me? I hate your guts, and I wish I never met you!" She arched her
neck to get away from him, but he only used the position to kiss along her
neck.
Charlise
sobbed in frustration. The pain too much to keep hidden.
She
lied. She wanted Tom here with her. Without him, she lost hope.
He
leaned back. "Charlise…"
"No.
Don't stop. Make me forget." She moaned and sought his mouth with hers.
She slipped her tongue into his mouth. The urgency to touch every part of him
overwhelmed her.
The
guttural moan deep in Tom's throat encouraged Charlise to get closer to him.
With him, she was strong and invincible. She could forget.
Intent
on getting closer, she blocked out the hands pushing her away. She slapped at
the intrusion. She wanted to bind him to her so he'd always protect her and
never leave.
"Char...please
don't," he said. "Don't do this to yourself."
She
became an octopus, and wasn't going to let him refuse her. He'd cave. Once he
realized she was serious, he'd take her. He'd make her forget and feel. He made
her feel things she'd never experienced before.
Tom's
strong hands shook her shoulders. "Stop."
Charlise
jerked back into the steering wheel. Her breath came out in great gasps.
What
did he mean? Stop? He enjoyed what they were doing. She heard him, felt him,
and his eyes were all soft and intense on her.
"Charlise."
He brushed the hair out of her face and tried to take hold of her hands. She
slapped him away.
"Let's
sit here for a minute—"
She
scrambled off his lap, uncertain and embarrassed. Why did she force him to do
something he refused to do? Her touches obviously sickened him. She was only a
job to him after all. God, I'm pathetic.
Tom
shifted in his seat to face her. "Let's talk about this."
She
didn't want to discuss what a mental basket case she was. Especially after
she'd made a fool out of herself and couldn't argue with him. Why in the world
did she think he wanted a relationship with her?
She
folded her arms in front of her and turned toward the side window.
"Will
you talk to me?" There was a pause, and then, "You don't understand
what's happening, sweetheart."
She
scooted closer to the car door. "Just drive, Tom," she whispered.
"In
a minute. I want you to listen to me."
She
jerked around and stared at him. "Take me to a motel."
"Wait
a sec…can we talk?"
She
leveled her sight on him. Her chin came up and she narrowed her eyes. "No.
Take me to a motel."
Tom's
mouth tightened and he slammed a fist against the steering wheel. Charlise
flinched and shrank in the seat. Let him be upset. It didn't solve anything.
Tom
started the engine and pulled away from the curb. Staring out the side window,
she ignored him. She was tired of running, of fighting, and living life so fast
she couldn't even think.
The
drone of the engine and shifting gears lulled her into sleep. She no longer
escaped into a place where she denied what happened, but confronted the truth.
No more fantasies of carefree days, no backrubs before bed, and nobody to smile
across the table were in her future. She'd acted foolish, stupid, and Jared was
right, she didn't deserve any of those nice things.
When
she woke, the dashboard clock revealed she'd slept an hour. She didn't question
where Tom headed, or what would happen when he dropped her off when they
arrived at his destination. She simply didn't care anymore.
A
half hour later, Tom pulled over and punched in numbers on his cell phone
without saying a word to Charlise. She ignored the one-sided conversation and
studied a dirty smudge on the outside of the windshield. Probably a lonely
insect whose life ended with one splat against the unforgiving glass.
She
knew exactly what that dead bug must have thought before it smashed into the
windshield. Life came and went. One day you could be flying along minding your
own business and the next bam , dead with your guts splattered all over
the place.
Tom
closed his cell phone and threw it into the console between the front
neck to get away from him, but he only used the position to kiss along her
neck.
Charlise
sobbed in frustration. The pain too much to keep hidden.
She
lied. She wanted Tom here with her. Without him, she lost hope.
He
leaned back. "Charlise…"
"No.
Don't stop. Make me forget." She moaned and sought his mouth with hers.
She slipped her tongue into his mouth. The urgency to touch every part of him
overwhelmed her.
The
guttural moan deep in Tom's throat encouraged Charlise to get closer to him.
With him, she was strong and invincible. She could forget.
Intent
on getting closer, she blocked out the hands pushing her away. She slapped at
the intrusion. She wanted to bind him to her so he'd always protect her and
never leave.
"Char...please
don't," he said. "Don't do this to yourself."
She
became an octopus, and wasn't going to let him refuse her. He'd cave. Once he
realized she was serious, he'd take her. He'd make her forget and feel. He made
her feel things she'd never experienced before.
Tom's
strong hands shook her shoulders. "Stop."
Charlise
jerked back into the steering wheel. Her breath came out in great gasps.
What
did he mean? Stop? He enjoyed what they were doing. She heard him, felt him,
and his eyes were all soft and intense on her.
"Charlise."
He brushed the hair out of her face and tried to take hold of her hands. She
slapped him away.
"Let's
sit here for a minute—"
She
scrambled off his lap, uncertain and embarrassed. Why did she force him to do
something he refused to do? Her touches obviously sickened him. She was only a
job to him after all. God, I'm pathetic.
Tom
shifted in his seat to face her. "Let's talk about this."
She
didn't want to discuss what a mental basket case she was. Especially after
she'd made a fool out of herself and couldn't argue with him. Why in the world
did she think he wanted a relationship with her?
She
folded her arms in front of her and turned toward the side window.
"Will
you talk to me?" There was a pause, and then, "You don't understand
what's happening, sweetheart."
She
scooted closer to the car door. "Just drive, Tom," she whispered.
"In
a minute. I want you to listen to me."
She
jerked around and stared at him. "Take me to a motel."
"Wait
a sec…can we talk?"
She
leveled her sight on him. Her chin came up and she narrowed her eyes. "No.
Take me to a motel."
Tom's
mouth tightened and he slammed a fist against the steering wheel. Charlise
flinched and shrank in the seat. Let him be upset. It didn't solve anything.
Tom
started the engine and pulled away from the curb. Staring out the side window,
she ignored him. She was tired of running, of fighting, and living life so fast
she couldn't even think.
The
drone of the engine and shifting gears lulled her into sleep. She no longer
escaped into a place where she denied what happened, but confronted the truth.
No more fantasies of carefree days, no backrubs before bed, and nobody to smile
across the table were in her future. She'd acted foolish, stupid, and Jared was
right, she didn't deserve any of those nice things.
When
she woke, the dashboard clock revealed she'd slept an hour. She didn't question
where Tom headed, or what would happen when he dropped her off when they
arrived at his destination. She simply didn't care anymore.
A
half hour later, Tom pulled over and punched in numbers on his cell phone
without saying a word to Charlise. She ignored the one-sided conversation and
studied a dirty smudge on the outside of the windshield. Probably a lonely
insect whose life ended with one splat against the unforgiving glass.
She
knew exactly what that dead bug must have thought before it smashed into the
windshield. Life came and went. One day you could be flying along minding your
own business and the next bam , dead with your guts splattered all over
the place.
Tom
closed his cell phone and threw it into the console between the front
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