Page 12 (1/2)

"Ouch," she yelped When he yanked her up by the front of the shirt, thank God she reacted as he’d hoped Twisting to break free, she kicked, taking hiht have caused hi sure she had her feet under her, he pushed her off hi her hands out around her, floundering It killed him, but he forced himself to remain ruthless "This is what you learned in basic co This weak-assed shit"

Shock coursed her features, but then her face hardened like a weathered statue "I haven’t exactly been keeping combat ready," she snapped

"Yeah, I noticed You’ve been sitting on your ever-widening butt--" Her tenite It exploded, frustration uncapped in a way he didn’t anticipate

Snarling like a wild aniht her as she fell into hiathering her to him the way every cell of him craved to do

Despite the disorientation, she whirled, baring her teeth He saw the flash of fire he wanted and kept pushing, ignoring the ache in his own chest "You can fight You just won’t You’ve given up You’re lucky--"

"Not the fucking ‘You’re lucky’ speech again I swear to God, the next person that says that to irl fist of yours? I’ a hard-on from it

Come tickle me some more"

She screaain, but this tiainst his palm, held square in front of his face His jaw set in satisfaction There’s ers closed over her tense fingers, holding them as she quivered

"Damn it I can’t"

"Yeah" He touched her neck carefully, cupped the side of it, then squeezed, hard "Yeah, sweetheart, you can But you need help"

"Not you" She shook her head, and tears seeped out, destroying him "Not from you

Damn it, Peter, I want to have so it away, every day you sit in that chair You s part of the furniture" He brought her chin up to hiuish in his face as he ave up the choice by not accepting help fro a whore again, I will fuck you up ten ways to Sunday You won’t sit comfortably for a month You’re no one’s whore"

"I can feel the scars I look like a monster"

"No, you don’t" Helines at her cheek and forehead, teasing her lashes "Your eyes are still that pale green, like ical scar here, and herehealing Your skin is still so soft, your lips so full

" He placed one of his hands over her heart, cognizant of the rise and fall of her breast, and one against her te the short hair there "Heart and head That’s all you need to heal, Dana The rest doesn’t matter It’s just skin You’re beautiful to me, inside and out"

"You don’t even know me"

"Yeah, I do That’s what scares the shit out of you I can bust your co to leave you alone I want you to live again" Her breathing elevated, the tracks of her tears widening "I want you to leave," she said brokenly

"No, you don’t" He sed, hoping it was the truth "You’ve always taken care of yourself You hate depending on others You think you have to run the whole dao is when you follow orders or put on a leash and collar and hand it to the right Master But even that you had to control, and that’s why you never found hi to let you controlto help you, no ht now, I’ to prove that to you"