Page 65 of Bed of Thorns

“There was a dark sedan out front on the other side of the street. As soon as I headed down the driveway, the driver took off. Less than ten minutes later, a man was standing near the trees.”

“A man. What did he look like?”

“I couldn’t tell other than he was in a suit.”

His nostrils flared, his entire body shaking from rage. “Fuck. Fuck!” When he pulled away, moving into the kitchen, I chewed on my bottom lip.

“Maybe it was nothing,” I told him after I walked into the doorway.

“It’s not nothing and you know it.” His snap was immediately followed by a dark hiss. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t here to protect you.”

“He made no overt moves of any kind, Edmond. Maybe it was Adam’s brother checking on the house.”

“I don’t buy it for a second.” He finally looked into my eyes, and it was as if he’d already made a determination of who it was. “Fuck!” He slammed his fist on the counter, the fury of his actions jolting the bowl of fruit I’d placed on the edge. As apples and bananas tumbled to the floor, I was shifted back to the past, to the fear and anxiety. Neither one of us could go through that again.

Then he raked his hand across the rest of the counter, moving quickly to another one, smashing his fist against everything in his angry path.

“Edmond. Don’t! No.” I rushed forward, trying to stop him from destroying everything he’d tried to achieve as well as the peace he’d found. He was like a raging bull, his fury boiling to the uncontrollable level. Even as I grabbed his arm, he pushed me away, his fury refusing to be denied.

Glasses tossed.

Plates pulled from the cabinet.

All smashed, broken into shards.

And still he continued.

Then he turned his attention toward me, grabbing my arms and shifting me away from the chaos, tossing me against the other side of the counter.

“You are mine. Mine! No one is allowed to interfere. No one will ever hurt you again.”

His eyes were wild, his actions frantic, his breathing erratic.

I was thrown by his vehemence, the way his chest rose and fell. I couldn’t think straight or even focus, our bodies shaking from the burst of fury embroiling his system. He dropped his head, immediately crushing my mouth with his, sweeping his tongue deep inside. Everything about him was dominating, but on this night, he was a gasoline tank ready to explode, a beast unleased into the cold darkness.

The kiss wasn’t just a passionate roar, a desperate need; it was so dark and demanding that I feared I’d be swept away into the abyss. I clung to him, digging my fingers into his arms, trying to capture what was left of my ability to breathe. He cupped both sides of my face, his hold firmer than ever before. He was terrified I’d slip through his fingers, running away as everyone else had done.

“What are you afraid of?” I whispered, after he broke the kiss, both of us breathing raggedly.

“Of losing you. Of someone hurting you.”

“Why would they do that?”

“There’s something wrong. I can feel it. I watched my father go from a loving man to a monster in months. Months! He destroyed our lives from his need for power and greed. And he killed my mother.”

“What? Edmond, what are you trying to say?”

“She lost her will to live, her life nothing but misery.”

I couldn’t understand why he was telling me this now. His eyes continued to search mine, his chest heaving.

“We won’t let that happen. You just need to talk to me.” What was he holding back? What in God’s name had happened in his original family?

“I need you. I need you with me always.”

He captured my mouth again, only this time his actions were manic, the kiss the most intense, powerful experience I’d felt with him.

As the intimate moment exploded, I was lost in his warmth, his intense need, my entire body quivering. He sucked on my tongue, drinking in the full depth of my being, then pulled back, his upper lip curling. “I want you. I need you. You’re mine. All mine.”

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