Page 22 of Seven Minutes In Heaven
There was desperation in his voice. Desperation that had almost been there the day of the engagement party, but so well-hidden that Claire never once suspected that this man had slowly been falling in love with her through amoviefor the past few years. He had been so inspired by her interpretation of a character that he had used her as a muse for his own money-making works… did that mean the role Claire auditioned for that day was based off that performance?Damn.Now? She was desperate, too. Desperate to find herself in a new, more fruitful situation that wouldn’t mean the demise of her spirit. Her engagement was a farce. Everyone knew it. She knew it most of all.
If only things could have been different…
“I feel like I became engaged to the wrong member of the family.”
She probably could have said she felt like she was going to puke again, and Jakestillwould have kissed her.
Claire’s arms were around him in fewer than two seconds. His kiss had dismantled her ability to reason, and his touch around her waist destroyed her ability to reason with that part of her soul that claimed he was The One.
If he hadn’t said those sweet things about her… if he hadn’t shown such compassion when she made a fool of herself at the audition… maybe she could have pushed him away. But she couldn’t. She was his thrall, and all that mattered was making the most out of this kiss.
Perhaps it would be the last one. The one to purge the last of their attraction to one another.
Or not.
“Have you ever made such a fool of yourself before?” Jake whispered upon her lips. “Because I hadn’t until now.”
She clung to his chest, nails digging into his shirt and piercing his skin beneath. “No,” she admitted. “I hate it.”
“Me too.”
“How much?”
Flames spread from the ember burning in Claire’s heart. All it took was one wisp of smoke in the rest of her, and the next thing she knew, the fire had grown and consumed everything in its path. All that was left behind was the soot and ashes of her sanity, cremated until Claire gave herself over to this desire tearing apart her brittle, mortal form.
“So much that I wish you would put me out of my misery.”
“If that can be accomplished in my bed, then I’ll be more than happy to.”
Claire kissed him. He pulled her hair out of its clasp and yanked the zipper of her dress down to her ass.
