Page 112 of Between Now & Heartbreak

He reaches between us and tugs my towel off and snakes his free hand between my legs and puts two fingers inside of me. His drags his tongue over my neck.

My soul screams, but I don’t. I don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how he’s hurting me.

His eyes remain on mine, they’re full of expectant glee as he waits for my body to respond. I bite back a whimper when he shoves deeper, and harder.

“Don’t fight it. I’ve made you feel good before.” He winks like it’s an inside joke. I just stare at him, emotionless and disengaged.

“You’ve never made me feel anything other than dirty.”

The light of delight in his eyes disappears. He pulls his fingers out of me. His expression is like that of a parent whose child has disappointed them and he lifts off me.

I pull my towel back over me and scramble off the bed and move to stand in the corner of the room. I face him, my anger is white hot but so is my fear.

“ I’m not that girl who didn’t understand that you don’t have the right, anymore. I swear I will kill you and everything be damned if you ever touch me like that again. Ever.”

He looks up at me and his expression is bleak.

“Fuck this. I’m not going to spend my life with a woman who hates me. You can have your little lover. ”

I sag in relief.

“Thank you, Duke. This is the right decision.”

His expression hardens.

“But you owe me that money. And when you marry him, I want my share.”

“Okay. I swear. I don’t even want it.” I don’t add that I have no idea if I’m going to get married. I can’t believe how quickly he’s agreed. I thought it would take weeks of begging.

“Tonight important for me. I need you to be there, and act like you’re happy to be. There’s enough gossip about you since whatever happened at Wishbone.”

I grimace.

He looks at me like he feels sorry for me. “Love is a cage. It makes you weak. I’m offering you freedom from all of that,” he says.

“Right. No thank you.”

He smiles, like an indulgent parent humoring their naive, willful child.

“I’ll let you go. But if you screw me on that money, I’ll ruin everything you care about.”

The certainty in his voice is unsettling. He trails a finger down my shoulder, and gooseflesh, prickly and intense runs riot over my body.

Then, he climbs out the window and disappears from view.

My composure disappears and my whole body trembles. From his violation and from my anger at my helplessness. I drop onto my bed and sit there, trying to catch my breath. I feel stained in the places he touched me just now.

The chime of my front door opening sounds. I’m supposed to be ready to go to the event.

But I have to wash Duke off me first.

36

JEALOUS

CARTER

I boughta ticket to this event so I could keep an eye on Beth. But now, I want to get a closer look at the man who I think has something to do with my biological family’s situation.

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