Page 37 of Unchained

“We should eat.”

She cleared her throat and pressed the back of her hand to her lips. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. She’d kissed Brooks and he wanted her to stop. What was the matter with her? Was she so desperate for affection that she’d misread him? Goodness, he’d been tortured for the greater part of a year. What had she expected?

More importantly, what had she wanted? As hot and horny as she was right now, that was no excuse to get entangled with Brooks in an irrevocable way. She sure as heck wasn’t emotionally stable enough for causal sex.

She lowered her hand and smiled. “Yeah, me too.” Closing her eyes on an exasperated breath, she covered them with her hand. A blush of embarrassment stung her skin. “I mean, good idea. Sorry. I’m just—”

He caught her elbow, bringing her arm down. “Don’t be sorry. I just—I don’t want to hurt you. Okay?” Tension held his mouth in a pucker. His fingers vibrated against her skin. He wanted her, too.

But he was scared. Of himself.

Why did that turn her on even more? She needed serious help. “Okay,” she said on a breath.

He stalked to the door and shoved his feet in his shoes. “I’ll grab food. It’s best we keep your face hidden. Any preferences?”

She shook her head.

“I’ve got change from the money we used for the room. I’ll use that. Be right back.” He opened the door then paused. “Lock this behind me.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist. Nausea threatened to spill the few cookies she clung to. The door shut, and she snapped the lock into place then dropped into the chair.

Her hormones were jonesing for Brooks, and she had to put a dead freaking stop to it.

* * *

Christ, he’d fucked up. Brooks shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. The chilly wind lifted the ends of his hair, reminding him that he badly needed a haircut. Rather than get in the car and drive to find food, he strode down the road to a sandwich joint he’d spotted earlier. He needed the walk.

Cam had kissed him. He didn’t remember his past relationships, but he knew for certain that when a woman took that kind of initiative, she wanted him. And he’d offered her food instead. He let out a frustrated snort and kicked a stone over the pavement. Goddammit, he hated not knowing who he was. He knew who’d hurt him. He knew he had a sister, and a past—but it was so murky he couldn’t even trust the visions that glitched through his mind like broken movie clips.

Being forced to take a drug that had altered his reactions, made him angry, and given him immense physical strength and endurance had made him distrust himself. For so long, he hadn’t been in control of his own body.

He’d been without the drug for thirty-six hours, but was it out of his system? He didn’t want to test it on Cam to find out.

I won’t hurt her.

Even the idea of doing anything to cause her harm made the tendons in his hands bunch. He’d hurt himself before he hurt her.

Inside the restaurant, he headed to the deli area and quickly ordered two large sandwiches, hoping she’d like the toppings he’d picked.

No doubt Cam will be too scared to sleep with me now. It would suck sleeping without her warm, curvy body next to his. He walked back to the motel and shook off the thought. It didn’t matter. He needed to get sex off his brain until all this shit was over. He sure as hell didn’t need any more distractions. Just having Cam around made it hard for him to think straight, with his cock ready to explode.

When he finally got under the sheets with Cam, he wouldn’t leave for a long-ass time.

Brooks walked into the room and locked the door behind him. Shaking his feet out of his boots, he brought his attention to the closed bathroom door. The pattering of water reached his ears, alerting him to the fact that she was in the shower.

Wet.

Naked.

His dick hardened even more. The base of his cock throbbed. He needed release like he’d never needed it in his life. Not only could he not remember the last time he’d gotten off, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex.

Which was a fucking travesty.

He exhaled through his nose and adjusted his pants, which had grown three sizes too small in the crotch area. He’d have to relieve himself in the shower or something. There was no way he could continue to walk around with a loaded gun. He opened the paper bags and pulled out their sandwiches then went to the bathroom door. She probably hadn’t heard him come in.

Stopping at the wood to listen, he lifted his knuckles.

“Ah.” Cam’s sharp, barely audible cry reached his ears.

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