time for us to talk.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
He reached over and took her hand. “Don’t be frightened, Jules. You don’t ever have to be afraid again.”
Still holding her hand, he helped her up and led her into the living room. “Sit down. I’ll build us a fire.”
He quickly stacked wood from the box over a few pieces of kindling then struck a match. In a few seconds, a steady flame licked up over the logs.
Returning to Jules, he settled beside her, his gaze sweeping over her face. She was so fragile-looking he feared touching her. She looked poised to break into a million tiny pieces, and he wondered not for the first time how hard he should press.
He pushed a strand of hair over her ear and let his palm rest against her cheek. “Talk to me, baby.”
Her eyes were enormous in her face. Fear, fatigue, apprehension. They all crowded to the front.
Wanting to put her at ease, he pulled her against him, feeling her heart beat frantically against his chest. He stroked her hair then moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion.
Her arms crept around him, and his chest tightened uncomfortably. How long he had waited for this moment. For her to be in his arms where she belonged.
Jules tentatively burrowed into his embrace, seeking comfort she’d long been denied. His broad chest cradled her cheek, and she nuzzled deeper into his muscled hardness. She didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to unleash her tightly held demons.
She’d held them close for so long, they clawed at her, seeking release. If she hated herself so much, how could everyone else not do the same?
His warm hand cupped her chin and slowly forced her to look up at him. “I can’t help myself,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.
But the past was burning too brightly in her mind. All she saw were the shadows closing in around her. Frightening images. Suffocating memories.
Her breathing lurched and sped up. Panic. Groping hands. Self-loathing.
Manny jerked away from her, fire in his eyes. He was angry. She’d never seen him angrier. His entire body bristled, power shrouding him. He looked every inch the predator. Gone was her childhood protector, the object of her teenage crush. In his place was a dangerous man. One who looked as though he could take apart someone with his bare hands.
She shivered involuntarily, and his expression grew even blacker.
“Who hurt you, Jules?” he demanded, his voice dangerously low.
It took her a moment for her to realize that he wasn’t angry with her . He had picked up on her utter terror, and now he was a seething mass of muscle. She opened her mouth to speak, to reassure him in some way, but no words came out.
Her throat was fast closing in, and once again, harsh despair swelled inside her. Though she hated the person she’d become, she recognized that at least that person was strong.
He reached hesitantly for her, and she turned away, curling herself into an impenetrable ball. It was all crashing down. Her carefully constructed balance was rapidly deteriorating.
“Manny, I can’t breathe,” she gasped.
Manuel grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to him. “Look at me, Jules,” he ordered. He forced himself to be calm, though he boiled just beneath the surface.
Her eyes flitted up to him, dull, lifeless. He swore long and hard under his breath. This was his fault. He pushed her too hard, too fast. And he couldn’t keep his damn hands to himself. Finally being able to hold her, touch her, had overwhelmed him. He needed to be close to her. Reassure himself that she was really here.
“You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you anymore. Do you understand me? I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Ever.”
Regret flickered in eyes that had shone lifeless just seconds before. “It’s out of your hands, Manny.”
The sound of glass shattering startled them both. Instinctively, Manuel shoved Jules to the floor, shielding her with his body.
Gunshots sounded, the
She closed her eyes and nodded.
He reached over and took her hand. “Don’t be frightened, Jules. You don’t ever have to be afraid again.”
Still holding her hand, he helped her up and led her into the living room. “Sit down. I’ll build us a fire.”
He quickly stacked wood from the box over a few pieces of kindling then struck a match. In a few seconds, a steady flame licked up over the logs.
Returning to Jules, he settled beside her, his gaze sweeping over her face. She was so fragile-looking he feared touching her. She looked poised to break into a million tiny pieces, and he wondered not for the first time how hard he should press.
He pushed a strand of hair over her ear and let his palm rest against her cheek. “Talk to me, baby.”
Her eyes were enormous in her face. Fear, fatigue, apprehension. They all crowded to the front.
Wanting to put her at ease, he pulled her against him, feeling her heart beat frantically against his chest. He stroked her hair then moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion.
Her arms crept around him, and his chest tightened uncomfortably. How long he had waited for this moment. For her to be in his arms where she belonged.
Jules tentatively burrowed into his embrace, seeking comfort she’d long been denied. His broad chest cradled her cheek, and she nuzzled deeper into his muscled hardness. She didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to unleash her tightly held demons.
She’d held them close for so long, they clawed at her, seeking release. If she hated herself so much, how could everyone else not do the same?
His warm hand cupped her chin and slowly forced her to look up at him. “I can’t help myself,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.
But the past was burning too brightly in her mind. All she saw were the shadows closing in around her. Frightening images. Suffocating memories.
Her breathing lurched and sped up. Panic. Groping hands. Self-loathing.
Manny jerked away from her, fire in his eyes. He was angry. She’d never seen him angrier. His entire body bristled, power shrouding him. He looked every inch the predator. Gone was her childhood protector, the object of her teenage crush. In his place was a dangerous man. One who looked as though he could take apart someone with his bare hands.
She shivered involuntarily, and his expression grew even blacker.
“Who hurt you, Jules?” he demanded, his voice dangerously low.
It took her a moment for her to realize that he wasn’t angry with her . He had picked up on her utter terror, and now he was a seething mass of muscle. She opened her mouth to speak, to reassure him in some way, but no words came out.
Her throat was fast closing in, and once again, harsh despair swelled inside her. Though she hated the person she’d become, she recognized that at least that person was strong.
He reached hesitantly for her, and she turned away, curling herself into an impenetrable ball. It was all crashing down. Her carefully constructed balance was rapidly deteriorating.
“Manny, I can’t breathe,” she gasped.
Manuel grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to him. “Look at me, Jules,” he ordered. He forced himself to be calm, though he boiled just beneath the surface.
Her eyes flitted up to him, dull, lifeless. He swore long and hard under his breath. This was his fault. He pushed her too hard, too fast. And he couldn’t keep his damn hands to himself. Finally being able to hold her, touch her, had overwhelmed him. He needed to be close to her. Reassure himself that she was really here.
“You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you anymore. Do you understand me? I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Ever.”
Regret flickered in eyes that had shone lifeless just seconds before. “It’s out of your hands, Manny.”
The sound of glass shattering startled them both. Instinctively, Manuel shoved Jules to the floor, shielding her with his body.
Gunshots sounded, the
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