Page 63 of Demon’s Temptation

“Don’t go in there, Chay.”

She yanked her arm free, and despite the way her legs trembled, made it to the shiny red door at the end of the lineup, the one they’d used and the only one in use. For safety reasons the rooms were never locked, but a small red light shone beside the door, letting everyone know it was occupied.

Heart in her throat, she gripped the handle.

Why the hell am I doing this to myself? Turn around and get out of here.

But she couldn’t do it. She had to see for herself, had to see with her own eyes.

Without giving herself a chance to back out, she turned the handle and shoved the door open.

Brent stood on one side of the room, fully dressed. A thick leather paddle dangled from his fingers. A young male kneeled on floor on the opposite side, back to Brent. It was the same guy Brent had brought in here just before they got together, and the sub was shaking like he’d been in that position a long time.

Brent hadn’t even noticed her yet, looking straight ahead, gaze fixed on the opposite wall, expression made of stone. Sweat coated his brow and his hands trembled.

Finally, he turned to her and blinked, like he’d only just realized someone else had entered the room. She didn’t recognize him, didn’t recognize the desolate, blank stare. Nothing. There was no recognition.

The guy on the floor whimpered, and Brent flinched, seeming to snap out of whatever held him. He glanced down at the male like he’d forgotten he was there, then back up to her.

“No.” He frowned, shook his head, and took a step toward her. “This isn’t—”

Chaya held up her hands. “Stop,” she said in a hard voice.

“Chay,” he rasped.

She shook her head. This wasn’t him. What the hell was going on here? She took a step back, and he came after her, pressing his face into the side of her throat. “Don’t…go. Shit. I…I lost it. I needed—”

“You lost it?” she repeated, not understanding any of this. “All you had to do was ask, and I would have given you anything.”

“I didn’t fuck him, Chay,” he growled. “I haven’t laid a hand on him. They touched me and there was just…just so much darkness that I…” He shook his head. “I got lost, and even then I couldn’t do it.”

She shoved him back, needing space, so damned hurt and confused she didn’t want to listen. “Let me go.”

He looked as ill as she felt. “I can’t…I fucking won’t.”

“Now,” she said, hard and low.

Brent dropped his eyes and stepped back, chest working hard, fists clenched so tight it must have hurt.

She wasn’t stupid enough to think this was about sex. She knew there was so much more to it for him, especially after what he’d told her about his past. Not to mention the emotions she’d taken from him when they’d had sex. She felt the turmoil inside him, had lived with it for several days afterward without a conduit to release them. But she didn’t know what to do with this.

Was this what would happen every time something happened to throw him off balance? Would she ever be enough? She wasn’t so sure. And that thought hurt more than anything else ever could.

“I can’t do this, Brent. Without trust this is pointless. I can’t be with you until you address the pain you’re carrying around, the anger, or this will happen time and again. I can’t watch you self-destruct.” She bit her lip to hold in the sob stinging her throat. “And I can’t watch you come in here night after night with someone that isn’t me, not anymore. It hurts too much. It’s killing me.”

He dropped to his knees in front of her, in front of the whole club. “I’m sorry, Chaya. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

She reached down and cupped the side of his face. “I know you are, I do. But I don’t think…I don’t think I can do this…”

“Don’t say it. God, please don’t say it,” he said and wrapped his arms around her legs.

She needed to get away, to clear her head. “You need to let me go.”

His face twisted. “No, fuck that.”

She met his wild gaze, heart in her mouth. “Can you promise me this won’t happen again?” She hated the way her voice shook, the desperation there, but was powerless to stop it.

His grip tightened then he let her go, his head dropping again.