Unseen Scars

Preface

As he, Christian Newman, gazes into her dark gray eyes, all he sees is sadness and pain -a wish to escape- that for some unknown reason he wishes he could take away. She was far to beautiful and far to young to feel such sadness, "Why are you staring at me like that?" She questions him as she folds her legs on the blanket that laid on the sand.

"You're beautiful." He says as he moves closer to her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Katherine attempted to move away from him only to have him grab a hold of her wrist, "Wha- What are you doing?" She says in a panic.

His heart filled with regret as he watched her eyes cloud over with fear of him. Having her fear him was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Letting go of her wrist -her snatching it back against her chest- he gazed into her eyes, "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to have you fear me." He says.

A glare found its way onto Katherine's face, "I don't nor will I ever fear you." She spat. She found herself angry, not at him,but at herself. She let her fear show. She hated the fact that he could read her so well, it didn't sit to well with her at all.

A sudden questioned popped into Christians head as he gazed at her and before he could stop himself, the words were already leaving his mouth, "Has HE ever hit you?"

Katherine's eyes widened in shock, fear and anger, "What in the hell kind of question is that?" She snapped as she quickly got to her feet, glaring down at him.

Sighing, he got to his feet which cause her to have to look up at him, "Your fiance, does he or has he ever hit you?" He question, anger flooding his veins. He was getting angry at the fact that she was avoiding the question which only meant one thing.

That Bastard hits her or has hit her.

"That's none of your business." She spat turning to walk away.

Glaring, Christian reached out and grabbed her wrist to pull her to a stop, "Kathe-" Before he knew it, she'd turned around, threw her fist back and punched him square in the jaw.

Gasping and throwing her hands over her mouth, Katherine gazed up at him in shock at what she had done. She hadn't meant to hit him but with him grabbing her wrist the way he did, it brought back memories of when Daniel hit her, "I'm so sorry." She gasped out as she rushed forward, took his hand in hers and pulled him towards the tent that they'd built to stay in.

"I'll take that as a yes that the son of a bitch hits you." He snapped, glaring at the floor.

With her back to him, as she grabbed a rag and soaked it with cold water before ringing it out, she sighed, "What goes on with my fiance and I is none of your business." She says before turning around and walking towards him, "Sit down." She instructed him.

Taking a seat in the chair, Christian glances up at her, "Why don't you leave him or go to the police?" He asked.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" She questioned.

He shook his head as she sighed, "No way soon." He says.

As she focused on tending to his jaw, flashes of her on her back on the floor with Daniel standing over her flooded her mind, "I love him."

"That's not enough to continue to stay with him if all he does is hit you."

"He was the only man that has ever loved me for me and not for my family's money." She stated.

"He's not the only one who can do that." He says.

More and more flashes of him hurting her flooded her mind as she stood there and the more they came the more angrier and hurt she became. She had not realized that she had began to cry until she felt him cup her face in his large hands and whip away her fallen tears.

"Katherine, look at me." He ordered.

Lifting her head, she met his gaze, "He will NEVER hurt you again, I won't let him. If it's the last thing I do on this Earth, I will make sure that he never lays a finger on you again." He promises.

"Why? You barely know a thing about. We live in two different worlds and two different states. How will you ever be able to protect me? Why would you want to?"

"We may live in two different states and two different worlds but I can always find my way to you. If I have to, I will move to Florida with you, " He states as he takes a step closer to her, "I want to protect you because...I feel something for you. I don't know why or how but I find myself in need of protecting you. Call me selfish but in these last seven weeks, I've found myself growing feelings for you that I never thought I had and I have to see you. I have t be able to see you everyday and if that means packing up my life and moving to Florida then I'll do just that." He says.

Katherine shook her head, "You're insane, Christian." She states with a small smile for she was flattered.

Christian smiled, "Will that be a problem, Ms. Bennett?"

She smiled,"Not at all, Mr. Newman."

Gazing down at her, Christians eyes found her lips before finding her eyes again. Katherine knew what he wanted and if she was being honest with herself she would admit that she too wanted the same thing. She wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Christian Newman just as he wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Katherine Bennett. Holding her gaze, Christian took another step forward and slowly lowered his lips to hers. As his lips met hers, a tingly feeling ran through Katherine's body causing her knees almost give out from under her. She hesitated at first but as his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, her lips moved in sync with his.

Katherine knew that what she was doing was wrong but for once in her life, she was doing something that SHE wanted to do.