keychain into a pocket, he shoved the door back. As it swung wide, he walked to the sofa and set her down.
“Your door. You broke it.” Perhaps concerning herself over his walk upstairs was unnecessary, considering he’d done that and damaged his door without breaking a sweat.
“I can fix the lock tomorrow.” He seemed to move rigidly and with restraint, as he folded several cubes of ice in a moist cloth. “Here, put this on your mouth, wipe away any blood.”
She did as asked and drew in a breath at the cold sting of ice on her cut lip. “It’s not bleeding anymore.”
“Good.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze as he leaned back along the counter, gripping the edge of the black and gold granite top. The ridges of his knuckles paled. Gone was his cool, calm demeanor. “Forgive me.”
Forgive him, for what? She lifted her head. “You keep apologizing to me and I still have no idea what I’m supposed to forgive you for.”
“I should have been there sooner.”
“None of this is your fault.” She stood and walked toward him. “If anything, it was my own fault. I don’t want to think what would have happened if you hadn’t arrived.”
Luke pushed off the counter and turned his back to her. “I will be inside my room if you need me.”
God, she didn’t want him to leave. Not when everything was still so fresh. The stocky man’s hands on her, his sour smell. She slapped at her arms as if it would make the feeling of repulsion disappear. She could have been raped, or worse. “I didn’t think. Maybe I deserved what I got.”
He faced her. “No. Christ.” His words wafted out as no more than a whisper. “If I could turn back time, change what happened, I would.” He squeezed his eyes shut, his chest and shoulders trembling.
“Do it,” she said, lifting her chin. She had to be crazy but desire swelled within her. He grounded her, his arms a barrier from the world and all its evil.
“What?” Luke’s midnight gaze shot up and met hers. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want you to erase the feel of them.” She stepped toward him, suddenly confident and uncaring whether her actions were logical. She wanted to feel him, to touch him.
“You are not ready.” He bowed his head. “You are reacting after what happened.”
“Please.” She couldn’t handle another man telling her what she could or couldn’t do. The confidence ebbed, and she took a deep breath. “P-please, do this for me? Touch me, hold me.”
With a sigh, he ran a hand along his temple. “Shit. Either way, I damn myself.”
Her back hit the wall and his mouth crushed hers as his body surrounded her, pushing forward. He leaned with strong forearms along the wall on either side of her head then moved closer, kissed her more deeply.
He was right. She should have been shocked or frightened or angry at him for dominating her so completely after what she’d been through. And yet she couldn’t be any of those. His touch made her feel light, exhilarated. A pitchy whimper left her as her limbs melted beneath him. “Luke.”
“Pet, you are so sweet.” He kissed her jaw. “So good.” He pushed away from her slowly, his expression pained. “Not right. Damn it. I cannot do this.”
Perhaps the sudden harshness in his tone or the coldness of his words had made her freeze, but she hadn’t been right for Ben either. Lost in limbo, she couldn’t turn away from the passion still rippling through her or the cold cruelty in Luke’s gaze.
What had she done? “Luke?”
“Please go, Savannah.” He turned away and pressed a hand along the counter. “Pardon my forwardness. It shall not happen again.”
“Stop this. Stop this now. I’m tired of apologies and your ridiculous way of speaking. Why are you playing games? What is it you want from me?”
“Go.” He said more forcefully this time.
“No, I won’t, I...” Oh, God. What was she doing? He wasn’t her lover and this wasn’t a lovers’ quarrel. He was her
“Your door. You broke it.” Perhaps concerning herself over his walk upstairs was unnecessary, considering he’d done that and damaged his door without breaking a sweat.
“I can fix the lock tomorrow.” He seemed to move rigidly and with restraint, as he folded several cubes of ice in a moist cloth. “Here, put this on your mouth, wipe away any blood.”
She did as asked and drew in a breath at the cold sting of ice on her cut lip. “It’s not bleeding anymore.”
“Good.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze as he leaned back along the counter, gripping the edge of the black and gold granite top. The ridges of his knuckles paled. Gone was his cool, calm demeanor. “Forgive me.”
Forgive him, for what? She lifted her head. “You keep apologizing to me and I still have no idea what I’m supposed to forgive you for.”
“I should have been there sooner.”
“None of this is your fault.” She stood and walked toward him. “If anything, it was my own fault. I don’t want to think what would have happened if you hadn’t arrived.”
Luke pushed off the counter and turned his back to her. “I will be inside my room if you need me.”
God, she didn’t want him to leave. Not when everything was still so fresh. The stocky man’s hands on her, his sour smell. She slapped at her arms as if it would make the feeling of repulsion disappear. She could have been raped, or worse. “I didn’t think. Maybe I deserved what I got.”
He faced her. “No. Christ.” His words wafted out as no more than a whisper. “If I could turn back time, change what happened, I would.” He squeezed his eyes shut, his chest and shoulders trembling.
“Do it,” she said, lifting her chin. She had to be crazy but desire swelled within her. He grounded her, his arms a barrier from the world and all its evil.
“What?” Luke’s midnight gaze shot up and met hers. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want you to erase the feel of them.” She stepped toward him, suddenly confident and uncaring whether her actions were logical. She wanted to feel him, to touch him.
“You are not ready.” He bowed his head. “You are reacting after what happened.”
“Please.” She couldn’t handle another man telling her what she could or couldn’t do. The confidence ebbed, and she took a deep breath. “P-please, do this for me? Touch me, hold me.”
With a sigh, he ran a hand along his temple. “Shit. Either way, I damn myself.”
Her back hit the wall and his mouth crushed hers as his body surrounded her, pushing forward. He leaned with strong forearms along the wall on either side of her head then moved closer, kissed her more deeply.
He was right. She should have been shocked or frightened or angry at him for dominating her so completely after what she’d been through. And yet she couldn’t be any of those. His touch made her feel light, exhilarated. A pitchy whimper left her as her limbs melted beneath him. “Luke.”
“Pet, you are so sweet.” He kissed her jaw. “So good.” He pushed away from her slowly, his expression pained. “Not right. Damn it. I cannot do this.”
Perhaps the sudden harshness in his tone or the coldness of his words had made her freeze, but she hadn’t been right for Ben either. Lost in limbo, she couldn’t turn away from the passion still rippling through her or the cold cruelty in Luke’s gaze.
What had she done? “Luke?”
“Please go, Savannah.” He turned away and pressed a hand along the counter. “Pardon my forwardness. It shall not happen again.”
“Stop this. Stop this now. I’m tired of apologies and your ridiculous way of speaking. Why are you playing games? What is it you want from me?”
“Go.” He said more forcefully this time.
“No, I won’t, I...” Oh, God. What was she doing? He wasn’t her lover and this wasn’t a lovers’ quarrel. He was her
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