t know all the details of your relationship, I do know that man will do anything for you. He’ll give you time. He’ll wait for you. He waited eleven years, Cat. And I know he will do anything to protect you. I saw it last night.”
A tear slid down my cheek. I knew she was right, and I hoped I could remember what she was saying when the time came for Seth and me to be intimate again. We were on fire, and it was the best sex of my life. Now I needed to try to get out of my head and remember that the devil and his pimp who bought me were no longer going to hurt me because they were dead.
I knew that over time, with Seth by my side, I’d be free of my nightmare.
21
Seth
The case was over.
At least for me it was. My undercover mission was finished, and I was given the all clear to return to D.C. unless Bryce was put on trial and then I’d have to come back to Vegas to testify. But given what Joss had told me, I wasn’t sure it would happen. I was sure no one missed having Tony and a no-named pimp off the streets. I sure the hell didn’t.
But I didn’t want to go back to D.C. I was serious when I told Cat that I’d take a vacation and go with her to Miami until she could get away. And I didn’t care where we went. Cat was back in my life, and I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. Of course, that wasn’t realistic, but I was prepared to spend the next few weeks with her twenty-four-seven.
“Ladies,” I greeted, walking in the front door.
All eyes turned to me, but I only looked at the brown ones I dreamed about. “Hey!” Cat beamed. Not only did I see Cat’s eyes light up, but she smiled. She fucking smiled. Then she stood and came to me.
“Kitty Cat,” I said with a grin and opened my arms to embrace her. She rushed into my arms. “Have a good day?”
She nodded against my chest. “I did.”
“Did you see Paul?” Joss asked.
I looked to her, Cat still in my arms. “Nope.”
Joss shrugged. “I’m not sure who he’s meeting with. I was just curious.”
“Well, I got the all clear.”
“It’s over?” Cat asked, looking up at me.
I kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, baby. It’s just you and me now.”
“Well, I should head home. Baby is making me tired, and Gabe should be home from the range by now,” Autumn said, starting to stand.
“Tell him thank you for me,” I said. “Even though he only dropped Paul and me off, it felt good walking in there knowing he’d have our backs if need be.”
“Definitely.”
I grabbed a beer while they said their goodbyes. Afterward, I sat on the couch, and when the girls came back in, Cat sat next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. It felt strange for a moment that we were doing this in front of Joss. For so long I’d had to hide my feelings, and now we were out in the open flaunting it.
“So, what do you two want to do tonight?”
I balked. “With you?”
