Page 50 of Inflict

Men may have used her for what they wanted, but he fully believed there was a part of Evelyn that was more dangerous than she let on.

“That’s a new one.”

Connor’s jaw clenched. “What is?”

“Jealousy. I’ve never had one that was jealous before.”

Perfect. Just feckin’ grand.

“I’m not … one—an owner, whatever—of those,” Connor said, more irritated than before. “You will do well to figure that out and fast, Evelyn. You will do well to stop trying to figure out what game you need to play to please me; you’re not here for that.”

“Then why am I here?”

Honesty was the best policy …

“I don’t know yet.”

He finished getting dressed, and the whole time, Evelyn never left him in private. As he passed her by to make that phone call and get something to eat for breakfast, her soft voice stopped him again.

“But why don’t you touch me?” she asked. “Even those who were not terrible, still wanted that from me.”

Connor looked down at her, and found she was watching him, curious and unashamed. “I told you why, love. It’s not for me to take, and if you want that, then you can ask for it.”

“I don’t understand, and I’m not sure what to do or how to act for you, if you want nothing from me. I’m not sure who to be here.”

“That’s a sad idea, isn’t it? That you have to be something at all, and not just a person, a woman.”

Her gaze dropped. “I don’t know anything different.”

“Aye, this is different. I expect nothing that you don’t want, and I must say, it’s quite nice to see you opening your mouth to speak and have a feckin’ opinion.” Before he could think better of it, Connor leaned down, caught Evelyn under her chin with two fingers, and tipped her head up so that she was staring at him again. “If you want something, then ask. Don’t spy or play games. I’m helping you, lass, not hurting you. Don’t you see the difference?”

“And if I asked, what then?”

Connor shrugged. “All depends.”

“On what?”

“Many things.”

“That feels very … open-ended.”

He was aware. “Learn to trust someone other than yourself.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Connor barked out a laugh. “Wrong; it’s the hardest thing I’ve never done, lass.”

Evelyn chewed on her bottom lip, and Connor tried his best to resist the urge to pull the flesh from the abuse of her teeth. His urge won out, and he used his thumb to stroke her bottom lip with just enough pressure to get her to release the bite.

“That’s better,” he said. “No need to be doing that.”

She stilled in place, her gaze darting up to him, and then down to her wringing hands. Connor didn’t quite know what to make of her sudden nervousness, but before he could try to speak and quell it, Evelyn stood up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss came soft and sweet, barely-there, like a whisper, before it was gone altogether. He could have held onto her, grabbed her tiny waist and kept her close to make it last longer. Something stopped him—not because he disliked it, or because he didn’t want to have more. She had been the one to take what she wanted, or rather, was curious for, and he wasn’t going to demand beyond what she gave.

Even if it killed him.

And as she pulled away, Evelyn finally bolted.