own. “And I know that you do. But sooner or later,
you have to stop waiting for him. You have to stop thinking about how much you
love him and look at how much he hurts you.”
Rocki shifted her eyes down at the lingering bruises on
Lacey’s wrists and murmured, “And I’m not talking about the kinky shit you all
play in your bedroom, either. If you want to get your freak on, I don’t care.
But what he did last night, you know it’s wrong. If Cole did that to me, what
would you be saying?”
A faint grin curved Lacey’s mouth. “Not a damn thing. I’d be
too busy clawing my boots out of his throat.”
“Well, then.” Rocki twined their fingers together and
squeezed. “You know this isn’t good for you.”
Lacey looked away. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she
tried not to show the misery she felt inside. Wished she didn’t feel it at all.
But she needed to let herself feel, and more, she had to let herself think—now,
right now, while the hurt was still fresh.
He’d been in one of his moods, and she’d known it. Part of
her had even been a little excited because Brogan in one of his moods was a
heady, sexy thing. But he hadn’t taken her home. He’d left with Grace, as he
always did when he swung into one of those darker mindsets.
Lacey was his fun-time, feel-good girl.
She wasn’t his always girl.
She wasn’t his, period .
It was past time she accept that and move on.
She had to stop this. It was over and done.
Brogan would only give her so much. Shifting her gaze to
Rocki, she said softly, “You’re right. It hurt like hell. But it is what it is.
He is who he is.”
“And he won’t change.” Rocki squeezed her hand once more.
“How much longer will you let him hurt you?”
Swallowing, she rubbed her hands over her face and then
lowered them, looking at the table.
“I think I need to end things,” she said quietly, not
looking at Rocki. She kept her gaze focused on the table. She didn’t dare move,
didn’t even want to take a deep breath for fear she might shatter.
All night , she thought, staring at the vivid blue on
her fingernails. She’d cried over him all night .
And it wasn’t the first time.
Swallowing, she finally let herself look up at Rocki.
“Over?” Rocki still watched her, her gaze worried and sad.
“Yeah.” Closing her eyes, she slumped back against the
padded booth. “You’re right. This is so fucked up and I can’t keep doing this,
but if I let him do it this time, he’ll just do it again and again, whenever
the mood strikes him. I can’t go through that again.”
Her voice hitched in her throat and she stopped. Damn it. No
more crying about this.
* * * * *
Brogan Grainger had fallen asleep in a bad mood. He woke up
in an even worse mood. The sight of the tangled blonde hair spread out on the
pillow next to his didn’t do a damn thing to help things, either.
He blinked and rubbed his eyes, halfheartedly hoping that
would make the hair turn into those crazy, strawberry-blonde curls, but it didn’t
work. The mussed blonde coif remained and he had no choice but to think about
what he’d done last night.
The look he’d seen on Lacey’s face just before the door
closed behind him.
Better off ,he’d insisted. It was better off. I don’t get tangled up in her. She doesn’t get her hopes up. It’s all better
this way .
He hadn’t believed it then, and he hadn’t been able to fuck
the idea out of his system either.
Now, lying there, the more he thought about it, the madder
he got.
Especially when he let himself acknowledge the fact that all
he had to do was just reach out to her last night and he could have had that
red-gold hair tangled around him all night. All morning. For as long as he
wanted. She was his …and once more, he’d walked away.
What was he doing?
A hand touched his cheek. Irritated, he shifted away. Grace
sighed. “You know, running from her won’t change how you feel.”
Kicking his legs over the side of his
you have to stop waiting for him. You have to stop thinking about how much you
love him and look at how much he hurts you.”
Rocki shifted her eyes down at the lingering bruises on
Lacey’s wrists and murmured, “And I’m not talking about the kinky shit you all
play in your bedroom, either. If you want to get your freak on, I don’t care.
But what he did last night, you know it’s wrong. If Cole did that to me, what
would you be saying?”
A faint grin curved Lacey’s mouth. “Not a damn thing. I’d be
too busy clawing my boots out of his throat.”
“Well, then.” Rocki twined their fingers together and
squeezed. “You know this isn’t good for you.”
Lacey looked away. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she
tried not to show the misery she felt inside. Wished she didn’t feel it at all.
But she needed to let herself feel, and more, she had to let herself think—now,
right now, while the hurt was still fresh.
He’d been in one of his moods, and she’d known it. Part of
her had even been a little excited because Brogan in one of his moods was a
heady, sexy thing. But he hadn’t taken her home. He’d left with Grace, as he
always did when he swung into one of those darker mindsets.
Lacey was his fun-time, feel-good girl.
She wasn’t his always girl.
She wasn’t his, period .
It was past time she accept that and move on.
She had to stop this. It was over and done.
Brogan would only give her so much. Shifting her gaze to
Rocki, she said softly, “You’re right. It hurt like hell. But it is what it is.
He is who he is.”
“And he won’t change.” Rocki squeezed her hand once more.
“How much longer will you let him hurt you?”
Swallowing, she rubbed her hands over her face and then
lowered them, looking at the table.
“I think I need to end things,” she said quietly, not
looking at Rocki. She kept her gaze focused on the table. She didn’t dare move,
didn’t even want to take a deep breath for fear she might shatter.
All night , she thought, staring at the vivid blue on
her fingernails. She’d cried over him all night .
And it wasn’t the first time.
Swallowing, she finally let herself look up at Rocki.
“Over?” Rocki still watched her, her gaze worried and sad.
“Yeah.” Closing her eyes, she slumped back against the
padded booth. “You’re right. This is so fucked up and I can’t keep doing this,
but if I let him do it this time, he’ll just do it again and again, whenever
the mood strikes him. I can’t go through that again.”
Her voice hitched in her throat and she stopped. Damn it. No
more crying about this.
* * * * *
Brogan Grainger had fallen asleep in a bad mood. He woke up
in an even worse mood. The sight of the tangled blonde hair spread out on the
pillow next to his didn’t do a damn thing to help things, either.
He blinked and rubbed his eyes, halfheartedly hoping that
would make the hair turn into those crazy, strawberry-blonde curls, but it didn’t
work. The mussed blonde coif remained and he had no choice but to think about
what he’d done last night.
The look he’d seen on Lacey’s face just before the door
closed behind him.
Better off ,he’d insisted. It was better off. I don’t get tangled up in her. She doesn’t get her hopes up. It’s all better
this way .
He hadn’t believed it then, and he hadn’t been able to fuck
the idea out of his system either.
Now, lying there, the more he thought about it, the madder
he got.
Especially when he let himself acknowledge the fact that all
he had to do was just reach out to her last night and he could have had that
red-gold hair tangled around him all night. All morning. For as long as he
wanted. She was his …and once more, he’d walked away.
What was he doing?
A hand touched his cheek. Irritated, he shifted away. Grace
sighed. “You know, running from her won’t change how you feel.”
Kicking his legs over the side of his
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