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Torn, restless and discouraged, Marly went to bed early that night. Cade was indulgent, treating her gently, seemingly amused by her attempts to be close to him. He had foiled her at every turn, making her feel like an obtuse teenager rather than a beautiful woman.
She finally had enough, retired to her room and showered, then crawled into bed. Sleep wasn’t long in coming, but if she had known the nightmare would hit her that night, she would have stayed up longer.
It washed over her, the leering gaze of her stepfather, the demonic look in his eye as he jerked her over his lap. Her buttocks were bare, and he enjoyed spanking her as he described in graphic detail what he would do to her when she was older. She screamed, fighting him, knowing he was drunk, praying she could get away from him.
“You’re mine, Marly.” His evil whisper didn’t sound drunk. Intent, cruel, but not drunk. “I’ll have you girl. I’ll have you soon.”
She fought to get away from him. She kicked out, her foot connecting with flesh. She scratched at hard arms, fought to scream. She wanted to beg, plead, but knew it wouldn’t help.
“Cade!” she screamed out in desperation, her throat finally unlocking as she felt hard fingers pushing at the tender lips between her thighs.
Marly awoke when she fell from the bed, scratching and clawing as she fought for balance to reach Cade’s room. The bedroom was cold, or she was. So cold, she shivered and cried, nearly paralyzed from the instant chill that hit her body.
“Son of a bitch. Marly.” Cade was there. His big warm body was suddenly close to her, jerking her into his arms, holding her against his bare chest as she cried out his name, trying to convince herself that the demon was gone, and the nightmare was over.
“What the hell have you done to yourself?” He wrapped her with a blanket, leaving her for a moment on the floor as something slammed. “Dammit, you went to sleep with the balcony doors open, Marly.”
She had? She looked around wildly as he picked her up in his arms, carrying her quickly to his warmer, safer room. But she hadn’t had the doors open.
“You’re soaking wet.” His voice was gentle, soothing as he sat her on his bed. “Sit here, baby. Let me get a towel.”
He moved away from her, and Marly knew he was watching her closely. She was shaking. Shaking so hard her teeth chattered. Her body hurt, and the echo of remembered pain could be felt on her bottom. She tried to clench her teeth closed as Cade knelt in front of her, wiping her face with the towel, then her hair.
“What have you done to yourself, Marly?” He sounded agonized, and his expression in the harsh light of the room was worried, inexpressibly concerned.
She could only shake her head. Trying to speak only caused her teeth to chatter harder.
“You’re still freezing.” He moved up beside her, wrapping her in his arms, pulling her close to him.
The warmth of his big body seeped through the blankets and into her skin.
“Jesus, Marly, that was a bad one.” His fingers were moving through her hair, combing through the tangled curls as he tried to calm her.
Terror still strummed through her body, making her blood rush and her body shake. She couldn’t seem to get totally warm, no matter how hard she tried. She kept shaking, shivering harshly.
“I’m scared,” she finally whispered tearfully, shaking in his arms. “Oh God, Cade. It’s like he was right there this time. Like I couldn’t escape.” Tears ran from her eyes as his arms tightened around her.
“It’s okay, Marly.” He rocked her gently, like he used to when she was young and screaming, unable to separate reality from nightmare. “Look what you’re doing to yourself, baby. You have to stop this.”
“I didn’t do this,” she cried out, trying to burrow closer to him, to steal as much of his warmth as she could.
“Didn’t you, Marly?” he asked her gently, tipping her head back as he looked down at her. “Think about it, baby. You’re pushing yourself into believing you want me, but you don’t. Are you scared I’m going to throw you out if you don’t sleep with me? What’s gotten into your head?”
Shock of another kind held her immobile now. She shook her head slowly, her body now shuddering with misery. He thought she was having nightmares because she wanted him? It made no sense. Why would he use this against her?
“How can you use that?” she whispered painfully, a harsh sob tearing from her chest. “Are you so desperate to deny what you want yourself, that you would use my nightmares against me, Cade? That wasn’t about you.”
“But it was the worse. You’re shaking like a leaf, and damned near froze to death. You aren’t thinking straight,” he accused her harshly, though his grip was still gentle.
“Evidently I’m not thinking at all.” Dammit, why couldn’t she stop crying? “I’m throwing myself at a man who doesn’t even want me. I think its time to find someone who does. Would that suit you better, Cade? Would you feel better if another man were in my bed?”
“I’d kill him.” The words sounded torn from his chest.
“Listen to you,” she accused him harshly. “You don’t want to touch me, but no one else can either. Dammit it, Cade, I’m twenty years old and I’ve never had sex. Not even oral sex. I can’t save myself for you forever.”
He was suddenly breathing harshly. His hands were on her arms, his fingers firm on her flesh.
“Never?” he growled, as though it seemed inconceivable to him. “Nothing?”
