gripped her by her bare thigh, her shorts so short every inch of her long legs was exposed, and he pulled her flush against his body.
He wore jeans and a tight, tight tee, it clinging perfectly to the span of his wide chest, every defined muscle flexing below the thin dark gray fabric. Bold, colorful ink curled out from under one shirtsleeve, and another black tattoo was stamped on the inside of the opposite forearm. He was lean but strong, taller than any man had the right to be, the power of his presence imposing and enough to steal every breath of air from my lungs.
He dipped down and burrowed his face in her neck, his black hair wild and mussed, sticking up in every direction. She squealed and drove her fingers into it, tugging on the length as he bent her back, kissing her up and down.
My heart squeezed so tight I could feel it splintering, disintegrating into dust.
Coming here hadn’t just been foolish.
It was reckless, plain and simple.
Still I stared, unable to look away from the man who had meant everything to me. One I should hate and blame, for the way I let myself give up and give in. But I knew I was crumbling only because I couldn’t stand to see him this way, wrapped up in another woman’s arms, when every
whole
part of me wanted that girl to be me.
How sick was that?
My mouth went dry when he suddenly stilled, the corded muscles of his tanned arms rippling as he slowly lifted his head as if he sensed my presence. His green eyes met mine, widening with shock, before they flashed with something dark and fierce. Then his face twisted in arrogance, those green eyes narrowing as if he knew he had me trapped.
Just like he had that night.
I was helpless to look away, and he held me captive as he went back to work on her neck, his mouth at her jaw and at her chin. The entire time he never released me from the prison of his contemptuous glare.
It was the
wrecked
pieces of me that were wise, ones that already knew Christopher Moore had the power to destroy me. He’d done it before, and by the way he was looking at me now, I knew he’d gladly to do it again.
Not because he wanted me. But because he wanted to play with me. Like he’d done all those years ago. I’d believed him – that he loved me and cared about me, that he cared about my brother – that he hadn’t just been seducing me into becoming an unsuspecting pawn in his sick, twisted game.
It didn’t take me long to realize that’s exactly what I was.
It took everything I had to compose myself. I steadied my feet and shaking hands, but there was nothing I could do about my bleeding heart. Thankfully it was safe and hidden away, in a place I’d no longer allow him to see.
I lifted my chin in nonchalance, as if seeing him meant nothing at all, all the while praying to God my legs were strong enough to carry me out back so I could give Aly and Jared my thanks, grab my purse, and go on my way.
Because really? All I wanted was to run.
But I wouldn’t be giving Christopher that satisfaction.
I wound around him and the girl, who’d just come to recognize that Christopher wasn’t giving her his full attention because his eyes were pinned on me. I smirked a little, catching her surprise, and immediately felt bad because this girl probably had no idea what an asshole he was.
She probably was just as naive as I had been.
I stepped outside, where the night had taken hold, a few bright stars breaking through the glow of the city lights, Aly and her family and friends still completely relaxed and enjoying each other.
“There you are,” Aly said with a casual smile, before her eyebrows creased together when she caught the expression on my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yep, perfect,” I lied, grabbing my purse from where I’d tucked it under the chair when I first arrived. “But it’s getting late, so I’d better get home.” I looked between her and Jared. “Thank you so much for inviting me. It really was great catching up with
He wore jeans and a tight, tight tee, it clinging perfectly to the span of his wide chest, every defined muscle flexing below the thin dark gray fabric. Bold, colorful ink curled out from under one shirtsleeve, and another black tattoo was stamped on the inside of the opposite forearm. He was lean but strong, taller than any man had the right to be, the power of his presence imposing and enough to steal every breath of air from my lungs.
He dipped down and burrowed his face in her neck, his black hair wild and mussed, sticking up in every direction. She squealed and drove her fingers into it, tugging on the length as he bent her back, kissing her up and down.
My heart squeezed so tight I could feel it splintering, disintegrating into dust.
Coming here hadn’t just been foolish.
It was reckless, plain and simple.
Still I stared, unable to look away from the man who had meant everything to me. One I should hate and blame, for the way I let myself give up and give in. But I knew I was crumbling only because I couldn’t stand to see him this way, wrapped up in another woman’s arms, when every
whole
part of me wanted that girl to be me.
How sick was that?
My mouth went dry when he suddenly stilled, the corded muscles of his tanned arms rippling as he slowly lifted his head as if he sensed my presence. His green eyes met mine, widening with shock, before they flashed with something dark and fierce. Then his face twisted in arrogance, those green eyes narrowing as if he knew he had me trapped.
Just like he had that night.
I was helpless to look away, and he held me captive as he went back to work on her neck, his mouth at her jaw and at her chin. The entire time he never released me from the prison of his contemptuous glare.
It was the
wrecked
pieces of me that were wise, ones that already knew Christopher Moore had the power to destroy me. He’d done it before, and by the way he was looking at me now, I knew he’d gladly to do it again.
Not because he wanted me. But because he wanted to play with me. Like he’d done all those years ago. I’d believed him – that he loved me and cared about me, that he cared about my brother – that he hadn’t just been seducing me into becoming an unsuspecting pawn in his sick, twisted game.
It didn’t take me long to realize that’s exactly what I was.
It took everything I had to compose myself. I steadied my feet and shaking hands, but there was nothing I could do about my bleeding heart. Thankfully it was safe and hidden away, in a place I’d no longer allow him to see.
I lifted my chin in nonchalance, as if seeing him meant nothing at all, all the while praying to God my legs were strong enough to carry me out back so I could give Aly and Jared my thanks, grab my purse, and go on my way.
Because really? All I wanted was to run.
But I wouldn’t be giving Christopher that satisfaction.
I wound around him and the girl, who’d just come to recognize that Christopher wasn’t giving her his full attention because his eyes were pinned on me. I smirked a little, catching her surprise, and immediately felt bad because this girl probably had no idea what an asshole he was.
She probably was just as naive as I had been.
I stepped outside, where the night had taken hold, a few bright stars breaking through the glow of the city lights, Aly and her family and friends still completely relaxed and enjoying each other.
“There you are,” Aly said with a casual smile, before her eyebrows creased together when she caught the expression on my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yep, perfect,” I lied, grabbing my purse from where I’d tucked it under the chair when I first arrived. “But it’s getting late, so I’d better get home.” I looked between her and Jared. “Thank you so much for inviting me. It really was great catching up with
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