The Pleasure Series: Complete Box Set by M. S. Parker

anything, it was worse because I was torn. As he walked toward me, I didn’t know if I wanted to tell him to stay back or to come closer.
    I remembered how it had felt, the weight of his body against mine as we'd kissed. The firm pressure of his mouth against mine. His tongue sliding between my lips. It was as clear now as the night it had happened, and I craved feeling it again.
    “How are you finding things at Archer Enterprises?” He gave me a slow, sensual smile that made me think of what it was like to have his mouth doing wonderful things between my legs. His gaze slid over me and I warmed under it.
    I glanced at the numbers on the wall and willed the elevator to go faster. My heart began to pound as he got closer.
    “Have you been avoiding me, Jenna?” he asked as he stepped between me and the doors.
    Panic welled up as I saw my only way out blocked. I took a slow breath, telling myself that this was Rylan and he wouldn't hurt me, but it didn't help. I needed him to take a step back but I couldn't get the words out.
    “I don't understand,” he said as he closed the distance between us to less than an inch. He reached out and I flinched. A puzzled expression crossed his face. “I thought we had a good time together.”
    I nodded, desperately hoping he'd understand that I needed him to move because I was holding on by a thread. My breath was starting to come in gasps and I couldn't get enough oxygen.
    “Jenna, what's wrong?” Concern replaced confusion and he leaned toward me.
    I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn't stop the flashes from coming. Other faces, other hands reaching for me. I whimpered as his hand touched my arm and I hated myself for the sound, but I couldn't help it. I had reached the point where I could tell when I was in the midst of a panic attack, but I still wasn't able to break myself from their grip. The best I could do was try to keep myself from lashing out.
    My hands tightened into fists, my nails digging into my palms. I tried to focus on the pain, but then Rylan put his hand on my other arm and I sagged against the wall. My head shook from side to side as I fought to take deeper breaths. Spots danced behind my closed eyes and I knew I was only seconds from passing out. It didn't happen often, but it had happened in the past.
    Dimly, as if from a distance, I heard Rylan calling my name, but I barely noticed it. The darkness I tried so hard to keep at bay was coming for me and there was nothing I could do about it. Logically, I knew I was hyperventilating and I needed to calm down, but there was no logic when it came to panic.
    Still, I kept trying to fight it until the world faded away.
     

Chapter 2
    I didn't know how it was for most people, but for me, waking up after being unconscious was different than waking up normally. I didn't dream or have nightmares when I was unconscious. It wasn't like sleeping where sometimes there were dreams and sometimes there weren't. I'd passed out more times than I cared to think about or count and I'd never had a single dream or nightmare.
    I'd woken up to nightmares, but that wasn't anything I wanted to think about again. Ever.
    Like most people, I sometimes woke up from sleep with a start, sometimes with a jolt. If I was having a nightmare, there were times I'd bolt upright in bed, going from asleep to awake almost too fast for my body and mind to process. Other times, I'd be stuck in the darkness, trying to claw my way to reality. When it came to waking up from being unconscious, it only went one way for me.
    One moment, I'd be in the cold dark, no matter how warm or light the place was where I'd passed out. The next, the panic or emotion that had shut me down came rushing back, flooding my system with enough chemicals to force me into a fight or flight response before I knew what was happening. Basically, I always came to fighting.
    This time wasn't any different.
    Panic clawed at my throat and I struck out with feet and hands, trying to make