Burn by Maya Banks Page A

her apartment, only wanting to be back inside and out of view of anyone.
    Though she had nothing to be ashamed of, she still felt embarrassed over what had happened. Shocked. Completely and utterly shocked that Michael had come to her apartment and lost his temper, something that had never happened before. She was still in disbelief over it all. She should have pressed charges. She should have done a lot of things, but she’d been too numb to take it all in. So instead she’d sequestered herself in her studio apartment and worked feverishly to take her mind off the events of the last week.
    She knew she owed Ash a response. An explanation. Something! She’d told him she wouldn’t take long, but how could she go to him with bruises inflicted by a man who’d been her dominant?
    Of course, it was laughable now. He wasn’t a true dominant. He’d been playing at it. It was an ego trip for him. He’d become someone completely different the moment he realized she was serious about ending their relationship. Her mistake had been mentioning Ash at all, not that she’d called him by name, but she’d told Michael that he couldn’t give her the things another man had promised her.
    Now she wasn’t so certain. What if Ash was no better? She knew next to nothing about him. She’d been ready to commit, had actually made up her mind to call him the same day Michael had come to her apartment. After that fiasco, she’d harbored doubts and self-preservation had kicked in.
    If Ash was more intense than Michael—and it was evident he definitely was—then could she expect the same kind of treatment at his hands? Or even worse?
    Her head spun with the possibilities and she knew she was in no emotional state to be making such a huge decision. To place her trust, her well-being, her entire self into the hands of a man like Ash. And so she’d remained silent, mulling over her decision, going back and forth.
    The fact was, she was afraid. And that fear had prevented her from either accepting or declining his proposition. And she hated that fear. It wasn’t how she wanted to live her life or make her decisions. She needed a clear head before taking that huge step in trusting another man who could very well turn out just like Michael.
    She heaved an unhappy sigh and reached into her pocket to retrieve the keys to her apartment. Her head was still down when she reached the steps and she saw an expensive pair of shoes directly above the first step leading down to her door.
    Startled, she glanced up to see Ash standing there. As he looked her over, fury blazed in his eyes and she took an instinctive step backward.
    “What the hell happened to you?” he demanded.
    He was seething, anger bristling from him in waves. Gone was any semblance of charm or laid-back calm. He was one huge ball of pissed-off alpha male.
    “Please, not here,” she whispered. “I just want to go inside. Let me by and then leave.”
    His expression of complete what the fuck made her pause as she attempted to push by him. He grasped her shoulders, his grip firm but extremely gentle, his fingers against her skin, but not pressing into her flesh.
    “I want to know who the fuck did this to you,” he growled.
    Her shoulders sagged and she nearly dropped the keys that dangled precariously from her fingers. She tightened her grip and then pushed her chin upward.
    “Let me by,” she said through clenched teeth.
    To her surprise, he dropped his hands and let her go down the steps, but he followed closely behind, giving her no option to go in and shut the door to prevent his entry.
    She sighed as she unlocked her door and pushed it open. She felt better the moment she was inside. Her own space. It was laughable that she felt safe here after what had happened with Michael. But now that she knew just what he was capable of, she’d never make the mistake of letting him within a mile of her.
    She dropped her purse by the door and walked into her tiny living area. Ash closed