Page 47 of Too Wicked for Love

A whisper yanked him out of the darkness, and he heard himself gasp and open eyes that he hadn't even remembered closing.

Pippi watched Acheron turn his gaze to hers, and the haunted look in them nearly destroyed her.

"Have I told you...everything?"

The controlled tightness of his voice said so, so much, and Pippi bit her lip hard. "You did." Her tone shook, and her heart proved to be just as unwieldy, having lost so many pieces to Acheron's pain that it could no longer remember the proper way to beat.

He remained kneeling before her, her very own beautiful Greek god, but for once she was blind to his perfection. For once, she couldn't see him. Her mind was still drowning in the abyss of his past, and all she could see was a motherless fifteen-year-old boy, holding a knife under his pillow, because the monsters were real, and every night, there was that one chance they could get him for good.

"Don't look at me like that." Acheron's tone was savage. "I don't want your pity, dammit."

"Good." Pippi fought hard to keep her tone steady, knowing that anything less would be misconstrued. "Because you don't have it."

"I only needed you to understand why I can't turn Amelia away."

"I know."

Relief had Acheron breathing hard.

"And I can't thank her enough—-"

His head jerked up, his stunned gaze flying to hers.

"Because if it hadn't been for her, you w-wouldn't be here, and I'd never be so lucky to m-meet—-" Her voice caught. "You."

Ah, God.

She really was the loveliest little thing, but even knowing that she deserved better, even knowing he could only dirty someone like her -

He just couldn't let her go.

Eighteen

"THIS IS SO WEIRD,"she couldn't help remarking an hour later. The two of them sat next to each other on the stretcher while enjoying their drive-thru meal of burgers, fries, and shakes. She couldn't remember feeling any happier. It was the best date ever, but it was also the strangest, since theywereat the back of an ambulance van.

"Are you sure we're not depriving anyone of medical assistance while we're using this?"

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