Page 44 of Faith
“I’m the reason you went through all of that. I could have stopped you. I should have stopped you.”
“Zeke, don’t,” Nina said, stepping into his personal space and putting her hand over his mouth. “I can’t have you blaming yourself. I was young and foolish. I made a mistake, trusted someone I shouldn’t have. But I never once blamed you. From the sound of it, neither did Monty.”
“I blamed myself. I still do. Jesus, Nina, what you told us…”
“I didn’t want to do those things,” she whispered, feeling ashamed for all of it.
“Angel, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. You were captive there. And now you’re captive here.” Zeke took a step away from her again.
Nina swallowed roughly at the loss of him. “I was wrong to threaten that. I was wrong to say what I did. You’re nothing like her.”
“But I am, Nina. I will stop you from leaving. I will do whatever I have to if it means keeping you here. I don’t want to, though. God, please don’t make me.”
Nina shook her head, the anguish on Zeke’s face enough to make her heart clench. “I’m not leaving, Zeke. I overreacted.”
Zeke nodded, and Nina took a chance and moved forward again. She put her hand on his chest, and he tugged her in so tight she could barely breathe. One hand went into her hair, the other tight around her back. His lips landed on the top of her head, and he inhaled, like he was trying to pull her inside himself.
Nina held him like the lifeline he was. She couldn’t make sense of how she felt with Zeke. Of the desire that slowly unfurled inside her as she breathed him in. Of the way a man who was clearly dangerous made her feel safe in a way she’d never known.
He hardened between them, and desire pulsed inside her. She kissed his chest, drawing small circles on his back. He inhaled sharply, his cock twitching against her stomach.
She licked his throat, and he growled, pulling back just enough to slam his lips down on hers. She gasped at the rough move, a flood of heat making her rub her thighs together. His tongue probed her mouth as his hand moved to cup her ass. He molded and squeezed, his fingers teasing her with his firm touch.
He pulled back with a curse, and she swayed without him there to hold her up.
“Zeke.”
“Let me lock up the house. Don’t lose that thought right there.” He tapped her nose, then surged back at her, devouring her right where she stood and sending her brain out the window.
She pressed a hand to her lips and smiled as she watched him race through the house. He tossed the leftovers from dinnerinto the fridge without bothering to transfer them to a smaller container, and he dropped the rest of the dishes into the sink instead of the dishwasher.
“I thought you were a clean freak,” Nina teased.
He looked at her over his shoulder, his gaze scolding her as it slid down her body. “There is something else I’m much more of a freak about than cleaning.”
No one had ever bothered to speak to Nina like that. They were paying to fuck her. Romance wasn’t necessary. But with Zeke, he wanted her to know he wanted her. Nina could feel it in his words and his actions.
He checked the back door, then the front door, then the garage, then flipped all the lights off downstairs.
The sudden plunge into darkness took her by surprise. She gasped without thought, fear grabbing her throat and squeezing.
“Fuck,” Zeke snarled.
A light came on, momentarily blinding Nina. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you ever apologize to me,” Zeke said. “Ever. I should have expected that.”
Nina shook her head, willing the fear to go away. “You didn’t know.”
“Have you thought about therapy?” Zeke asked softly.
Nina shook her head again. “No one can possibly understand what I’ve been through. I don’t think telling everything to some highly educated person who’s never known struggle is going to make me feel better about what I’ve been through.”
“Maybe not, but if you find the right therapist, they can be worth their weight in gold.”
“Have you been to therapy?” Nina asked skeptically.
“I have.” Zeke nodded. “I go still.”
