Page 18 of Coal Hearts

The awareness that we weren’t alone.

It all slammed back in, drenching my senses.

How did he do that?

How did a single touch and a whispered threat make the world drop away, leaving me bound with a total stranger, locked together by some sick connection?

With a pained growl, Henri unwound his arm from around my waist but didn’t let go of my wrist. He glowered at Sam as if he’d happily murder him for interrupting.

Sam swallowed as suspicions flared in his eyes. His face hardened as he repeated his question. “What were you two whispering about? She didn’t say anything bad about me, did she? Whatever she said, it’s a lie. She’s always been a liar. A nobody. She was only somebody because she was with me, and now—”

“Oh...Sam.” I shook my head sadly.

In that terrible moment, I saw him.

Truly saw all the pieces I’d been so stupidly blind to: the immaturity, the selfishness, the ego.

He was more afraid of me badmouthing him to a total stranger than he was at condemning his soul for ever entertaining accepting cash for me.

All my puff and bluster evaporated like a punctured balloon. “Oh, you idiotic, self-centred fool, Sam.” Tears stung my eyes, and the man holding me shot me a quizzical look.

His nostrils flared at the first glimmer of my tears.

A full-body shudder worked through Henri as a single droplet trickled down my cheek.

He froze as wetness caught in the corner of my mouth.

He growled low and deep.

He stood transfixed as if my tears were the worst aphrodisiac of his life.

And then, as if he couldn’t stop himself, he yanked me into him, grabbed my jaw with one giant, powerful hand, and smashed his mouth to mine.

I didn’t even have time to breathe.

He kissed me.

Savagely.

Inhumanly.

He kissed me as if he could stop my heart with a single lick.

His tongue pierced my slack, shocked lips like a sword intent on puncturing my very soul. He hunted me and choked me. And then, he jerked away as if he hadn’t meant to kiss me after all. As if he hadn’t meant to swipe his tongue inside the corner of my mouth, gathering up the saltiness of my sadness, swallowing it down with a desperate, tortured groan.

I swayed on the spot.

My mouth was bruised.

My insides tangled.

What the—

“What the fuck?” Sam snapped. “What sort of prick kisses another man’s woman?”

I flinched and licked my stinging lips.

“The one who just gave you a wad of cash for the privilege,” Henri said.