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My heart performs acrobatic moves in my chest. I yank my hand from his body and submerge it underwater. With his eyes still fixed on mine, holding me captive in their golden green depths, I am in such unfamiliar territory.
I swim toward the edge of the pool and push myself up. Water drips from my clothes. His eyes travel up and down my drenched body. They darken, and I dash away. That was unadulterated hunger in his gaze.
What have I done? I knew he was terrific at riling me up, but I’d never lost control like this before.
Inside my bedroom, I place a palm on my chest to soothe the erratic beats. As I stand in the hot shower, my eyes focus on my hand. Nothing happened. No thoughts about germs subdue me, just plain shock.
It’s been years since I have touched or been touched. I gave it to him... it feels as if he robbed me of something, even though I initiated it.
After I dry myself, I climb back into bed, but my thoughts wrestle with my sleep. Giving up, I tiptoe toward the gaming room and continue working on my game.
When exhaustion pulls heavily at my lids, I leave to go to sleep.
***
I find him already seated in the dining room. An arrogant smile stretches those sinful lips that make me have thoughts I’d never believe possible. He looks so smug, as if he had the best night of his life. Maybe he did. Cameron appears polished and put-together, his suit hugging him perfectly. Meanwhile, I spent the night awake, tormented by intrusive thoughts of him.
“Did you dream of me?”
I grip the fork and point at him. “That will never happen again.”
The corners of his lips tilt up in a satisfactory smile. “You touching me?”
AA.
I shovel the food into my mouth to stop myself from saying anything more. When I am done, I stand up. He catches my hand, and I freeze.
“Back to gloves?” he asks, glaring at them.
“I always wear gloves. Last night was a momentary lapse of judgment.”
“You have to be ready when we go out, Violet.”
I sigh. “No need for pressure.”
“I can make this easy or you can keep being stubborn, and we’ll do it the hard way. Your choice.”
That he thinks I have a choice when it comes to me, him, and my current life emphasizes how disturbed he really is.
“Your cruelty and selfishness know no bounds. The ease in which you cross boundaries—”
“Spare me the morality sermon.”
He throws the napkin on his plate, leaving me seething.
Determined, I open the front door and march toward the path next to the forest. Being outside strangely calms me, which has me panicking when I become aware of it. The startling realization leads me to slump on the bench. My mind runs wild with thoughts of the countless germs out here, draining me physically and mentally.
I put my gloved hands on my face. I know I’ve lost my sanity completely when I think the left one still preserves his warmth.
A branch snaps and I jerk my chin up. Alarm bells blare through my system when I see Aurora a few feet away wearing sports gear.
“Hi,” she says with a small smile and a wave.
“Hi.”
“I didn’t want to scare you, but running helps when my characters don’t do what they are supposed to do. No surprise there. My baby boy started teething, and that’s a whole other story... I’m exhausted.”
She plops next to me on the bench and every muscle in my body tenses. Noticing my reaction, she scoots a bit to the side. I apologize.
