Page 62 of Ache for You (Slow Burn 3)
When I hesitate, she looks at me. Entire planets are burning in her eyes.
I pour her another drink.
She shoots that one, too. Then we sit in silence as the clock ticks on the wall and I fight myself from knocking the table aside and taking her in my arms.
Finally she says, “He wants me to go back to San Francisco and marry him. He still wants me to be his wife.”
She laughs, a small anguished laugh that flames the rage crawling up my throat.
“What did you tell him?”
She moistens her lips, shakes her head, and closes her eyes. She’s in so much pain it leaks out of her pores. She’s breathing it out like flames.
“I’ll hurt him if you want me to.”
“Yes, I want you to.”
I’m up on my feet before the next beat of my heart, but she grabs my wrist and tugs. I stop, breathing hard, waiting.
“You really would, wouldn’t you?” she says softly, gazing up at me with those lucid cat eyes.
Slowly, my voice hard and full of violence, I say, “With pleasure.”
We stare at each other for a beat. I’m aware of her hand wrapped around my wrist, that small shaking hand. I want to kiss her so badly I almost groan.
“Sit.” She tugs on my wrist again but doesn’t release it.
I blow out a hard breath and take my seat
across from her.
She’s still holding my wrist. I think she’s measuring my heartbeat in the pulse beating wildly under her thumb. After a moment, she sighs and releases me. She tucks her hands under her armpits and looks at the tabletop.
She whispers, “I have to get out of here.”
When she looks up at me, her eyes beseeching, my heart skips a beat.
When she adds, “Please,” it takes off in a gallop. Blood surges through my body. My nerves start to sing.
“Where do you want to go?” I ask gruffly.
“Anywhere. Just . . . anywhere else.”
Her voice is small. She sounds so lost. Lost and in pain. It’s like a punch in my stomach.
I stand, pulling her gently along with me. When she wobbles, I steady her with my hand on her shoulder. “You’re going to be all right,” I say. “Look at me.”
She looks up at me, those cat eyes so green and wide. It becomes impossible to breathe. I whisper, “I promise.”
It’s a vow. An oath. There’s nothing on this earth or outside of it that could make me break it. I’ll do anything in my power to protect her from harm.
She blinks slowly, as if clearing her eyes. Then she says with cold, quiet vehemence, “You men and your promises. By the way, how’s that new collection of yours coming along?”
She sears me with her gaze, then shrugs off my hand and walks out.
Like I said.
Fucked.
