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“I can’t tell you I want to be here, but I want this.”
He kisses me, and our lips fit together perfectly. He nibbles and bites, his hand sliding down to my sweats. We kiss, slow and intimate. The punishment is over, and now we kiss out of desire, drawn to each other. He took me for revenge, but now he seems desperate for me. I run my hand up his abdomen, enjoying the hard lines of his stomach. He bites his lip as my fingers run along another scar on his torso.
I want to ask him what made him so broken, but I’m smart enough to keep my mouth shut.
He runs the tip of his cock over my clit once, before pressing himself deep inside me. He’s not gentle, but I’m ready for him, wrapping my legs around him, and he fills me.
I cry out, but he muffles it immediately, making eye contact with me, shaking his head slowly. He pulls his hand away as he starts to fuck me. Each thrust makes my body heat and pulse— my orgasm blooms, and he comes, this time deep inside me.
Sometimes he seems like he’s the most dangerous man alive, but right now, he’s acting like a horny teenager fucking while his parents are in the next room and he doesn’t want to get caught.
I smile at him and he kisses my forehead. “What are you chuckling about?”
“Nothing.”
I eye the door, and he lies by my side, cuddling me, and rubbing my forehead. “You’re not going to try to run from me again, are you?” he asks.
I shake my head, but inside I’m being pulled apart. “No. I’m not going to run again.”
Lying comes so easy to me. I’m not going to run…yet. I do, however, need more of whatever that was. Within the last thirty minutes, I’ve had the best sex of my life. Painful, hateful, passionate sex.
He presses a kiss to my head as my eyes grow tired, and he stays where he is with his broad arms around me. “Good. Because I’m never letting you go now. You’re mine now, wildling. Forever.”
Chapter 15
Present
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I flail my arms, moaning and screaming, my body shaking until my fingers find my arm. I dig my nails in as hard as I can. I can’t breathe or see, and I don’t have control of my body. Regina’s perfume settles in my nose, grounding me back to this room and to the present. Beneath me is the cool leather couch. The bright windows sear my eyes as I open them, so does the swirling art on the wall. Yet, the smoky scent still lingers like a ghost, and that’s what I want to cling to.
“Layla. It’s me. It’s Regina. You are in my office. We just had a session, and now it’s time to wake up.” Panic sets in. I am no longer in bed with Nick.
Nick…his name is Nick. His absence strikes straight to my heart.
Regina’s eyes roam down to where I’m digging into my flesh. I’m careful not to say the name out loud. Sometimes the memories I unlock in my head don’t always translate to what Regina hears. If she brings his name up, I will deal with it. Until then, I’m not saying a word.
My body is calming down, but I’m still shaking. It’s like I was back there for days, not hours. I relived every moment, from waking up with a fever to falling asleep in his arms with his hushed promises of never letting me go. Now I understand why my body craves pain.
After a few seconds, I release the tension in my hands. A security guard stands in the corner, watching me, and I have no idea how he got there or when.
My jaw clamps down as anger erupts inside me. “What the hell is he doing in here?”
The guard crosses his arms…Regina lifts her arms. “It’s fine. I have this handled. You can go now.”
He steps back but keeps his eyes locked on me. I take a moment to realize that I’m the threat. Me. A tiny girl…a victim. Regina waves him off. “Enough. Get out. My patient needs a minute.”
“Whatever you say, ma’am.” He exits the room.
I ponder for a moment, taking in the situation. “You’re scared of me?”
She forces a swallow down her throat. “You were under acute psychosis. I wasn’t sure what you were capable of, so I needed to protect myself.” She says it so matter-of-fact. “You were under a great deal of stress.”
I take one final deep breath. I was muttering when I awoke. How much does she know? “What did I say?” I ask.
Her eyes glaze over. “Nothing incriminating, though I found it a tad confusing.”
I tilt my head. “Why would I say anything incriminating? I’m the victim, and none of this is real, remember?” Goose bumps pebble my flesh, and my blood runs cold. She’s not saying it, but she knows something. Her lips tighten to a flat line, then she runs her hand down my arm. Her eyes flash for only a moment, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. She shifts her hands to her lap and quickly recovers. She fears me, that much is clear, but why is she so scared of me?
