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He said, “I’ve got to be squeezing the life out of you.”
“I’m a bit sturdier than that,” she told him. “This body can take an entire night of whatever wicked desires cross your mind.”
Shaking his head, he said “This body is going to be sore tomorrow.”
He pulled away from her and glanced down at her head-to-toe nudity. Instinctively, Shana sucked in her slightly rounded belly, but it was too late. Drake scowled and was on his feet in the next instant, raking a hand through his hair as he stared at her. And then he turned sharply away. But not before the look of disgust crossed his face.
He stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.
Chapter Seven
Shana sat perfectly still for a few seconds, holding her breath as she bit down on her trembling lower lip and willing the tears to stay at bay.
Of course, now that the heat of the moment was over, and desire and lust had passed, Drake had gotten a good look at her…and he’d been repulsed. She could never compare to Jane’s perfection and femininity and daintiness.
Why on earth had she stayed in this office earlier, when she’d had the opportunit
y to walk away emotionally unscathed? How in the world had she lost so much control of her sensibility that she’d bared herself to Drake Halston?
A small cry of agony pushed past her lips and tears sprang to her eyes, despite her best efforts.
She reached for the closest piece of material, which happened to be Drake’s shirt. She shoved her arms into the sleeves and wrapped the black fabric tightly around her body as it started to shake.
Everything had been so blissfully wonderful moments before. And now this! Bleeding in the presence of two vampires wasn’t nearly as horrifying as being naked in front of Drake. Her heart had somehow connected with his. She’d felt a special bond with him and had let all of her insecurities fall by the wayside because of the way he’d stared so deeply into her eyes and made love to her with such passion.
But that was all before he’d really gotten a good look at her. And had been thoroughly disgusted.
She fought back more tears and what would surely be body-racking sobs as he came back into the office. Springing to her feet, she quickly gathered all her belongings and raced into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her just as the silent crying jag started.
Drake dragged on his underwear and pants, fastened the belt and then pulled on his socks and boots. He paced in front of the fireplace as Shana remained locked in his restroom.
She had to be completely mortified by the amount of bruises on her body. He hadn’t even considered he might actually cause her such damage while he’d made love to her. But when he’d glanced down, admiring her feminine curves, his eyes had naturally been drawn to the purple patches marring her otherwise flawless skin. There were four small bruises on each side of her waist from where his fingertips had pressed into her soft flesh as he’d held her when he’d fucked her from behind. There was a large bruise on her left rib cage from when he’d crushed her body to his, unable to get close enough to her, unable to let even a millimeter of space separate them.
And if he’d looked when she’d dashed into the bathroom, he likely would have seen a handprint on her ass from when he’d palmed her cheek as he’d thrust into her.
“Goddamn it,” he mumbled angrily. She was human and he should have been more careful with her. Christ, they’d be lucky if he hadn’t cracked one—or all—of her ribs.
He rubbed the knot at the back of his neck, hating himself for hurting her. Hadn’t he sworn he never would?
As he continued to pace and berate himself, he wondered how far an apology would go. The idea of begging for her forgiveness didn’t even pacify him. How could it possibly satisfy her?
Of course he wouldn’t blame her for being furious with him or for hating him for causing her pain. He didn’t deserve her forgiveness. He’d been a vampire for over two hundred years—he knew better this! How could he possibly have thrown out all of his convictions in one night and given into his desire for a human?
But then when she came out of the bathroom, looking as impeccably put together as she had the moment she’d set foot on the premises, he knew why he’d taken such a huge risk with her tonight. She was simply irresistible.
She handed over his shirt and then clutched her purse close to her breasts. She’d freshened her makeup and lipstick and had brushed her long, silky curls, draping them over her bare shoulder. She looked breathtaking, save for the severity of her stance. Her shoulders were squared and her chin lifted a notch. But her lower lip quivered. And her eyes were slightly puffy and red.
He really had scared her with the bruises. Maybe even more so than Jane had with the blood.
He took a step toward her, wanting desperately to take her in his arms and hold her, but fearing he’d only damage her more.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, though words couldn’t make up for what he’d done to her.
She shook her head and said, “Don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing more than what I expected.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “You were expecting this?”
She let out a short, hollow laugh. One that pained him to hear. “I’m used to it, remember?”
