Fletch had told him about Tressa’s father, about the guy’s true character, and realised she’d held back from him. She had kept a lot of things from him about her home life. That chafed more than it had right to.
She’d never trusted him, he already knew that. Still it pissed him off. He’d been in love with her and he’d probably been nothing more than a way to get back at her folks; to rebel against the tight hold her father had over her.
So the fact he was going to her, that he had no other option, frustrated the hell out of him. When he got closer, he saw the tears glistening on her cheeks and was powerless against the urge to comfort her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she stiffened, just for a split second, then relaxed against his hold. It pleased his beast, the side that knew this female was meant to be his, even though the man knew it could never be.
For that one moment, he decided to indulge the beast. He needed to feel her under his hands, feel the warmth of her body against his palms.
It was so stupid, so foolish, but he didn’t let go when she ended the call with her mother. She turned in his arms and looked up at him with those dark, exotic eyes.
‘You were always there for me, Gabe. I never told you how much I appreciated you for that.’
Not love. Appreciation.
‘You’ll have to forgive me for not believing you.’
Though the words sounded harsh, he didn’t remove his hands. If anything he tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
She bit her lip and turned away, looking out over the quiet street below. When she looked back at him he tried to harden his heart against the pain in her eyes, the unshed tears making them appear like highly polished marble. Black, streaked with the darkest amber bursting through.
‘I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve regretted the things I said to you that day more than anything else in my entire life…I…’
He placed a finger over her lips. He didn’t want to hear anymore of her lies, afraid he’d believe them. He knew he couldn’t believe a word that came out of that pretty mouth. Shit, he wanted to taste her. Her trembling lower lip was dark pink and slightly puffy from biting and sent a shock through his body, straight to his groin.
He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to hear another damn word.’
Molten embers ignited in her eyes, bursting through. God, he wanted to punish her for what she’d done to him back then and how she made him feel even now. Before he knew what he was doing, he slammed his mouth down on hers.
Her hands flew to his shoulders and she made a strangled sound, trying to shove him back, then in the next breath pulled him closer. He nipped her swollen lower lip and when she gasped from the sting, he slid his tongue inside, demanding her surrender. The hands on his shoulders quit fighting, quit clawing at him, trying to pull him closer. She stilled, her nails biting into his skin and he knew, right then, she was his for the taking.
When he licked across her lower lip again, he tasted salt. The dampness of her cheeks registered. She was crying, harder than before, and he tried to step back.
She grabbed his face in her hands. ‘No, please don’t stop. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…’
‘What’s going on, Tressa?’
She didn’t seem to hear him and tried to move closer, to kiss him again. He gripped her wrists and yanked her back.
‘Stop it, Tress.’
He held her away but she continued to struggle. He worried if she fought any harder he might hurt her.
‘Shit, stop!’ he said with more force.
She quit fighting suddenly, seemed to shrivel in on herself. Paling, she took a step back, and then heat hit her neck, moved up to deepen every bit of exposed golden skin.
What the hell was going on with her?
She shook slightly but he kept his hands to himself, afraid of what might happen if he touched her again.
‘What the fuck’s going on, Tress?’
‘Nothing…I…I’m…I don’t know. I’m
She’d never trusted him, he already knew that. Still it pissed him off. He’d been in love with her and he’d probably been nothing more than a way to get back at her folks; to rebel against the tight hold her father had over her.
So the fact he was going to her, that he had no other option, frustrated the hell out of him. When he got closer, he saw the tears glistening on her cheeks and was powerless against the urge to comfort her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she stiffened, just for a split second, then relaxed against his hold. It pleased his beast, the side that knew this female was meant to be his, even though the man knew it could never be.
For that one moment, he decided to indulge the beast. He needed to feel her under his hands, feel the warmth of her body against his palms.
It was so stupid, so foolish, but he didn’t let go when she ended the call with her mother. She turned in his arms and looked up at him with those dark, exotic eyes.
‘You were always there for me, Gabe. I never told you how much I appreciated you for that.’
Not love. Appreciation.
‘You’ll have to forgive me for not believing you.’
Though the words sounded harsh, he didn’t remove his hands. If anything he tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
She bit her lip and turned away, looking out over the quiet street below. When she looked back at him he tried to harden his heart against the pain in her eyes, the unshed tears making them appear like highly polished marble. Black, streaked with the darkest amber bursting through.
‘I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve regretted the things I said to you that day more than anything else in my entire life…I…’
He placed a finger over her lips. He didn’t want to hear anymore of her lies, afraid he’d believe them. He knew he couldn’t believe a word that came out of that pretty mouth. Shit, he wanted to taste her. Her trembling lower lip was dark pink and slightly puffy from biting and sent a shock through his body, straight to his groin.
He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to hear another damn word.’
Molten embers ignited in her eyes, bursting through. God, he wanted to punish her for what she’d done to him back then and how she made him feel even now. Before he knew what he was doing, he slammed his mouth down on hers.
Her hands flew to his shoulders and she made a strangled sound, trying to shove him back, then in the next breath pulled him closer. He nipped her swollen lower lip and when she gasped from the sting, he slid his tongue inside, demanding her surrender. The hands on his shoulders quit fighting, quit clawing at him, trying to pull him closer. She stilled, her nails biting into his skin and he knew, right then, she was his for the taking.
When he licked across her lower lip again, he tasted salt. The dampness of her cheeks registered. She was crying, harder than before, and he tried to step back.
She grabbed his face in her hands. ‘No, please don’t stop. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…’
‘What’s going on, Tressa?’
She didn’t seem to hear him and tried to move closer, to kiss him again. He gripped her wrists and yanked her back.
‘Stop it, Tress.’
He held her away but she continued to struggle. He worried if she fought any harder he might hurt her.
‘Shit, stop!’ he said with more force.
She quit fighting suddenly, seemed to shrivel in on herself. Paling, she took a step back, and then heat hit her neck, moved up to deepen every bit of exposed golden skin.
What the hell was going on with her?
She shook slightly but he kept his hands to himself, afraid of what might happen if he touched her again.
‘What the fuck’s going on, Tress?’
‘Nothing…I…I’m…I don’t know. I’m
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