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She couldn’t help but feel hurt.
He reached for her and she held her breath, closing her eyes, expecting some sort of physical violence, but instead was pulled roughly into his arms.
The touch of his flesh was welcomed with reluctance. It heated her cold skin.
Skye stared up at him, confused. He pushed her back slowly, until her body was cushioned between the natural wall that the trees had formed and the hard body in front of her. She felt off balance, her torn and sore feet trying to gain leverage on the rough bottom.
Instinctually her hands braced themselves against Jagger’s hard chest and she winced at the cruel laugh that fell from his lips.
Skye closed her eyes, wanting to banish the image of the disgusted look that graced his handsome features.
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sp; “Ever the little whore.” Jagger’s breath was hot against her cheek and she shivered as cold washed through her body. Words couldn’t be hidden behind closed eyes and the despair that she felt inside was painful.
Why should she give a shit what he thought?
His hands gripped her cheeks, the fingers digging in until the whimper that was torn from her throat hung in the air between them. Skye could feel the tears behind her eyes, but she held on. There was no way in hell that she would cry in front of him.
“Just do it and get it over with,” she spat out, her eyes opening wide as a spark of anger bit at her.
Jagger seemed surprised at her words, but only for a moment. Then understanding dawned and he smiled once more, the white of his teeth a soft glow amongst the dim gloom of night.
His eyes made a show of trailing a path down her body, but the curl to his lip left no doubt as to what he was feeling.
And it was anything but lust.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Skye. If I wanted to fuck, I’d have you begging for it before your back even hit the floor.” He laughed softly then, a sinister sound that grated on her last working nerve. “Don’t get all excited. I’m not particularly fond of screwing the enemy’s leftovers.”
He turned her around before she had a chance to react, her mind stinging from the nastiness of his words.
“We need to sleep. I’m damn near dead on my feet, no thanks to you, and I’ve got a lot of shit to deal with tomorrow.”
“What are you …” Skye’s voice trailed off weakly. She felt like a rag doll that had been beaten down, trashed, and kicked to the curb. She just had nothing left.
Jagger pulled her down with him, keeping her back nestled against his chest. It wasn’t for comfort, either. His arms were like hard steel bands that wrapped around the front, just under her breasts, holding her there firmly. Skye wasn’t going anywhere.
Her tongue felt thick and her head was swimming from lack of food and water. Slowly her gaze wandered up to the satchel that hung just out of reach.
The weight of her mission and everything that had transpired over the last six months was incredible. Would she have the strength to carry it through?
“Lots to deal with,” he whispered ominously against her ear. Skye couldn’t hide the shudder that wracked her frame.
“And you’re first up on the agenda.”
Chapter 9
Skye wasn’t sure how long she lay there, her body rigid against the warmth of Jagger’s chest. She tried to ignore the feel of him, his muscles, the hard planes of his torso, the way his body rose and fell as he inhaled air deep into his lungs.
She was so tense it honestly felt like her body was going to snap in two. Her shoulders were sore, her neck in knots and her fists were balled together so tightly she could feel the wetness from the blood her nails had drawn.
The dizziness that had washed over her earlier was still circling inside her skull, making her feel weak, and to top it off her head was pounding so hard it felt like a truckload of jackhammers was having a freaking party.
She’d give anything for a couple shots of tequila. Or better yet an entire bottle dumped down her throat. She just wanted everything to go away.
What she wouldn’t give to fall asleep and wake up in another life. In another world entirely. One that didn’t include shifters, magicks, and demons.
The dead lump in her gut told her that fantasy was never gonna happen.
