The Fear That Divides Us (The Devil's Dust #3)(29)

“Sex,” I respond.

Jessica laughs, setting her cup on the counter. She’s not taking me seriously. I knew she wouldn’t.

“Okay, time for you to go,” she remarks, still laughing.

“I’m serious, Jessica,” I interrupt. “It’s called exposure therapy. From what you told me, most of your abuse was when your husband made you submit to him sexually, abusing you in the bedroom,” I say seriously, standing from the stool. Jessica’s face stills, her smile from laughing fading into a frown. She runs her hand through her long, blonde hair, the ends curling around her fingers. Her chest rises as she breathes harshly from my confrontation.

“So I should just go have as much sex as I can? I’ve tried that. It doesn’t work. It just…” She stops, taking a deep breath. I close my eyes, not really caring to hear about her sleeping around to help overcome her tormented life.

“Not with just anyone, but with me,” I grit. “I will take those situations, the condition he programmed into your head and redo them in a setting that makes you safe, replace the bad memories with good, with pleasure rather than pain.” I walk around the counter and grasp her by the hips, making her look at me. Her blue eyes glossy with tears, her cheeks flushed.

“How are you any different than sex with anyone else?” she asks, a tear slipping over her lips.

I reach up and rub the tear off her bottom lip with my thumb.

“Because you trust me, and you’re safe with me,” I comfort honestly. She smirks, licking the rest of the tear from her lips.

“What if it doesn’t work?” she questions, shrugging.

“What do you have to lose?” I state, running my nose along her cheek.

Jessica runs her hand under her nose trying to get a hold of herself.

“I don’t know. This sounds silly. What do you get out of this?” she implores, grabbing her mug off the counter, breaking from my grip.

I snort and smirk. “Seriously?” I laugh. “I get laid.” I am not going to lie. I am pretty good at sex; it’s one of the few things I am awesome at. I know for a fact I can fill Jessica with pleasure easily. It will be getting past those memories that will be the hardest.

She laughs, and takes a sip of her coffee.

“I also get to help a friend,” I respond truthfully, my joking set aside.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” she says softly.

I nod and brush the hair behind her ear. “I’ve done a lot of research on this. It will work if you let it work,” I inform. Her eyes widen, and she turns her head to the side, looking at me quizzically.

“You researched it?” she questions, her eyes looking me over longingly. She f*cking loves it when I use my intelligence; the way her eyes get heavy and she looks at me hungrily. I eat that shit up. I can be smart when I want to be. But that’s it; I have to be interested in learning it.

“You have to trust me, Jessica,” I mumble, running my hand down her soft cheek.

Jessica’s eyes look up at me, my frame towering over her in her small kitchen.

“I think we need some rules, Bobby,” she whispers, pushing me back a step. I take a deep breath and back up. Rules. I hate that word. Everyone has them and I’m a pro at breaking them.

“Like what?” I ask, exasperated, walking back to my stool on the other side of the counter.

“I don’t know. I just feel like this is going to turn out badly,” she says, leaning over the island, giving me a clear shot of her breasts. I groan as my dick pulses from the teasing glimpse I have of them.

“I don’t want this around my daughter,” she says sternly, her eyebrow raised to indicate her point. I cock my head to the side and cross my arms. I have seen Addie only a handful of times since the night Jessica and Addie came to the club for help.

“What do you have against me so badly I can’t be around Addie?”

She shrugs and lifts from the counter, taking my view of her tits away, causing me to regret my question.

“The club is dangerous. I don’t need some thug using my daughter as leverage to get back at you guys,” she continues. I want to argue, but she has a point.

“Okay,” I reply, clearly defeated. “Is that the only rule?”

“And,” she pauses, setting her coffee down. She looks up, and brushes her hair behind her ear.

“You can’t fall in love with me. We can’t let this get emotional,” she mutters, her eyes peeking up from under her thick lashes.

My eyebrows narrow. “Why is that?” Am I that bad to fall in love with?

“I have seen the men in the club when they love a woman. I was already trapped in one relationship. I won’t be an ol’ lady,” she continues, her jaw clenched. I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.

“Well, I’m not looking for anything serious, so you won’t have to worry about that,” I respond, nodding. I look down at my hands, avoiding eye contact.

“I think this is just a way for you to get in my pants when you want, but at this point, I am desperate to try anything,” she informs with a chuckle.

I laugh and stand. Placing my hands on the counter, I lower my head, and gaze at her longingly.

“I’m going to f*ck you mindlessly, Jessica. Giving you that exhilarating feeling of your body going numb, and your toes curling from the overwhelming high from my dick hitting you in places you never knew it could.” I lean over the counter, brushing aside a hair that fell in front of her eyes. “When I’m done with you, you’ll never want to walk away from me, Jessica,” I whisper, my tone deep and arrogant.