her cheek. Lynn pulled back another step, and soon realized her mistake as Jason slipped past her, making his way into her living room. “You know, if you moved in with me, it would help lighten your load.”
“Jason, I meant what I said.” She turned to him, holding the door open for a minute longer before pushing it closed a tad harder than necessary. “When I said I wasn’t up for company, when I said I wouldn’t move in with you, and when I said I wouldn’t sleep with you until I knew that this could be something permanent.”
“Ah, c’mon. You and I both know that this is going somewhere. We’re great together.” He strolled over to her window, pulled back the edge of the curtain to take in her view. He looked over his shoulder at her as he continued. “I don’t know why you’re fighting this.”
“I’m fighting this because I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” She pressed her fingers to her temples, where a headache brewed that threatened to reach migraine proportions. “I’m sorry, Jason. I’ve tried, I really have. But it's over.” She turned to pace away from him back to the door, and missed the look in his eyes. The look that she would pay for what she’d just said, and that he’d get what he wanted, one way or another.
“You’re breaking it off?” His voice was eerily calm and without the charm that usually laced it.
“Yes. And now I think it’s best you go.”
"No, I think we need to talk this out, see if we can fix what's wrong." Seemingly casual, he tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he studied her.
"I don't think so, since there's not much to talk about." She hugged herself around her midsection. "I can’t be with someone who can’t listen when I tell them about how I feel, or can’t understand my wants and needs when I say it in plain English. Someone who doesn't respect the boundaries I have in place for myself, or the reasons behind them." She turned to walk towards the living room.
"This is about you not wanting to sleep with me? About not wanting to move in with me?" Jason's irritated voice trailed behind her.
"No, this is about a relationship that's not working for me anymore." Lynn turned back to face him, only to realize he had come up behind her. They were roughly the same height, so her eyes were level with his. He stood silently, hands still fisted in his pockets, his head tilted slightly to one side as he searched her face with slightly narrowed eyes. The minutes seemed to stretch out endlessly, until that split second when his hands snaked out to grab her by her upper arms.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lynn gasped in surprise and struggled, twisted and pushed against him, as she tried to escape his grasp. He knew how to counter every hand-to-hand move she made, making her efforts to escape useless.
“Do you really think it’s that easy to get rid of me?” Jason’s tone, low and threatening, sent shivers up her spine. This was not the charming man she’d once thought he was. The man who held her in his painful grip was dangerous. She could see that now, and hoped that it wasn’t too late to do something about it.
“Jason --” Lynn’s reply came to an abrupt stop as Jason reached up and slapped her in the face, the cracking sound of skin meeting skin echoing throughout the room .
“You are a fucking tease. We’ve been going out for months, and I’ve had to watch you sashay around, just out of reach. Do you know what it's like for a man to have to watch and wait and want?" He gave her a rough shake, and Lynn could feel the bruises start to gather where his fingers dug in on her biceps. "Well, I’m going to get what I’ve waited for. But I’m going to teach you a little lesson first.”
Before Lynn could react, he had clamped his strong grip around her throat, and slammed her back into the nearby wall. Bright light burst behind her eyes,
“Jason, I meant what I said.” She turned to him, holding the door open for a minute longer before pushing it closed a tad harder than necessary. “When I said I wasn’t up for company, when I said I wouldn’t move in with you, and when I said I wouldn’t sleep with you until I knew that this could be something permanent.”
“Ah, c’mon. You and I both know that this is going somewhere. We’re great together.” He strolled over to her window, pulled back the edge of the curtain to take in her view. He looked over his shoulder at her as he continued. “I don’t know why you’re fighting this.”
“I’m fighting this because I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” She pressed her fingers to her temples, where a headache brewed that threatened to reach migraine proportions. “I’m sorry, Jason. I’ve tried, I really have. But it's over.” She turned to pace away from him back to the door, and missed the look in his eyes. The look that she would pay for what she’d just said, and that he’d get what he wanted, one way or another.
“You’re breaking it off?” His voice was eerily calm and without the charm that usually laced it.
“Yes. And now I think it’s best you go.”
"No, I think we need to talk this out, see if we can fix what's wrong." Seemingly casual, he tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he studied her.
"I don't think so, since there's not much to talk about." She hugged herself around her midsection. "I can’t be with someone who can’t listen when I tell them about how I feel, or can’t understand my wants and needs when I say it in plain English. Someone who doesn't respect the boundaries I have in place for myself, or the reasons behind them." She turned to walk towards the living room.
"This is about you not wanting to sleep with me? About not wanting to move in with me?" Jason's irritated voice trailed behind her.
"No, this is about a relationship that's not working for me anymore." Lynn turned back to face him, only to realize he had come up behind her. They were roughly the same height, so her eyes were level with his. He stood silently, hands still fisted in his pockets, his head tilted slightly to one side as he searched her face with slightly narrowed eyes. The minutes seemed to stretch out endlessly, until that split second when his hands snaked out to grab her by her upper arms.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lynn gasped in surprise and struggled, twisted and pushed against him, as she tried to escape his grasp. He knew how to counter every hand-to-hand move she made, making her efforts to escape useless.
“Do you really think it’s that easy to get rid of me?” Jason’s tone, low and threatening, sent shivers up her spine. This was not the charming man she’d once thought he was. The man who held her in his painful grip was dangerous. She could see that now, and hoped that it wasn’t too late to do something about it.
“Jason --” Lynn’s reply came to an abrupt stop as Jason reached up and slapped her in the face, the cracking sound of skin meeting skin echoing throughout the room .
“You are a fucking tease. We’ve been going out for months, and I’ve had to watch you sashay around, just out of reach. Do you know what it's like for a man to have to watch and wait and want?" He gave her a rough shake, and Lynn could feel the bruises start to gather where his fingers dug in on her biceps. "Well, I’m going to get what I’ve waited for. But I’m going to teach you a little lesson first.”
Before Lynn could react, he had clamped his strong grip around her throat, and slammed her back into the nearby wall. Bright light burst behind her eyes,
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